The Barbecue! Bible

I was looking for a book about BBQ and grilling. What I got was a book of recipes. Not all that bad of a thing, but was looking for more wisdom from the apparent king of BBQ. While gas grilling is pretty straight forward for most cooks, I recently purchased a charcoal smoker/grill and sought info on this whole new area of backyard cuisine.

The first few sections had some great info on equipment and techniques. I also found some great info on rubs, marinates/brines and sauces. Odds are these few pages will be what I'll use pull most from the book. I'll certainly check out the recipies too -- some do look pretty good.

Perhaps those opening pages are all you need to get started, but with most areas of cooking, basic theory can be expanded into volumes of knowledge. I thought that this was the title that make Raichlen famous, but perhaps it was PBS. I've since ordered his How to Grill, which may be more of what I'm looking for.

Beyond what I said here, I would also suggest looking at Cook's Illustrated and Joy of Cooking for more info on technique and equipment.

Let me first say that I love barbecuing, and I guess you do, or you wouldn't even be checking this or any other barbecue book. I try to grill my family dinners almost every weekend, so I would have to say that I have put on thousands of barbecues this far. I consider this book great because with the recipes on it I can try every now and then to make something a little bit different (I guess just to avoid a mutiny among my family crew, Ja Ja).

I don't have to do a fancy or hard to find ingredients, or follow step-by-steps a recipe that might requires to long, but I get great ideas that help me introduce variations that keep the weekends barbecues interesting and fun the whole family.

In this book you will find some recipe or idea that you can try, or just learn something new from the "Crash course on grilling and barbecuing" included at the beginning of the book.

Last, but not least, always enjoy the experience of barbecuing and grilling at home, with or without this book.

If you enjoy grilling and BBQ-ing, this book is awesome. My husband and I grill all through the year and we love to try all the new things this book has to offer. Definitely worth every penny.

There are so many more uses for these seasoning mixes than just barbecuing meats. I like to keep at least three different spice mixes in airtight containers in the cupboard at any given time. I sprinkle them on meats, add them to omelets and fried eggs, mix them into grains and rice, use them to give zing to casseroles, soups and beans, and more. No longer do you have to juggle a dozen spices, not sure how to get the balance of flavors just right--simply pick a mix you believe will complement the flavor of what you're making and add a pinch or a teaspoon.

If you truly want to go crazy, however, you don't have to stick to the mixes Mr. Raichlen provides here. He provides instructions for building your own barbecue sauce, going over all the different categories of ingredients and the possible flavorings you might use.

As if this weren't enough, Mr. Raichlen also includes plenty of instructional material to go with his recipes--equipment suggestions, barbecuing guidelines, food safety tips, and more. If you've never barbecued before, or only have a minimal background, you'll find quite a bit of value in this book. Even if you don't barbecue, however, see past the title to the greater usefulness of this book. There's no reason you can't spice-rub a piece of meat and pan-sear it in cast iron, for example. Certainly the sauces and relishes are useful no matter what type of cooking you prefer.

There is only one way to say it: this is the best bbq book that I have seen that is easily available on the market. I have loads of cookbooks, and many on 'the art' of the grill going back to one written by the cook on President Johnson's ranch.

Raichlen clearly loves his craft, and craft it is. For those of you who are happy with hot dogs and burgers and are only loking to get a couple of new recipes, this may not be for you. But this book is packed with easy recipes for you too. Liven up those burgers! If you are serious about your grilling, and want to see what variety there is from different parts of the world, there is no better addition to your bookshelf. I hope within a short period of time your copy looks like mine - dog-eared, well used and covered in sauce splashes!

I cannot recommend this book enough. Bravo Mr Raichlen, bravo.