BBQ and Grilling Books Previews

[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.  

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 

Page Street Publishing $19.46

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. 

Award-Winning BBQ Sauces and How To Use Them is loaded with Ken Goodman's color photos.  

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. 

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 

Page Street Publishing $16.69

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 

Ulysses Press  $17.39

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.

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

Harvard Common Press $26.99

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.

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.

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!  

Book Cook: Ribeye Steak with Brown Butter Bacon Sauce

[FTC Standard Disclosure]  I received no compensation for this post.

Brown butter is clarified butter's wilder brother.  Where clarified butter is polished and mild, brown butter is edgy and has a boisterous flavor.  It is nutty and fragrant from the browned milk solids. Chef Tuffy Stone harnesses that raucousness to create a multifaceted steak in his recipe:  New York Strip with Brown-Butter Bacon Sauce and Balsamic Drizzle.  

I used a ribeye steak instead.  This recipe would work amazingly with any of the major steaks, such as;  strip, ribeye, porterhouse, or filet. 

Cool Smoke:  The Art of Great Barbecue 

I first learned about this book from the author himself at a Smithfield event back in 2016 when he was in the midst of the writing process. 

Tuffy Stone sharing his wisdom on cuts of pork and how their position on the animal affects your cooking strategies.  

This was a limited and informal event, so we had ample opportunity to talk with Tuffy about his vision for the book, recipes that he was developing, and his experience with the process.  Tuffy spoke passionately about wanting to focus on simple, approachable food that still rocks the palate.  I couldn't wait to pre-order the book and was thrilled when it came out in 2018.

Tuffy Stone is well-known as a judge from the BBQ Pitmasters shows and a multiple-time BBQ World Champion. He is also a classically trained chef.  He draws on all of those talents and knowledge in his first book - Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue. [Amazon Affiliate link]

Ribeye Steak with Brown Butter Bacon Sauce

The original recipe calls for NY Strip Steaks.  I went with ribeye instead.  Not for any strategic reason, it was only because the Certified Angus Beef® Brand USDA Prime ribeye steaks were the best looking in the case that day.  

Giveaway: Operation BBQ - 200+ Smokin' Recipes from Competition Grand Champions - UPDATED

Operation BBQ Relief is one of the best organizations that you can support.  OBR was founded to feed survivors and first responders in the wake of the Joplin Tornado in 2011.  Since then, Operation BBQ Relief has gone on to have 57 deployments and provide over 2.9 million meals to those in need and first responders.  

The organization has released Operation BBQ - 200+ Smokin' Recipes from Competition Grand Champions as a fundraiser and this is a top-notch, rocking BBQ and grilling cookbook.

Let's face it, sometimes community fund-raiser cookbooks are a hodge-podge of hit and miss recipes.  They are often full of lack-luster recipes like Aunt Judy's jello mold or are unoriginal casserole recipes copied from the label on a can of condensed "cream of whatever" soup.

Not this one!  Every single recipe in Operation BBQ comes from a competition BBQ team that has at least one Grand Champion victory to their credit.  The recipes are kickin' and the photography by Ken Goodman is drool-inducing.  For example....

Jalapeno and Applewood Bacon Burgers with Smoked Vermont Cheddar and Crispy Vidalia Onions by Three Men and A Babyback BBQ Team (page 147).  Photo from the book.

Fire Roasted Chicken Breast with Chipotle White Sauce

In November 2016, I was at a hog pickin' in Smithfield, Virginia.  Robyn Lindars, Clint Cantwell and I got to spend a good bit of time with Tuffy Stone.  

He excitedly talked with us about the book project on which he was working, both the ups and downs.  He spoke of creating delicious recipes that were memorable yet also approachable for the home cook.  

Tuffy Stone is renowned in the BBQ world for his achievements 

• Two-time champion at the American Royal
• Three-time champion at the Jack Daniels Invitational (only team to ever do that)
• Judge on BBQ Pitmasters

But a lot of people don't realize that he's also a former U.S. Marine and a classically trained chef.  

At the time, it seemed like it would be FOREVER before the book came out but Cool Smoked - The Art of Great Barbecue finally came out late this Spring.  And a classic BBQ book, it is.

Last week, I decided to make Tuffy's Chipotle White Sauce and use it on some fire-roasted, bone-in chicken breasts.

