Backyard BBQ: The Art of Smokology Review

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(More customer reviews)Just so were on the same page, this book is on smoking, as opposed to be purely another book on BBQ. Smoking is a technique that takes time and patience and don't expect to get things perfect the first several tries. McPeake opens the book by discussing different types of smokers. McPeake says bigger is not better. I would also add that more expensive is not necessarily better either as you can achieve great results with an inexpensive water smoker. No smoker? No problem. McPeake also explains how you can use your kettle grill...even your gas grill for smoking and still make great smoked BBQ. It does work well with a gas grill once you get your technique down. McPeake provides a list of different wood types and the tastes they will provide. I love apple wood with chicken, it gives it a great flavor. In additon to the techniques which I consider the most valuable section, there's chapters on meat selection, temperatures, rubs, etc. Fully 1/2 the book is technique oriented before te 2nd half gets into some recipes. Very good, funamental and advanced smoking book.

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BACKYARD BBQ The Art of Smokology is in it's Fourth Printing This book covers all the barbecue basics of Backyard Smoking, as taught in Chef McPeake's barbecue classes. Hence the name: The Art of Smokology. From starting your fire, to buying, selecting, trimming and smoking meats. Also chapters covering terms, rub making, sauce making, brining and the proper procedures for smoking seafood. Plus some of his favorite recipes like: Hell Fire Brisket , Sweet & Spicy Cherry Ribs, Duck Pastrami, Oriental Smoked Porkloin, Twice Smoked Pulled Pork, Take Your Breath BBQ Sauce, Passion BBQ Sauce, Mustard & Pepper Spiced Beef Tenderloin, Honey Maple Brine for Salmon, Honey Marinated Lobster Tails, Coconut Curried Scallops, Margarita Mop for Chicken, Nawlins' Butter Mop, Warm Jalapeno Corn Relish, Gazpacho Salsa, Zesty Backyard Baked Beans, Wisconsin Cheddar Potato Salad Jambalaya Rice ............and much more! No stone is left unturn in this book

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Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons Review

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(More customer reviews)I buy far too many cook books. I have everything from the Cooks Illustrated line-up to some Food Network/ PBS shows, etc.
This has to be the best instructional cook book I have read.
This book is not a sum total of recipes, nor is it a compilation of how the technique was developed... It is a lesson plan. It is very much a course in how to barbecue and after you have learned each lesson you will truly know how to read what is going on with your fire and food.
You won't have to go search a website to find out the amount of time you should leave ribs on and at what temperature. You won't have to purchase some digital thermometer or fancy temp control. No more guessing, speculating, or making things much more difficult than they need to be.
After all, should barbecue be that difficult? This is the book that will teach you how, it will give you the skills. You can use this with a weber smokey mountain, an offset, or... a kettle grill!
Now, there are also some great recipes in the book to boot! You'll learn some flavorful marinades and you'll learn the basics of a marinade so that you can whip one up from scratch! The same with brines and with rubs! Being able to create these things successfully from scratch is what separates the ok bbq'er from the great and confident one.
There is also a whole section on what to do with leftovers. I had some smoked chicken left over and used one of the recipes... now I smoke the chicken just to make left overs. By the way, it is the best chicken I've bbq'ed. And it is so fast and easy now that I've done it a couple times.
I can't say enough good things about this book! It is a steal for the price, GET IT!
On a side note, it is really damn fun to work your way through the lessons as well :)

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Weber's Big Book of Grilling Review

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(More customer reviews)The first time I tasted grilled food, many years before Weber existed, I remember wondering why all meat was not cooked over charcoal. As I got older, I started grilling a bit but the recipes were the staples: burgers, steaks and chicken.

Then I purchased a Weber charcoal kettle, which came with some neat, out of the ordinary recipes. I started experimenting, and branched out into growing fresh herbs to season the food. There are now four Weber grills on my deck, including the little "Smokey Joe", for little projects and The Summit gas grille for the big ones.

As a result of a couple of major cooking projects I did for the neighborhood, I was given this book. I didn't know whether it was a thank you, or a subtle way of saying that my cooking needed improvement. What a horizon expanding book it is! If there is anything outside its covers that is needed to teach the novice or improve the good cook, I don't know what it is.

Recipes? Yep, and not a single loser out of 350. Grilling advice? Yep, everything from buying to using to maintaining your grill. There's a section on the uses of fresh herbs, including reduction formulas for the use of store bought seasoning. There are explanations as to why fresh ground black pepper and Kosher salt are preferred.

I have used this book exhaustively since I got it, and have given it as gifts to many, many friends, all of whom are as enthusiastic about it as I am. Simply put, if grilling means burning meat to you, save your money. But if you enjoy the looks of friends and family when you place a truly outstanding meal on the table, get this book.

Cooking seems to intimidate some guys. I don't know why. But Weber's book takes the fear out of cooking, and after a couple of successes, generates a bit of enthusiasm for the next time, both for the cook and the eaters.

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