It’s May, the month that celebrates the best of spring, the beginning of summer and, for barbecue fans like me, a 31-day barbecue celebration. that’s how it is. In this era where every trend has its own day or month, May has been reserved for the barbecue, an apt designation given that Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the smoking/grilling season.
Because barbecue in general is enjoying its moment, I realize that barbecue books also seem to be having something of a moment. Every year around this time, there are invariably a few new titles in the smoked meat category, but 2016 is especially strong for the barbecue post. there are books that cover the history of cooking, the science of smoked meat, and of course, the recipes. and, in the interest of full disclosure and transparency, I’m forced to point out that while I didn’t write any of them, I had a small hand in a few. I posted a few, contributed a recipe for one, and even wrote ghost portions of another. heck, I count most authors as friends. I’ll point it all out along the way so you can judge for yourself if my views may be tainted. Either way, there’s a lot to love about the barbecue books of 2016 so far.
You are reading: Best bbq books 2016
Barbecue by John Shelton Reed: This book includes barbecue recipes from around the country. the presentation is direct and concise without photos. The diverse collection includes roast goat from Texas, St. louis pork snouts and florida-style smoked red mullet. Even if you don’t cook anything here, you’ll arrive with a deeper understanding of barbecue traditions across the country. *contributed a smoked brisket recipe.
legends of texas barbecue by robb walsh: walsh broke new ground in barbecue writing when the original version of this book was published in 2002. it has been updated with Stories from the New Texas Guard like Wayne Mueller of Louie Mueller BBQ in Taylor, Greg Gatlin of Gatlin’s BBQ in Houston and Justin Fourton of Dallas’s Pecan Lodge. Good to see Snow’s BBQ living legend Tootsie Tomanetz there too. Like the original, there’s a detailed explanation of the various styles of barbecue throughout the state and plenty of invaluable Texas barbecue history. * I contributed a review for the back cover of the book.
the one true barbecue by rien fertel: writing about pitmasters too often sits in the shallows of hero worship. What Fertel does in this book is reach out to the human side of pitmasters as he tells the story of our country’s most endangered form of barbecue: cooking whole pigs over wood-burning embers. Fertel doesn’t mince words with the larger-than-life figure of Ed Mitchell, whom he likened to the biscuit barrel restaurant chain. “[o]n-old, sentimentally southern, with a slight touch of fabrication.” in chapter 5, which he calls “the heart of the book,” he even questions whether or not maintaining this laborious tradition is worth the sacrifice of pit bosses, some of whom never get the recognition they deserve. In a self-deprecating moment, Fertel writes that “all barbecue writing is hyperbole,” but in this book he has proven otherwise. It’s the best barbecue book since Chimney Lightning, and that’s no exaggeration. *my name is in the acknowledgments, but I think it was just to make fun of my preference for grilled meat.
See Also: R. A. Salvatore – Audio Books, Best Sellers, Author Bio | Audible.com
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project smoke by steven raichlen: raichlen has used his new show, project smoke, to explore the wide variety of smokers on the market and choose the right one for specific recipes . this book is essentially the spirit of the printed program. As he points out in the introduction, the previous books of him as the very popular barbecue! barbecue bible and planet! covers all things barbecue, this book focuses solely on smoked foods. that also means it includes smoke in some unexpected categories, like beverages, condiments, and even desserts.
meathead by meathead goldwyn: With the popularity of heady cookbooks like Modernist Kitchen and Food Lab that read more like science books, it was time for a barbecue version. Craig “Meat Head” Goldwyn and Dr. Greg Blonder of the hugely popular amazingribs.com has given it to us. many of the great recipes from her site are included, with many more new ones, but the recipes are not the real reason to buy this book. it’s all the great experiments and myth busting that will satisfy those who want to know the why along with the how. I contributed a review for the back cover of the book that obviously wasn’t fit for print, so here it is: you can spend years of trial and error wasting untold amounts of meat to become a great grill master, or you can let the idiot do much of the work for you. The lessons in this book will give any novice a head start and will continue to hold the interest of those who think they already know it all.
will fleischman’s smoked meat: fleischman left the lockhart smokehouse flat late last year to strike out on his own. he is selling a line of black iron smokers and barbecue seasonings, and has now published his first barbecue book. he’s great for beginners thanks to all the detailed instructions and background information on cuts of meat and smoker types, but there are also plenty of creative recipes for seasoned cooks who might be bored with the old standards. lamb is too often ignored as a barbecue protein, but it has a whole chapter here, and there are even some wild game recipes for those with a little elk or venison in the freezer.