BBQ Book Review: Texas BBQ - Platefuls of Legendary BBQ Flavor

Texas BBQ - Platefuls of Legendary BBQ Flavor
Publisher:  Oxmoor House
Suggested Retail:  $19.99
Release date:  TODAY - April 11, 2017

Texas BBQ - Platefuls of Legendary BBQ Flavor is from the Editors of Southern Living.  I have enjoyed their previous forays into BBQ Books including The Big Book of BBQ and Christopher Prieto's Ultimate Book of BBQ.  I received a free copy for review from the publisher and I have been very impressed with this book.

Growing up in the South, my idea of BBQ was the traditional Southern BBQ with lots of pork and chicken with sweet sauces or sharp vinegar sauces.  Hell, I didn't even HAVE BBQ brisket until I was over 30 years old!  Now smoked brisket is my favorite BBQ and a dream for me is to spend a few weeks crawling across Texas, sampling as many BBQ shacks and stands as I can.  Until then, Texas BBQ - Platefuls of Legendary Lone Star Flavor is a good substitute!  

Book Review: Pitmaster - Recipes, Techniques, & BBQ Wisdom by Chris Hart and Andy Husbands

New BBQ book season is upon us and the first one we are reviewing for 2017 is a winner - Pitmaster by Andy Husbands and Chris Hart.  We received a complimentary electronic copy for review prior to the March 15, 2017 release date.  

I like to bring in other opinions than my own and brought Jeff Greene on to add his thoughts about this book.  Jeff shares our BBQ and grilling madness and runs the Twitter handle @Grill_Porn.  He came to Knoxville by way of South Carolina and loves cooking on his Big Green Egg.  He says he's "just a backyard and tailgate" guy but don't let his modesty fool you, he knows his way around a grill.

Pitmaster - Recipes, Techniques, and BBQ Wisdom

Andy Husbands and Chris Hart

Fair Winds Press

$24.99

RELEASE DATE:  March 15, 2017 (available for pre-order now)

It's no surprise that this BBQ and Grilling book rocks because the two authors are well respected in the BBQ family/community/asylum and this is their 4th book.  Andy Husbands is the Chef at Tremont 647 and The Smoke Shop in Boston.  Chris Hart and Andy won a World Championship at the Jack Daniels Invitational in 2009.  Andy was on Season 6 of Hell's Kitchen and Chris was on BBQ Pitmasters and Chopped.  They know a lil' bit about the world of BBQ and grilling.

Physical Description

• Available in hardcover and Kindle
• 224 pages 
• Hardcover is about 8 x 10 

Jeff's thoughts

“Pitmasters” is definitely a book I would buy if I saw it in the book store.  I love the overall look of book.  The layout seems well thought out and the pictures are very well done, and do a great job of adding to the overall experience.  I also really enjoyed getting to know more about the philosophies, approaches and histories of some of the more well-known pit masters, which I imagine why the book is titled the way it is.

Chris' thoughts

This book is an eye catcher with it's gorgeous cover photo of that amazing smoking beef rib.  I like the way they organized the book a bit differently into categories of Backyard, North Carolina, Kansas City, Texas, The North, and Competition.  The content is also not limited to recipes.  They share techniques and I was quite fond of the segments throughout the book talking to other pitmasters about their food and BBQ ideas.  

Recipes

For me, one barometer of a BBQ/grilling book on the first flip through is how many of those adhesive flags/tabs I used to mark recipes that I want to try.  This book was full of those eye catching "Oh, I've got to try that" type of recipes.  

They cover from the basics, such as pulled pork on a kamado grill and Memphis dry rub ribs to more advanced recipes like the competition style steak which applies flavoring in multiple layers.  Andy and Chris do a good job of breaking down the steps to make the recipes approachable, so even those new to grilling and BBQ can try these recipes.

Butcher Paper Brisket - I used a Certified Angus Beef brisket to use the first of two brisket recipes in the book.  The second one is their competition recipe that scored a perfect 180.  I was going to use my stick burner but the weather didn't cooperate so I smoked it on my Grilla Grills wood pellet cooker.  The simple seasonings of salt, pepper, and smoke lets the delicious beef shine through. 

