If you are serious about barbecue, or know someone who is, this is a must-have book
I can see this book Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, already a best-seller, showing up under Christmas trees all over the country along with sets of tongs and BBQ aprons. Christmas shopping done for the man! Or the woman! This isn’t just another BBQ book, when Meathead Goldwyn says “the science of…” he means science. This is a heavily researched book by the team behind AmazingRibs.com about what actually happens when you grill or smoke meat. After reading it you’ll never look at a plate of BBQ the same way again.
Layout and design:
The book is organized into 12 sections: The Science of Heat, Smoke, Software [about meat], Hardware [about gear], Brines Rubs & Sauces, Pork, Beef, Ground Meats, Lamb, Chicken & Turkey, Seafood, and Sides. It’s well-designed for reader use, with user-friendly fonts and lots of how-to photos and diagrams.
Photography:
Small full-color photographs throughout the book teach technique and showcase finished recipes.
Recipes:
Recipes include Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow Crust, East Carolina Mop Sauce, Happy Mouth Yakitori Ribs, Pork Tenderloin with Cowboy Java Rub, Chateaubriand with Compound Butter, Texas Beef Brisket, Touchdown Tailgate Brat Tub, Binghamton Spiedie Sandwiches, Cornell Chicken, Schmancy Hot-Smoked Salmon, Joe’s Fireproof Grilled Shrimp, Chipotle-Lime Corn on the Cob, and Smoked Potato Salad. Recipes are traditional.
What I liked about the book:
Think of the best textbook you ever read, then make it fun and well-written. And about meat and fire. Loved the myth-busting tips throughout, like “Meat needs to rest after cooking.” Busted! You’ll need to buy the book to find out why.
I wasn’t so keen on:
Recipes were not coded for special diets; nutritional analysis is not provided, which would be helpful for low-sodium eaters.
Recommended for:
paleo, omnivore diets
Not recommended for:
Migraine, vegan, vegetarian, celiac, gluten-free, or low-sodium diets
A note about my cookbook reviews: In the past, I tested at least three recipes from each book, took photos, and described my experience. Due to my dietary limitations (low-sodium, gluten-, dairy-, egg-free), it is no longer possible for me to test the recipes and do them justice.
Required FTC disclosure: I received one copy of this book from the publisher for the giveaway on October 27, 2016.
Here’s the book if you want to see more:
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