DirtyProp
As I understand it, the 'art' of proper BBQ - slow smoking meat for several hours (and definitely NOT to be confused with grilling over high heat which is all to often mistakenly referred to as BBQ) - originated in the American south. The black slaves discovered that they could take the lousy cuts of meat their white masters didn't want and make them not just eatable but quite tasty by slowly smoking the meat for many hours. Even today, many if not most, of the best BBQ places in the USA have old black guys as the 'head cook'
It's only been fairly recently that large parts of the middle and upper class have discovered just how good proper BBQ really is, and applied it to better cuts of meat, making it just that much better.
BTW, having travelled over much of the world, the only place where I struggled to find a good meal was the UK (until I was told to avoid the domestic stuff and head for the Indian restaurants).