Everyday Sweet and Spicy Pork Rub - I made a batch of this rub. The blend of sugars gives it an up front sweetness that melds into smokiness (because I used smoked paprika) and finishes with a very mild heat. This is a good general purpose BBQ rub and gives a good color to butts, ribs, and chops.  That is a quart jar in the middle so this makes a good bit of rub. 

Pulled Pork on a Kamado Style Cooker - Being a kamado guy, of course I did this recipe. It wasn't anything fancy and that's good sometimes.  Simply the Sweet and Spicy rub with a proper smoking and you've got great results.  I did a pair of butts on my Grill Dome with an Adjustable Rig set up and followed their recipe. I like both pulled and chopped pork, so I did half and half.  It is a solid recipe and I like the fact that they give you 2 different timelines, one cooking at 225°f and one at 275°f. 

Competition Style Beef Ribeye - Steak competitions have taken off thanks to the Steak Cookoff Association.  This is Chris and Andy's version of a competition steak. I used a porterhouse steak instead of a ribeye and used Hard Core Carnivore Black instead of salt and pepper, but I did make the Umami Steak Sauce and Steak Finishing Butter. I also used the GrillGrates that they and seemingly most every SCA team uses. The sauce uses the umami power of concentrating portobello mushrooms, brisket au jus and more.   I cooked it on a small kamado grill and was very impressed with the results. 

Red Slaw, White Slaw - While we were making the pork butts, we made two of the slaw recipes from the book. The white slaw is a creamy slaw that you would expect at a BBQ joint or fish shack, you're probably used to that, but red slaw?  Red slaw is a signature dish from Lexington, North Carolina.  Instead of the typical mayo or vinegar base, red slaw uses a spicy tomato base. I don't like it by itself as much as I do vinegar and white slaws, but it is freaking awesome on a pulled pork sandwich.  

Western Style North Carolina Sauce - The first real BBQ I had in my life was smoked pork shoulder with a Piedmont sauce mixed in and that is what made me fall in love with BBQ at 7 years old. Unlike Eastern NC vinegar sauces, Piedmont style sauces have a light touch of ketchup and some sweetness added in, like this one.  This is pretty close to one of my treasured recipes that was handed down to me by my grandmother. 

Gold Sauce - Mustard based BBQ sauce is the hallmark of South Carolina.  Golden BBQ sauces are one of those things you either love or hate, I love them and this one is a good one. This recipe has the predominant mustard and vinegar kick with the slightest kiss of sweetness.  

Jeff is a South Carolina guy so I wasn't surprised that he also made the Gold Sauce when he cooked several recipes out of Pitmaster for his Superbowl menu. Here are his thoughts about the recipes he cooked from the book.

Jeff's Thoughts

I like how the authors intermixed their own recipes with those from the other pit masters that were included, many of which were fresh takes on traditional foods.  I am not sure how many cookbooks have taken this approach, but for me this is a new and novel way to write a cookbook that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I not only liked the thoughts of the pit masters that were sprinkled throughout but I also appreciated the differentiation of regions or styles of bbq.   It has everything from backyard to competition and hits most of the major bbq regions from New England to Texas.  I was saddened that South Carolina bbq was not included, but I may be a bit biased in that opinion being a palmetto state native.  Plus my experience from travelling “up north” is that there is little to no difference to New Englanders’ between the two Carolinas, but rather only one “Carolina” but I digress.

Gold Sauce - Being from South Carolina and having grown up on mustard based bbq sauces, I can say without a doubt the Gold Sauce recipe is legit.  This sauce has a wonderful balance of sweet tanginess on the front end and nice heat on the back end.  The only change I plan to make moving forward is to use a little less thyme, but this is a personal preference.  Gold Sauce is on par with many of the best “Carolina Honey Gold” mustard based sauces I have tried, as it is a bit sweeter than most mustard based sauces, but not so sweet that it detracts from the experience.     

Lexington Style Cheerwine Pork Shoulder - This is a nice take on smoking a pork shoulder.  I have cooked dozens of shoulders but have never used any of the “soda” injection recipes popular in some circles.  The injection had a very nice taste with a balance of sweet, heat, and vinegar bite.  I cooked the shoulder per the recipe although I generally smoke at lower temps than the 275-300 degrees that is called for.  This recipe only uses Kosher salt as a dry brine/rub, and calls for spraying the shoulder every hour with Cheerwine.  

