Gaining more and more followers in Quebec, the barbecue has become more than a way of cooking, it’s a way of life for those who have adopted a passion for grilling, a visibly contagious pastime, according to growing enthusiasm.
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“Clients who have 3, 4, 5 devices that each do specific things, it’s no longer rare. They are really trippy,” says Ghislain Labonté, co-owner of the specialty store BBQ Labonté.
The newspaper presents today portraits of these enthusiasts for whom the barbecue has become a religion. Formerly reserved for beautiful summer days, the passion for grilling is now lived rain or shine, twelve months a year in Quebec.
“People tell me that their season lasts from April to October and that after they put away their barbecue, but it is important not to,” insists Clément Chiasson, an enthusiast who has launched online training. “There’s no way I’m waiting eight months to eat my steak on the coals! »
Explosion of the phenomenon
In fact, the passion of these grill fanatics is such that it is not uncommon for Ghislain Labonté to welcome customers from Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean or even from Gaspésie to his store in Drummondville, in the Centre- of Quebec.
“You have to be trippy to come all that way to shop for BBQs, buy spices or come for advice,” laughs Mr. Labonté.
This is just one example among others of the rise of barbecues in Quebec. Butchers are also at the forefront of this madness and admit that the market has grown in recent years, especially with the pandemic.
“It completely exploded. The restaurants were closed and people realized that they could eat well at home, ”analyzes Anthony Bérubé, director of the Délecta butchery in Quebec.
And many also realized that the barbecue, although intimidating at first glance, was accessible. No need to be a chef to find his account. “Even the people who burned water realized that they weren’t that bad, that it wasn’t that hard,” jokes Ghislain Labonté.
a Passion that is shared
In the era of social networks, the flame is transmitted all the more quickly as channels and accounts dedicated to barbecues multiply. The ripple effect is significant and experts are observing it.
In fact, the taste of barbecuing has become a way of life for many who are ready to get up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning to start smoking a piece of meat that will be devoured among friends in the evening.
“The projects of young dads have changed. It’s no longer going to the bar on Friday night, it’s barbecuing all weekend. My buddies with whom I went out before, it’s made my partners barbecue and that’s how it is for a lot of people,” says Anthony Bérubé.
“It goes beyond cooking,” adds Patrick Lepage, co-owner of AAA Boucherie Gourmet in Montreal. “We have a population that is erudite about the phenomenon, who wants to learn about it. They read, they go on the internet, it’s a real passion. »
60,000 km per year for competitions
Photo Pierre-Paul Biron
Dany Tremblay, from Lévis, became a pit master (BBQ professional) in just a few years. He now competes all over the United States, with several sponsors allowing him to pay for his season, which cost him approximately $50,000.
After discovering the infinite possibilities of the barbecue, Dany Tremblay equipped himself with no fewer than 14 machines in just one year. The ace of ribs and brisket now travels 60,000 km a year for professional competitions across the United States.
But before he took a course in 2016, nothing destined Dany Tremblay to become pit master (barbecue professional).
“I was making hot dogs and hamburgers on my little barbecue, like many people,” recalls the resident of Lévis.
However, the weekend in the woods at BBQ Camp offered by the Lavoie brothers of BBQ Québec will have changed his life.
“We were 19 and we cooked 1000 pounds of meat in our weekend without ever using propane. I was tripped at the end, ”says the enthusiast who got so hooked that he embarked on the almost compulsive purchase of barbecues. “I bought 14 in the same year. »
The madness of competitions
The following year, the madness of competitions took hold of Dany Tremblay and his spouse.
The one who competes as Wally BBQ won his first amateur competition with his painstakingly developed ribs.
“The week before the competition, we made 70 racks of ribs to be sure to find exactly what we were looking for,” he explains with a laugh.
If you haven’t already understood, Dany Tremblay is the kind of guy who does things thoroughly. But we have to admit that it will have paid off, at least in terms of strong emotions.
“Two weeks after my first amateur competition, I made the leap to the pros, where I finished 3e for my chicken and 4e for my ribs. We did about twenty competitions that year. And I went to the World Food Championships, which is the Stanley Cup of BBQ, and I finished 5e in the world,” says the pitmaster, who compares the sensation to “direct adrenaline in the veins”.
