Firemen’s BBQs Are a True New Hampshire Tradition

Ruth Ward
As a State Senator, I attend a lot of town events in every town in my district. I’ve been to the opening of country stores, ribbon cuttings at town buildings, visited schools and churches, toured lakes and ponds, celebrated Old Home Days — just about everything you can think of. I even toured a paragliding facility in Charlestown last summer (I decided to just watch this time, but it did look like a lot of fun!)

One of my favorite events is the traditional Fire Department BBQ. I have attended a number of Fire Department Chicken BBQs over the years. They are a true New Hampshire tradition that is as strong today as it was decades ago.

I recently attended a BBQ held by the Washington Volunteer Fire Department. What has amazed me is how tender the chicken is, when fully cooked through. The set-up is huge; big fireboxes, big grills, big buckets of sauce and big brushes. How do they do it?

One thought occurred to me. Do all fire departments in New Hampshire use the same method and sauce? I had not detected any major difference in the flavor.

I started learning about the history of “barbecue.” Although the barbecue may be dear to the American soul, it is not native to the US. It traces its origin to the indigenous people of North and South America. There is a mention by Edmund Hickeringill (1631-1708) that “whenever they killed one of the wild hogs that inhabited the island, they would slice them open, and ‘their flesh Barbecu’d and eat’ “. (Alexander Lee, the Historian’s Cookbook. Published in History Today vol.69 issue 8 August 2019)

Obviously, our idea of barbecue has progressed from there.

Fast forward to 1950 when Professor Robert C. Baker published Cornell Cooperative Extension Information Bulletin 862. The bulletin described how to barbecue chicken and other meats. It was a novel idea. Americans, up to that point ,were eating beef and pork. As an agricultural extension specialist, part of Professor Baker’s job was to convince Americans to add chicken to their meat selection. His first big triumph was the Cornell Chicken Barbecue Sauce. That is what he is remembered for in Upstate New York. By his death in 2006, professor Baker had developed many chicken products, including a prototype chicken nugget. He tried to mass produce the sauce to sell in stores, but that was not successful.

The sauce was simple enough: oil, cider vinegar, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and an unusual key ingredient – egg. The egg helps to thicken the sauce and keeps the oil and vinegar emulsified together to stay on the chicken. (Sarah Laskow, Atlas Obscura May 26, 2019). I would not be surprised if this, or something very similar is the recipe that our fire fighters use for their chicken barbecues.

I know there have been cookbooks released by large city fire department with chili recipes but I am yet to see one for the local town fire department BBQ. If any New Hampshire town does decide to publish their secret recipe, please put me on the presale list. I am very interested and, after writing this article, I am now very hungry!

— Senator Ruth Ward (R-Stoddard) represents District 8 in the New Hampshire Senate.