This is a nice take on smoking a pork shoulder.  I have cooked dozens of shoulders but have never used any of the “soda” injection recipes popular in some circles.  The injection had a very nice taste with a balance of sweet, heat, and vinegar bite.  I cooked the shoulder per the recipe although I generally smoke at lower temps than the 275-300 degrees that is called for.  This recipe only uses Kosher salt as a dry brine/rub, and calls for spraying the shoulder every hour with Cheerwine.  

[Chris' thought on this - Around here, "pork shoulder" sold in the stores is usually just the picnic end of a whole shoulder and that looks like what Jeff had to work with.  When cut away from the other half (pork butt), these picnic shoulders are leaner and can dry out easier than when cooked as a whole shoulder.]

Cornbread with Butter, Honey, and Sea Salt - Oh my gosh this The Smoke Shop corn bread was a big hit at the SB party.  People could not get enough of it.  Being from the south and growing up on white and sugarless corn bread, I had in my mind that I was not going to like this recipe, but I could not have been more wrong, this was a very nice change of pace.  The cornbread itself was light and fluffy and it was all set off by the sugar crust.  I will say that the recipe was somewhat labor intensive, but it was worth the extra work.  As if it could get any better, when you add the sea salt and honey butter on the top it became even more delicious.   

Classic Macaroni and Cheese: The recipe was easy to make, and my wife and kids thought it was good.  If you are looking for a replacement for grandma’s Sunday dinner mac and cheese, this is not it.  However, it is billed as more or less a replacement for “shells and cheese” and it does quite well at this.  It could use a bit more nutmeg, but that is a personal preference.  

Chris' Favorite Pitmaster Recipe

My favorite recipe from Pitmaster was the City Ham recipe aka Canadian Bacon. We did the book's version and one of our own with bourbon and brown sugar.  Both were fantastic.

Making your own Canadian bacon saves a lot of cash. When we made this batch, it was selling for $0.43 per ounce.  Accounting for the Smithfield Prime Reserve pork loin, coal, and ingredients, we spent $0.20 per ounce.

Tied off and ready to go into the smokers. Notice that I tied one (bottom) differently than the other two.  That was just for knowing which one is which.

I smoked one of the Pitmaster versions on my Grilla wood pellet cooker.  

I did the other two on one of our Big Green Eggs. I had hickory and lump down below. Next was a spider, stone, and drip pan under an Adjustable Rig.  I had a lot going on this day so I went on auto-pilot and used the Flame Boss 200 controller to regulate the temperatures of my BGE.  I had a DOT remote probe thermometer in the second piece.  

Great color on these hams and they smelled great.  I put them in one of our garage fridges for two days to let the smoke flavor balance through the hams. It's also easier to slice cold firm ham.

We started with a little over 9 pounds of pork loin and finished with over 8 pounds of finished bacon, so you don't lose much to shrinkage.  We vacuum seal most of this in 8 ounce packages and freeze them.

I burned out my last slicer years ago and have been hand slicing my bacon for the past year.  Alexis got me a new, more robust, slicer this month and I am thrilled with it.  It has a bigger 10" blade and a more powerful motor.  If you are considering a slicer, skip the cheap versions (I burned out two Waring Pro's) and spend the extra money to get a heavier duty slicer.  It doesn't have to be a commercial Hobart slicer but the $300 range will get you something decent for most home purposes.

Canadian Bacon means Eggs Benedict!!!!  

Photos and Graphics

Pitmaster features gorgeous color photography by Ken Goodman. Ken is a phenomenal photographer and his work has graced the pages of several books in my personal collection. He collaborated with Andy and Chris on their three previous books and continues his excellent work here.  As a wannabe food photographer, I study the work of artists like Ken.  The thing that sets his work apart to me is his mastery of shadows and highlights.  He uses them judiciously to create moods and tell stories.

Ken's shot of Pitmaster's Kansas City Tribute Sauce.  Notice the highlights in the sauce on the first two ribs and the perfect amount of shadows under the bowl and ribs. That's no accident - that is skill.

Burnt Ends from Pitmaster. Again, look how the lights play off of the sauce to starkly contrast the shadows hiding in the midst of the burnt ends.  

