A couple of hours south of Bologna, in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, the food capital of Italy, lies a beautifully fertile flat land lined with the Apennines. It is also home to a fascinating hub of Italian gastronomy — the Corso Barbecue school. Launched by Chianina cattle husband Lamandini and his wife Regina in 2007, the school aims to educate the food community in barbecue skills, rooted in traditional Italian flavours. ‘I like slow food. It’s nice to cook it and wait as it takes time and you have to be calm,’ says Borghi.
The cooking school that would become Corso Barbecue was founded in 2010 by the Italian chef Luca Rossi, whose passion for barbecues, fire and an outdoors lifestyle led him to open a school where people could learn to grill and share food, wine, and good times.
With varied sessions teaching not just novice grillers, but everything from the perfect steak to the flavours of regional Italian barbecue, classes are tailored for all group stages. Corso Barbecue.
One of its most popular classes is the ‘Grill Like an Italian’ course, in which students learn to pull classic Italian ingredients into their barbecuing repertoire, from grilled pizzas slathered with fresh mozzarella and basil leaves, to spit-roasted porchetta perfumed with rosemary and garlic.
But the instructors at Corso Barbecue are chefs first and teachers second – and that turns out to be a very good combination. They were happy to linger at each station, showing students each step of the process and answering questions with patience and warmth. Class sizes were kept small, and the students were encouraged to try their hands at the various tasks.
But far beyond the classroom, at Corso Barbecue, is an exploration of all the senses. The school is located on a 40-acre (16-hectare) estate that features organic gardens, olive groves and a vineyard, where students can roam, pluck herbs and veggies, and help with the grape harvest in the fall.
The school’s commitment to foraging and sourcing locally runs through everything, from the meats in the courses, which are brought in from farms within a few-mile radius, to the wood for the grills, which comes from trees on the estate.
After each class, students are invited to sit at long harvest tables and share a feast of what they’ve cooked. The camaraderie among students is palpable as they shift between telling stories and taking bites, sharing laughs and sipping local wine. Indeed, it’s those post-class commensal dinners that I felt the greatest transformative power of Corso Barbecue. Many of the students were strangers before they arrived.
Over years, Corso Barbecue has changed the trajectory of many of Blumer’s students, who’ve gone on to open their own restaurants, write cookbooks, and compete in international grilling competitions. The programme has also grown into a connector for the global barbecue community. Renowned chefs and pitmasters often come to teach classes. The school even hosts other classes that focus on things like beer and wine pairing.
Where the Flames of Passion Ignite the Flavors of Italy
Corso Barbecue isn’t just a cooking school, it’s a tribute to Italy and the human condition It isn’t just a red-hot barbecue pit, either. For the enthusiastic new smokers created by Corso Barbecue, the warmth of the open flame is closely rivalled by the warmth of the people. The aromatics of Italy join forces with the smoke of meat.
When dusk rolls in over the hills of Emilia-Romagna and the mirth and grilled meats mingle, the pyrotechnics, the camaraderie and the aromas collectively honour one of the most elemental ties that bind people to each other and to the land they call home. Anyone who aspires to become an Italian barbecue addict should consider booking at least one class with Corso Barbecue. And should anyone with a penchant for trattorie be looking for the perfect gift to bring back from Bologna, a few blocks of grilling rub from Fabio Attili would be hard to beat.
