[FTC Standard Disclaimer] I received no compensation for this post, other than I received electronic review copies of the books from the various publishers. The links are Amazon Affiliate links. Obviously, if you buy MY book, I get compensated, that's kinda how that works, right?
Whenever I feel like I have gotten into a cooking rut, I like to break out BBQ and grilling cookbooks to shake things up. Cookbooks expose me to new ingredients, teach me new techniques, and maybe challenge some of my preconceived notions.
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| Cooking from written recipes is one of the fastest ways to learn to grill and become a serious grillmaster. |
Here are some previews of the new books that I have been checking out for 2020.
Note: Three of these entries are written for specific types of grills. The recipes will work for just about any grill, so don't let that stop you from checking it out. It's just that the authors provide in-depth knowledge, tricks, and tips for those grills in addition to the recipes.
Prices are as of 5/12/2020.
Award-Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them
About The Author
Ray Sheehan is the founder/owner of BBQ Buddha, an international award-winning line of healthy-minded BBQ sauces and Rubs. Ray is also a KCBS Certified BBQ Judge and the pitmaster for the BBQ Buddha Competition Team.
Book at a Glance
This paperback book varies from the typical pork, beef, chicken, sauce/rubs organization for most BBQ cookbooks. Instead, this book is organized into chapters based on 10 BBQ sauces recipes with 50 recipes for using those sauces. I like that unique approach. The book has classics like MOINK balls, breakfast fatties, and burnt ends as well as creative combinations such as the Surf and Turf Burger and Southern Cordon Bleu.
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| Award-Winning BBQ Sauces and How To Use Them is loaded with Ken Goodman's color photos. |
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Recipes That Caught My Eye
- BBQ Infused Turkey Burgers with Apple Jalapeno Slaw
- St Louis Spare Ribs with Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Pulled Smoked Chicken Sandwich with Carolina Slaw
- Smoked and Grilled Chicken Wings w/ Peach BBQ Sauce
- Surf and Turf BBQ Burger with BBQ Aioli
Why You Should Buy It
Adding 10 quality BBQ sauces to your repertoire jump-starts your BBQ and grilling game with a short learning curve.
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| I've already made the BBQ-Infused Turkey Burger with Apple Jalapeno Slaw with excellent results. It doesn't look as pretty as the book picture but it was still flavorful and tasty. |
Show-Stopping BBQ With Your Traeger Grill
About The Author
Ed Randolph is a hardworking pitmaster. He earned Best BBQ at Food Network's 2017 New York Wine and Food Festival. He won when he appeared on Chopped in 2019. His Handsome Devil BBQ team has won 6 state BBQ championships and caters high-profile events all over the country. Ed also wrote Smoked: One Man's Journey to Find Incredible Recipes. He appears at 50 events a year and as a competitor and vendor, the thought of that leaves me exhausted!
Book at a Glance
In his new book, Ed focuses on the Traeger grill, the most popular pellet cooker. The book is 160 pages and has about 60 recipes uniquely organized in Smoker, Grill, Oven, and Rubs/Sauces. He delivers a good variety of recipes that are sure to please your palate. He includes a basic primer for using pellet grills, tools of the trade, spice guide, and sanitation. The photography is also by Ken Goodman.
Recipes That Caught My Eye
- Turkey Breast Stuffed with Gruyere Cheese and Spinach
- Blueberry Muffin Sausage Fatty
- Smoked Meatloaf
- Cuban-Style Pork Shoulder
- General Tso's Chicken Wings
- Charlies's Blackberry-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Why You Should Buy It
If you're one of the thousands of new pellet grill owners, let Ed help you get the most out of your pellet cooker. Again, these recipes will work on any type of grill.
The Offset Smoker Cookbook
About The Author
Chris Grove, wait....that's me! My love for BBQ started as a child on a dirt farm road in North Carolina when I had my first bite of chopped smoked pork. Since then, my BBQ journey has given me a first-class education in smoke and fire. My teachers have ranged from the relatively unknown side-of-the-road pitmasters to World Champion pitmasters. I have learned about beef and pork on farms, ranches, and in pristine meat labs. I am a pitmaster of my own award-winning competition team and have been certified as a food judge from three different organizations. I have documented this journey on this website for the past twelve years and I share that knowledge and passion in my books.
Book at a Glance
The Offset Smoker Cookbook is my second book, following up The Kamado Smoker & Grill Cookbook. It is geared toward the common offset smoker found in backyards across America, such as; Oklahoma Joes, Char-Griller, and even the old Brinkmann SnP. With the trend towards highly efficient and often automated smokers, I have seen a resurgence of getting back to the basics of wood, fire and food with offset pits. I share tips, tricks and techniques for getting the most use out of these classic smokers. Photography by myself, Alexis Grove, and Ally Robinson.