Almost all of the shots are plated or finished shots of the food.  There aren't a lot of step by step photos but Pitmaster makes up for it with a wise use of graphics, especially visual time lines for certain recipes.

Summary

Chris' Thoughts
Not to cop out, but see Jeff's thoughts.  He summed it up perfectly.  

Jeff's Final Thoughts
This book should have a wide audience, not only because of the various pit masters and wide range of regions included, but for the varying levels of techniques presented.  It would have been easy for the authors to focus primarily on the experienced bbq cooks considering the subject matter of the book.  However, the book includes topics to help lessen the intimidation factor for the novice that may just be getting started, while at the same time including more advanced techniques and recipes for the experienced bbq cooks.  In short this book literally has something for everyone.  

Rating

5 stars – an absolute resource, will refer to frequently

4+ stars – very good cookbook with value added tips, photos, guides, and other content

3 stars – Good, average cookbook, glad to have it on my shelf

2 stars – a recipe collection

1 star – would give it away to someone else to get rid of it, but only if I didn't like them very much

Book Review: Diva Q's Barbecue

Diva Q’s Barbecue – 

195 Recipes for Cooking with Family, Friends, and Fire

Danielle “DivaQ” Bennett

Appetite by Random House

$14.01 as of 4/14/2016

I pre-ordered Diva Q’s Barbecue as soon as it became available online last Thanksgiving because I knew it was going to be a great grilling/BBQ book.  After months of waiting, I finally got my grubby little hands on it and it is every bit as good as I anticipated.

You might know Danielle “DivaQ” Bennett from her show, BBQ Crawl, which has run for the past three years.  Or you might know her from her multiple other televised appearances, from local news shows to BBQ Pitmasters.  Or you might know her from her many competition BBQ victories including a World Championship at the Jack Daniels World Championship Barbecue a few years ago.  I have had the pleasure of knowing her through the BBQ Brethren many years ago and then getting to work with her on a mutual client for the past few years.  Danielle is one of the most talented, passionate, and competitive pitmasters that I know and all of that energy is reflected in her book.

Physical Description

The book is softcover and is medium sized (8x10).  It “weighs in” at 288 pages of photos, recipes, tips, and other great information.  The format is nicely laid out making it easy to read and use.  I like that she uses “call out boxes” to bring attention to important tips throughout the book.  The organization of the book is the typical BBQ book breakouts of BBQ basics, main meats by category, sides, desserts, and a few other chapters.  It’s the content of those sections that sets the book apart.

Recipes

Diva Q’s Barbecue is loaded with 195 recipes.  The difficulty level is varied, from beginner to advanced, so that everyone can take something away from using the book.  Danielle cooks on a variety of grills and smoker so these recipes aren't central to one type of cooker.

·         Six Recipes You Need To Know – DivaQ gives you a few recipes to get you going right out of the gate.  I’m glad to see the reverse sear in there.

·         Rubs, Sauces, Slathers, and Spices – This chapter alone is worth the price of this book.  Twenty six of DivaQ’s favorite go to sauces and seasonings are shared.  It has basics like Memphis Rib Rub and Kansas City Rub to more exotic rubs like Spicy Thai Rub or Moroccan Spice Rub.  The sauce recipes are top notch as well. 

·         Fired Up Appetizers and Shareables – The chapter is the social butterfly of the book, with it’s fun “here have some of this” type of recipes.  Chipotle Devilled Eggs with Pig Candy and Cold-Smoked Cheddar-Pimento Cheese?  Yes please! She has pizzas, kale chips, salsa, and tons of one bite apps that are sure to please.

·         Praise the Pig – All about pork, this chapter shares DivaQ’s World Championship Winning Pulled Pork recipe and 21 other killer recipes for chops, cheeks, steaks, and belly.  I’m proud to have one of my recipes featured in this chapter – Pork Tenderloin with Thai Peanut Sauce.  If you really want to kick it up, use her Thai rub on that one.

·         Bacon Bonanza – Bacon delights here, DivaQ hits on classics like Pig Candy and ABT’s while delving in to sheer bacon madness with things like Grilled Poutine and Bacon, Bacon wrapped Cadbury eggs (you read that right), and Smoked Brisket Bombs.

