'BBQ and You': This first-year grilling class promises to put the heat on UGA students.

Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald
Updated ·2 min read
John Michael Gonzalez instructs students in the UGA Department of Animal and Dairy Science's "BBQ and You" seminar class at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
John Michael Gonzalez instructs students in the UGA Department of Animal and Dairy Science's "BBQ and You" seminar class at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Where did you learn how to cook on the grill?

Though some might've had the good fortune of being taught by an accomplished family member or via employment in the service industry, many folks just buy meat, light up the charcoal and hope for the best.

Thanks to a new class called 'BBQ and You," University of Georgia students will have the opportunity to learn from experts who are well-versed in the art and science of cooking meat. And they won't just be getting schooled on food safety. They'll get to taste what their instructors cook.

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Alexander Stelzleni instructs students in the UGA Department of Animal and Dairy Science's "BBQ and You" seminar class at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Alexander Stelzleni instructs students in the UGA Department of Animal and Dairy Science's "BBQ and You" seminar class at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Taught by professors John Michael Gonzalez and Alexander Stelzleni in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science at UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the seminar course was specifically designed for students interested in honing barbecue skills. Stelzleni got the idea for the "BBQ and You" after learning that other universities were offering similar classes.

Developed for first-year UGA students of all backgrounds, the class is open for any who choose to enroll and will cover grilling techniques for chicken, pulled pork, brisket and more. Students will observe as Stelzleni and Gonzalez smoke, prepare, grill and cut the meat, and then taste the results. One of the benefits of "BBQ and You" is that it allows students a safe place to make mistakes and refine their own recipes as they learn.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unsafe handling of food and improper grilling can lead to food-borne diseases caused by bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens and species of Campylobacter and Salmonella, which are the top three bacterial causes of food-borne illness in the United States. A list of CDC-approved grilling tips can be found at cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/bbq-iq.html.

The "BBQ and You" class is worth one credit hour. The next offering of the seminar will be open for enrollment ahead of spring 2024.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: First-year UGA seminar class teaches barbecue grilling techniques