Some of My Personal Favorites
- Cheddar Chipotle Meatloaf
- Smoked Whole Pork Shoulder with Golden Mustard Sauce
- Brown Sugar Bourbon and Sorghum Bacon
- Deep-Fried Loaded Mashed Potatoes
- Smoked Spareribs with Honey Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Rolled Flank Steak with Bacon Jam and Smoked Gouda
- NMT Southern Sweet Rub
Why You Should Buy It
Because my kid is in college? Kidding. This book is excellent for someone just starting their BBQ journey, someone who just bought an offset pit, or for people who have an offset pit that just don't use it much. The recipes work on any smoker or grill and the rubs and sauces are some of my best work.
Note: If you want an autographed copy, email me and we'll make arrangements.
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| Ultimate Roast Beef Sandwich featuring aged strip loin and served with Tobacco Onions for piling on the sandwich. |
Texas Q -100 Recipes for the Very Best Barbecue from the Lone Star State, All Smoke-Cooked to Perfection
About The Author
When I first got serious about perfecting my BBQ craft, one of the books I turned to was the best-seller, Smoke and Spice, written by Cheryl Alters Jamison and her late husband, Bill. That book is a classic and is a road map for anyone wanting to learn the art of smoking meat. I have the utmost respect for Cheryl, as an author, and I put her on a level above the rest of us BBQ and grilling book writers. She doggedly researches her topic, squeezes the secrets out of pitmasters, and has a story to tell. I guess that you can say Cheryl puts the "author" in the phrase "BBQ authority".
Book at a Glance
Texas Q - 100 Recipes for the Very Best Barbecue From The Lone Star State All Smoke Cooked To Perfection is a title as big as Texas itself. It is different than a lot of today's BBQ and grilling books in that it doesn't look like an Instagram feed. Cheryl makes judicious use of pictures and lets her written content, stories, and recipes speak for themselves.
The book is divided into three sections. The first section introduces her BBQ story, covers the BBQ basics, and outlines the tools, supplies, and equipment needed for a complete Lone Star outdoor kitchen. The next set of chapters covers seasonings, beef, pork, chicken, and Gulf seafood. The final three chapters an array of sauces, side dishes, and desserts.
Recipes That Caught My Eye
- Smoked Jalapeno Wings with Hot Ranch
- Brisket Deviled Eggs
- El Paso Salpicon (a Southwestern Texas sort of hash)
- Peppered Beef Tenderloin with Jalapeno Bearnaise
- Sprite-ly Filipino Chicken
- Backyard BBQ'd Chicken Breasts
Why You Should Buy It
It's written by a legendary BBQ author and will appeal to food geeks (like me), voracious food readers, and anyone wanting to learn authentic Texas BBQ.
Mastering The Big Green Egg
Page Street Publishing $21.99
About The Author
I'm proud to count Big Green Craig Tabor as a personal friend. If you take one look at his
Instagram feed, you'll see that this guy can and will cook anything. His food doesn't just
look good, it
tastes amazing! I know from personal experience. Craig competes in the World Food Championships and his team won the big daddy of Eggfests - the official Big Green Egg Eggtoberfest with a stunning array of food. When it comes to the grill, Craig Tabor is creative, bold, and skilled and I would pit his cooking against anyone's food.
Book at a Glance
This book is an operator's manual and a cookbook for the Big Green Egg. Craig does an excellent job explaining the ins and outs of how to use a kamado grill. The book is 40 recipes divided into categories that read like Jeopardy categories: Smoking/BBQ, Things on a Stick, In Between the Buns, From the Sea, On the Side, and Fully Baked. To give you an idea of the bold & creative approach that Craig takes, several years ago we celebrated New Year's Eve at his house and he combined deep frying, smoking, and the then-current hot food trend of Nashville hot chicken to make Smoke-Fired Nashville Hot Ribs. They burned the hell out of my mouth but I couldn't stop eating them.
Photography by Ken Goodman includes a good bit of step-by-step or instructional photographs.
Recipes That Caught My Eye
- King of Texas Beef Brisket
- Sriracha Peach Glazed Pork Chops
- Steak Kebabs with Chinese Garlic Sauce
- Pastrami'd Tri-Tip Sandwich
- Tequila Lime Steak Tacos with Fire Roasted Corn Salsa
- Nashvegas Hot Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey Glazed Cedar-Planked Salmon
- Fried Green Tomatoes with Chipotle Remoulade
Why You Should Buy This Book
Mastering The Big Green Egg is an excellent book for those new to the kamado grill but this book is good for anyone wanting to jazz up their live-fire cooking. Craig's recipes are always rock-solid tasty.
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| I couldn't wait to try Craig's Cowboy Burger so we made it on Mother's Day for our family. Crispy deep-fried jalapenos, bacon, spicy BBQ sauce, cheddar-jack cheese, and a honking big Wagyu-sausage blend patty all on Alexis' homemade sourdough rolls. Everyone LOVED them. |
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| Looking down on a mound of deliciousness - you gotta try this burger. |
I will be cooking from these books and doing full reviews of some of them. Whether you get one of these or just grab some of your old cookbooks off of the bookshelf, I encourage you to fire up your grill and try some new recipes this year!
