Cave men did it because they had to; we do it because we love to.

The backyard barbecue and summer (winter, too, for the most devoted) go hand in hand.

Actually, it was the wooden frames used by Indians to smoke foods for preservation that led to the word barbecue.

Early Spanish explorers of the New World called the framework "barbacoa," which eventually evolved into barbecue.

"Summer and grills -- charcoal and gas -- go together," said Susan Mills, food and nutrition specialist with the University of Missouri Extension Service. "The number of outdoor cooks starts skyrocketing on Memorial Day weekend and continues through Labor Day weekend in September."

The Fourth of July, coming up next week, will test the talents of many outdoor cooks as they toss hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, steak and other food on grills across the nation.

"I'm big on barbecuing," said Mills, who favors the gas grill.

"I have one outside and one inside," she said. "I use them consistently -- four to five times a week -- the year round, and not only for meats, but vegetables."

Whether it's charcoal or gas, Mills said cooks have common problems.

"They should cook the food thoroughly, but not overcook it," said Mills. "A lot of people like to cook everything to death. Many are scared that undercooked foods will be a safety hazard."

Mills said people can still have rare steak, with adequate heat penetration.

"Barbecuing is a way to get the entire family involved," said Mills. "Grilling is something families can do together."

Grilling also does away with a lot of frying, Mills said.

"I cook big meals on the grill," said Mills. "I fix poultry, fish, beef, pork and lots of vegetables, including corn on the cob.

"Being a working parent, I need to fix meals I can do quickly, with ease and convenience, and I don't have all those pots and pans."

Recipes are easy to obtain, she said.

"Missouri beef and pork groups offer wonderful free recipe brochures," said Mills. "They're available at the Extension office."

Charlie Knote is another fancier of the gas grill.

"It's easy to light, reaches an even heat in a hurry, and is easy to clean up afterwards," Knote said. "But I keep a charcoal grill handy too."

Knote, a professional food scientist for the Culinary Institute of Smoke-Cooking, said he lights the grill a couple of times a week.

Gas grills might insult traditionalists who rail at the idea of smoking without charcoal. But gas grills are popular and more economical to operate.

"And charcoal does not really provide the flavor," said Knote.

Knote, who recently attended an international culinary meeting, said more people are barbecuing.

"During the past few years there has been a run on barbecue equipment," he said. "Last year there was a 25 percent increase in sales of all types of barbecue equipment."

"We're working on a correspondence course on barbecuing," said Knote. "It will be a train-at-home master barbecue cooking school."

The course will be offered through the Culinary Institute of Smoke-Cooking

"Barbecuing is more than throwing a piece of meat on the fire and taking it off," said Knote. "This new eight-lesson course will teach a person to do things eloquently."

Knote, who barbecues two or three times a week, offers one of his recipes for reasonable but eloquent dining.

"Pork steaks are usually a great buy," said Knote. "You can expect to trim off about 20 percent of the weight of the pork steak. This assures you of nice lean cut of meat."

Knote then uses a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce, in equal parts, to marinate the pork steaks.

After marinating, the steaks are basted with a mixture of equal parts of vinegar, honey and soy sauce, said Knote. "The honey burns easily. That's the reason we didn't include it in the first mixture."

Knote then cooks the pork steaks until they are barely done.

"You're probably looking at 160 to 165 degrees," said Knote. "Don't overcook it."

He then takes the pork steaks off the grill and places them on a cookie sheet with small sides, spreads some of the vinegar and soy sauce on the cookie sheet, and covers the pork steaks with oil.

"We place the meat in the oven, heated at 160 degrees, and cook it for an hour," said Knote. "What this does is change the tough tissue into tender gelatin.

"The steak will be tasty, tender and juicy," said Knote. "It's an eloquent meal at a very reasonable price."

Knote said pork and chicken must always be cooked on low. "Hamburger and steak, however, are always cooked on high," he said.

A Cairo, Ill., restaurateur believes the sauce determines much of the taste.

"The secret to good barbecue is a combination of things," said the restaurateur, Darrell Shemwell, who operates a regionally known barbecue restaurant. "In most cases barbecue taste is noted from the sauce that is used.

"We spend a lot of time in preparing our barbecue," said Shemwell. "We burn oak and hickory into a coal, then throw the coals under the meat with a shovel.

"We also have an old-fashioned barbecue pit here. It's the original pit and has been here as long as the restaurant. So we're talking about 50 years of seasoning for the pit."

Shemwell said a good baste for barbecue is a mixture of vinegar and water, or some light cooking oil, whether the barbecue was being prepared on a commercial or backyard grill.

The majority of backyard barbecuers depend on a homemade marinade mixture of vinegar, onion, garlic, salt and spices and commercial sauce for basting while cooking.

"The coals should be hot before cooking food," said Mills. "In the case of hamburger, the patties need to be done. They should be cooked to 160 degrees and be gray in the center."

Another food safety measure is to use separate clean plates for the raw and cooked food. "Some people will carry the meat outside to a grill, leave the plate sitting while the meat cooks, then use the same plate that has been sitting there for several minutes to a half-hour," said Mills.

Cookers who plan to use some of the marinade as a dip or basting sauce later should set aside a portion before marinating the meat in it. "Never reuse the marinade from raw meat," said Mills. "It could contain bacteria form the raw meat."

The popularity of barbecuing became evident as the United States started expanding from the colonies south.

Few Southern indoor kitchens could handle the summertime heat, let alone the logistics of cooking for large groups of people who attended various gatherings. The "summer kitchen" was born and has thrived ever since.

There are a number of barbecue and grilling books available.

One comes form Barbacoa Press in Kansas City. The book is "Bar-B-Q Kansas City Style," written in 1985 by Shifra Stein, former restaurant critic for the Kansas City Star and Times newspapers, and Rich Davis, a renowned barbecue expert. New this year is "Best Covered and Kettle Grills Cookbook Ever" by Melanie Bernard. Another is "Grilling From the Garden" by Diana Shaw.