·         Beef It Up – Diva dishes her secrets on a perfect scoring 180 Brisket.  She also gives recipes for herb crusted Prime rib, herbed beef tenderloin, shiitake chuck roast and more.

·         Fowl Play – From Smoked Crispy Duck to Brie and Spinach Stuffed Chicken, DivaQ covers it all.  Her jerk chicken sounds right up my alley and I thought the Roadside chicken was very tasty.

·         Gone Fishin’ – I’m not a big fish person, but this section still looks impressive with selections like Blackened Cajun Salmon, Mahi Mahi Sliders, and Grilled Tuna Steak Tacos.

·         Sizzling Sides – Danielle grills up some out of the ordinary sides like Smookin’ Good Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon Butter. The Grilled Artichokes with Smoked Aioli are on my list for this summer as are the Candied Smoked Carrots.

·         Salads, Slaws, and Breads – Kind of an eclectic collection but loaded with drool worthy recipes, such as; Grilled Panzanella Salad, Creamy Carrot Slaw, and the Best-Ever Buttermilk Biscuits. 

·         Sweet Smoke – Danielle excels at dessert, she is well known for killing that category in contests.  There are lots of recipes in this chapter but there’s only one that I need to know and that is the famed Death by Diva.  It has scored a perfect 180 at multiple contests.  It’s a little fruit, cheese cake, brownie and more.

DivaQ's Roadside Chicken - I did mine raised direct on a kamado grill while she did hers indirect.  Both ways work, I just like my roadside chicken over the fire because that's the way they did it at my dad's company picnics when I was a kid.  

Excellent flavor and I didn't have to wait for marinating like I do on my other favorite roadside chicken recipe.  Of course, now I want to try them together - the marinade and Danielle's baste.  That will be intense!

I tried Danielle's Montreal seasoning recipe on a very nice ribeye steak for lunch one afternoon.

I finally got to try Diva Q's Diablo Sauce.  The only thing I did different was I used roasted garlic in mine, just because I had it on hand.

 

Making the sauce outdoors on the sideburner.

Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon like this.  We liked it smooth so I had used an immersion blender before this picture.

I did this one on my Char-Broil Gas2Coal grill and a set of GrillGrates.  It's a dual fuel grill but in this case, I used the gas assist to light the coals.

This was some lunch!  The Diablo Sauce doesn't knock you over with heat, it's more on the back end, but it's definitely there.  

The recipe for Kansas City style BBQ sauce is an easy and fantastic base recipe for a sweet BBQ sauce like most people enjoy.  We liked it so much that we used it on a small catering gig we did.

Photography

The photography in Danielle’s book does a good job of telling the story of her passion for BBQ.  The book is loaded with high quality, color photographs.  Ken Goodman was the main photographer but there were also contributions from Robert Jacob Lerma, Doug Barlow, and Alena Dudaeva.  The pictures of finished and plated foods gives the reader an excellent understanding of what they are shooting for.  I would have liked to see more “how to” or “step by step” pictures but considering this book is already at 195 recipes and almost 300 pages, I understand that space was an issue.

Summary

This is easily my favorite grilling/BBQ book so far this year.  Who is it for?  Just about anyone that grills. It gives newbies an arsenal of information to get them up and firing on all cylinders quickly.  When someone asks me what 1 or 2 BBQ books they should buy because they are just starting out, Diva Q’s Barbecue will be on the short list that I give them.  But even seasoned grillers will gain a lot from this book – I bought a copy for my sister who is a hard core Egger.

Then there’s the price.  I don’t know if it’s some kind of Canadian to US currency exchange issue (kidding) but $14.01 for a book of this quality and usefulness is an absolute steal!  I’d gladly pay $25 or more for this book. 

Brass tax is this:  This book needs to be a part of your grilling and BBQ arsenal. 

Ranking

5 stars – an absolute resource, will refer to frequently

4 stars – good cookbook with value added tips, photos, guides, and other content

3 stars – Good, average cookbook, glad to have it on my shelf

2 stars – a recipe collection

1 star – would give it away to someone else to get rid of it, but only if I didn't like them very much

[Standard FTC Disclaimer]  Danielle did give me a copy of the book but I also paid full price for a few copies and I did not receive any other compensation. I received the Char-Broil Grill2Coal as part of a sponsorship from Char-Broil. The opinions I have given are absolutely my own.