The Lévisien now travels 60,000 kilometers a year for his competitions, dragging in his “WallyBago” his three competition barbecues, which are worth $5,000 each.
$50,000 each season
His talent has earned him a package of sponsorships on both sides of the border, and fortunately since each competition season costs about $50,000.
Customers want to broaden their horizons
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Anthony Bérubé, manager of the Délecta butchery in Quebec, says the public has really discovered the possibilities of barbecue cooking, even seeking to get into cooking extravagant pieces.
The high-speed development of the barbecue industry will also have brought about a transformation of the butcher’s trade, which has become an accompaniment, an adviser for these enthusiasts who want to broaden their horizons.
To illustrate this change, Patrick Lepage of AAA Boucherie Gourmet says that most of his 26 butchers are also trained cooks.
In this way, they are not only there to slice meat, they support the customer.
“Just cutting meat is not enough anymore. […] The bond of trust is important and most of my butchers are also cooks precisely to be able to bring the customer to their destination. »
These skills also make it possible to offer new cuts to customers who are increasingly fond of new products.
The flank steak, for example, was not commonplace a few years ago.
However, it is now found among the best sellers of specialized butchers.
“The tab is very popular, but they are very fragile cuts. These are pieces that are classified as offal elsewhere,” explains Mr. Lepage.
Maximize carcass
He points out that these new and varied cuts also allow butchers to maximize the use of the whole carcass, which makes it possible “to offer pleasant prices for the customer”.
Some are also now willing to shell out big bucks for quality parts, something you didn’t see in the not so distant past either.
“I have Japanese wagyu that retails for $125 an inch and I have people coming in and taking 2, 3, 4. We slice the steak and our hands are shaking so much it’s high quality”, says the director of the Délecta butchery in Quebec, Anthony Bérubé, drawing a parallel between meats on the grill and wines.
” It’s the same thing. People have become ready for that, they have learned to take advantage of quality, to appreciate it”, emphasizes the merchant.
Less meat, but…
“People are eating less meat and that’s okay, we’re changing. But they say to themselves “the times we eat it, we want to remember it, we want it to be good”, adds Patrick Lepage.
The madness of extravagant cuts of meat
Photo Pierre-Paul Biron
The “Thor’s hammer”, a beef shank which is the new darling of amateur cooks who like to impress the gallery.
Tomahawk, Thor’s hammer and other pieces of meat of crazy proportions are a delight for carnivores who want to put on a show for their guests. And there are more and more of them, according to the butchers who no longer supply.
“Just the weekend of Father’s Day, we had a promotion on the Tomahawk, a piece that has become popular, but which is still out of the ordinary. We sold 700 of them”, is still surprised Anthony Bérubé, of the Délecta butcher.
“It’s nonsense, it shows the enthusiasm and the phenomenon. »
On the lookout for trends
Same thing with Thor’s hammer, a huge shank of beef with the bone uncovered that looks just like the comic book hero’s huge hammer.
After a Montreal butcher posted a photo of the piece on social media, the barbecue community went into overdrive.
“Suddenly everyone wanted it. This is where we measure the enthusiasm, it’s instantaneous. And we have to be on the lookout, not be the last to have it. You have to be on the lookout for these new trends,” explains Mr. Bérubé.
The social media craze
TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, podcasts; There are so many ways to follow barbecue enthusiasts on social networks that they undoubtedly contribute to the growth of this culinary pastime. And you don’t need to be a pro to share your passion, that’s the beauty of social networks.
“These are enthusiasts who have a full-time job and who leave TikTok. And they are really good! It sure influences people to try out business. Seeing them go, people realize that you don’t need to be a professional cook to make good stock at home,” says Ghislain Labonté, co-owner of BBQ Labonté, happy to see the passion passed on.
Product Discovery
“You try things out and then you invite one, you invite the other, you’re proud to show that you’re doing great food, the others taste it and want to try it too. People are discovering products they didn’t know about and it’s solid. »