1. You’ll need to brine the meat at least 24 hrs before your BBQ. First, spatchcock the chicken. Flip the chicken over so the backbone is facing you. Use a sturdy pair of kitchen or poultry scissors to cut down either side of the backbone, then discard. Turn the chicken over and push down firmly on the breastbone to flatten out the bird. Make a few slashes in each leg joint. (Watch a video showing how to spatchcock a chicken at bbcgoodfood.com/videos/spatchcock.)
2. Put each cut of meat in a separate, large sealable bag. Sprinkle 1 tbsp salt into each bag and massage it all over the meat. Squeeze the air from the bags, seal tightly and put in the fridge for 24 hrs.
3. Tip the remaining salt, fennel seeds and peppercorns into a mortar. Tear the bay into small pieces and add this too. Crush the ingredients with the pestle until finely ground. Add the cayenne, paprika, garlic salt and sugars, and mix well. Remove the meat from the bags and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cover each cut with the rub, making sure you get into every nook. Return to the fridge for at least 1-2 hrs while you prepare the barbecue, or up to 24 hrs.
4. You’ll need to start the barbecue 7-8 hrs before you want to eat. Heat the coals and leave them until ashen. Add your wood chips, if using. When the flames have died down and you’re left with smoky cinders, push the coals and wood chips to one side of the BBQ pit, then replace the grill and add the beef and pork, placing them above the empty side of the pit – this will ensure the meat smokes but doesn’t burn. Pull down the lid and cook the meat for 30-40 mins, turning every now and then, until a dark crust has formed around the meat. Don’t be afraid to take it quite far, the crust should be almost black (but caramelised as opposed to burnt). Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1.
5. Transfer the meat to roasting tins, wrap tightly with foil and cook in the oven for 5-6 hrs until really tender.
6. When the meat has 1 – 1 1/ 2 hrs to go, reheat the BBQ and wait for the coals to turn ashen before adding more wood chips. When the flames have died down, push to one side as before. Put the chicken on the BBQ, bone-side down, above the empty side of the pit. Cook for 20-25 mins on each side or until cooked through – check by piercing a leg to see if the juices are clear, or use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 70C. Wrap tightly in foil and set aside to rest.
7. After 5-6 hrs, the beef and pork should be really tender. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 mins. If you’ve made a BBQ sauce (see the Texas BBQ sauce recipe here), brush this over the meat for a glossy finish. Remove any string from the pork and shred the meat. Cut the chicken into portions and serve everything on a big platter with the sliced sweet onions, gherkins and sides.

American Culture: Traditions and Customs of the United States

American culture encompasses the customs and traditions of the United States. “Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things,” said Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London.

The United States is the third largest country in the world with a population of more than 325 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A child is born every 8 seconds, and a person dies every 12 seconds.

In addition to Native Americans who were already living on the continent, the population of the United States was built on immigration from other countries. Despite recent moves to close the U.S. borders to new immigrants and refugees, a new immigrant moves to the United States every 33 seconds, according to the Census Bureau

Sports

The United States is a sports-minded country, with millions of fans who follow football, baseball, basketball and hockey, among other sports. Baseball, which was developed in colonial America and became an organized sport in the mid-1800s, is known as America’s favorite pastime, although its popularity has been eclipsed by football for the past three decades, according to the Harris Poll

Religion

Nearly every known religion is practiced in the United States, which was founded on the basis of religious freedom. About 71 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians, according to information gathered by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan research group, in 2017. The research also found that about 23 percent had no religious affiliation at all and around 6 percent of the population is made up non-Christian religions

American food

American cuisine was influenced by Europeans and Native Americans in its early history. Today, there are a number of foods that are commonly identified as American, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, macaroni and cheese, and meat loaf. “As American as apple pie” has come to mean something that is authentically American.

There are also styles of cooking and types of foods that are specific to a region. Southern-style cooking is often called “American comfort food” and includes dishes such as fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas and corn bread. Tex-Mex, popular in Texas and the Southwest, is a blend of Spanish and Mexican cooking styles and includes items such as chili and burritos, and relies heavily on shredded cheese and beans.

Jerky, dried meats that are served as snacks, is also a food that was created in the United States, according to NPR.