See Also: R. A. Salvatore – Audio Books, Best Sellers, Author Bio | Audible.com
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See Also: Introduction to the Novels | Bronte Parsonage Museum
bbq rules by myron mixon: After watching mixon desecrate a perfectly good brisket on his bbq rules show, I expected more of the same from a book with the same Name . However, the man known for using every competitor shortcut in the book to produce the barbecue equivalent of fake implants with a spray tan has turned a corner. “I think there is no substitute for making your own embers and smoking your meat in a masonry pit,” is a mantra he repeats in the book. It starts with plans for a block pit, and what follows are actual recipes for a real barbecue. It’s easily his best book to date, and it serves as one of the few that preaches the gospel of cooking over hot coals.
be the bbq pitmaster by will budiaman: I like the breadth of the recipes here and the individual focus on barbecue styles, but a beginner would just need more instruction to make use of advanced recipes. the introduction promises that the recipes “will guide you every step of the way, with detailed information on ingredients, equipment and technique.” don’t take the short north carolina style whole pork recipe. the first ingredient is “1 pig (90 pounds), dressed and butterfly cut”. three words are used to describe a process of sawing off a pig’s legs, opening its chest cavity, and driving an ax into the spine to split it open enough for cooking. plus, stock footage was used for most of the book (like this picture for the brisket), so the potato salad recipe doesn’t include the jalapenos, red onions, or celery pictured next door, however mention that the “German Potato Salad” recipe is not German Potato Salad. At least we get some words of wisdom from an interview with Brooklyn pitmaster Tyson Ho, who says “I don’t want a barbecue that fits my ignorance. I want a barbecue that is authentic.”
Diva’s Barbecue Q by Danielle Bennett: Competition cook and TV host Danielle Bennett lives by the mantra that “life is too short for a bad barbecue. In this huge collection of her favorite homemade recipes, you have plenty of options to make things good. the colorful photos alone are the first clue to the diversity of recipes here, like smoked bone marrow, a smoked pear dessert, and even smoked kale chips. don’t worry, your favorite smoked meats are there too. let one of the most successful female pitmasters help you sauce, stuff, season and spread your way to a great barbecue meal.
See Also: R. A. Salvatore – Audio Books, Best Sellers, Author Bio | Audible.com
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churracso byevandro caregnato – I published a full review of this book last month. it is a collection of recipes from texas de brazil, where caregnato is the culinary director, and from his upbringing in rio grande do sul de brazil. he calls it the texas of south america, but of course you won’t find brisket on the menu. Instead, he shares recipes for chicken hearts, beef ribs, and beef pichana, the signature cut of churrasco.
the lucky peach sausage edited by chris ying: recipes, essays and history lessons on your favorite sausages share pages in this ode to fit meat of tube. is more of an exercise in sausage worship than a book. there are plenty of the familiar ones like frankfurters and kielbasa, but have you heard of Icelandic pylsa or the lamb-based Navajo specialty of ách’ii’? In an essay, Amelia Gray recounts a few days making sausages in Austin with her father in tow. She shares some humorous scenes in the kitchens of Freedmen’s, La Barbecue, and Micklethwait Craft Meats in what is basically a report on the cutting edge of American sausage creativity.* I helped an author make contacts in the world of craft meats. sausages.
weber’s new american barbecue by jamie purviance: instead of repeating barbecue recipes that have already been made ad nauseam, purviance looked for new ways to cook meat with fire. There’s hardcore southern barbecue like Wayne Mueller’s beef short ribs and Aaron Franklin’s brisket basics, but there’s also plenty of grilling (it’s Weber’s, after all). It’s nice to get more than a couple of grilled and smoked seafood recipes, and this book delivers, but the best thing is that all of these recipes have an originality. no throwaway recipes here.* I contributed some of the essays to the book.
See Also: 13 Nguyên Tắc Nghĩ Giàu Làm Giàu – Think And Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill | NetaBooks