With summer just around the corner, barbecue season is in full swing. But for some, barbecuing is not just a summer pastime—it’s a lifestyle.
“Barbecue enthusiasts barbecue all year round,” says local grilling expert Colin McArthur, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “It doesn’t matter, rain or shine, I put a little gazebo up in my backyard to barbecue. Remember that snowstorm we had? I was still barbecuing in it.”
McArthur is the operations manager for Gospel BBQ, an online barbecue store situated on Wellington Street North in downtown Thorold.
“Our main business is wholesale so we have 200 retail partners across Canada and it’s constantly growing every day,” explains McArthur. “It’s premium brands of sauces and rubs. You won’t be able to go to the grocery store and find them. We have different fuels, pellets, charcoals and a couple different smokers.”
Gospel BBQ might be an online store first and foremost, but walk-ins are always welcome. That is what McArthur enjoys most.
“When people come in we give them the Gospel experience,” he says. “They’ll tell me what they’re cooking and I’ll go from there. I build a profile for them in my head of different spices and rubs to try and different combinations for what they’re cooking. I call myself a mixologist of barbecue.”
McArthur, who has been cooking since he was young, says barbecuing can elevate every meal.
“You can cook a steak in the frying pan,” he says. “No problem, great flavour, but it’s not the same as cooking it on the barbecue over charcoal. You get so much more flavour in the steak. It enhances the flavour, you can get that char.”
There are several different steps that can help you achieve the perfect barbecue meal. Using a high-quality cut of meat is the first important part in getting it right.
“There’s huge difference in flavour, tenderness, and fat content,” McArthur says. “There’s nothing wrong with cooking a cheaper cut. You can still achieve a really good barbecue with it, but it’s not quite the same as having a premium cut of meat.”
Before throwing the meat on the barbecue it’s important to prepare it well.
“The longer it marinates the better it is,” says McArthur. “For chicken I want a crispy skin so I salt that the night before. Briskets I usually season with a salty seasoning. I will inject my briskets as well for more moisture and then if I’m feeling adventurous, I do a little slathering of mustard.”
When it comes to the barbecue itself, it’s important to keep a close eye on the temperature.
“I like to cook everything at 275 [degrees Fahrenheit],” McArthur says. “You can go lower for more smoke, you can go hotter for less smoke. Different charcoals give different flavours. The woods also enhance the flavour that you get throughout your meats.”
McArthur is not the only barbecue lover in Canada, as Gospel BBQ has been consistently growing and expanding in the last three years.
“We try to be the Amazon of barbecue,” McArthur says. “It’s really exciting to watch it grow from where we were three years ago in a tiny room to a year ago when we expanded down here. When it’s really insanely busy I thrive in it. It keeps me moving and it keeps me happy. ”
And when McArthur comes home, barbecuing helps him relax.
“Cooking is fun for me,” he says. “If I’m having a bad day I go barbecue and it just allows me to take whatever is going on and forget about it. I can be here in the moment and enjoy it, and forget about everything else.”
Gospel BBQ is open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Orders can be shipped Canada-wide. Premium meat is available for pick-up only.
