23. Books on barbecue

[Can you suggest the most useful books on barbecuing?]

List members like these barbecue and grill books:

"Smoke & Spice" by Cheryl and Bill Jamison is excellent. A must read for the new barbecuer.

"Barbecuing & Sausage Making Secrets" by Charlie & Ruthie Knote.

This is the book if you're looking for one that has good instructions on barbecuing and smoking techniques. Yes, it has recipes too. There are a lot of good books out there, but none can compare to the knowledge that's contained in this book. If you could only buy one book on barbecue, this is the one to have.

"Sublime Smoke" by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. "Where There's Smoke There's Flavor", by Richard Langer and Susan McNeill. I also like "Uncle Billy's Downeast Barbecue Book". It has some good recipes in it.

My favorite lately has been, "Marinades" by Jim Tarantino.

"Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue Sauces", ISBN: 1558321241 Very useful book. Lots of background reading about the sauces. Helps you to 'build' you own rubs and sauces.

I like the Jack Daniel's "Old-Time Barbecue Cookbook" by Vince Staten. It is very informative; it even has a section on competition barbecuing, what to expect at the competitions, etc. Very good book.

"Hot Links and Country Flavors--Sausages in American Regional Cooking" by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly. ISBN 0-394-57430-3. The recipes are broken down for small batches--I like that. I guarantee, you'll make excellent sausage using it.

"Kansas City Barbecue Society Cookbook" has lots of recipes plus "Q" tips.

"The Smoked-Foods Cookbook - How to Flavor, Cure, and Prepare Savory Meats, Game, Fish, Nuts, and Cheese", by Lue and Ed Park. ISBN 0-81117-0116-6. One of the better wood-smoking cookbooks I have. It discusses basic principles including the different types of cookers. It is not specifically a barbecue book, but discusses smoke curing and preserving including brines, jerky, fish, sausage, and wild game. I have found it to be much more useful and informative than a book with 200 barbecue sauce recipes.

"All About Bar B Q Kansas City Style" by Rich Davis and Shifra Stein,

ISBN 0-933579-00-4. A good introductory book. (Hard to find)

"The All American Barbecue Book", Rich Davis and Shifra Stein, ISBN 0-394-75842-0. If I were forced to chuck all my barbecue books, this would be one of the last to go. I think it has a pretty good survey of barbecue from the important areas and the recipes I have tried turn out well.

"Art of Grilling" by Kelly McCune

"Barbecued Ribs, Smoked Butts, and Other Great Feeds" by Jeanne Voltz I am a huge fan. If I had to settle for just one barbecue book, that would be the one.

"Best BBQ Recipes" by Mildred Fischer. I tried a lot of the recipes.

"Cook'n Cajun Water Smoker Cook Book" by Sondra Hester. Cook'n Cajun Division, Hamilton Industries, P.O. Box 3726 Shreveport, Louisiana 71133, Library of Congress Card Number: 84-71526

"Cutting Up in the Kitchen" by Columnist Merle Ellis. Anyone wanting to know more about meat should read this book. It'll even tell you how to get a couple of nice ribeye steaks for the cost of chuck.

"The Great Barbecue Companion Mops, Sops, Sauces, and Rubs", by Bruce Bjorkman.

"La Parilla: The Mexican Grill" by Reed Hearon. $19.95 paperback

Chronicle Books, San Francisco. ISBN 0-8118-1034-8.

"License to Grill", by Schlesinger and Willoughby A very good book on grilling. If you're serious about grilling, this is the book. Excellent recipes.

"National Cowboy Hall Of Fame Chuck Wagon Cookbook", by B. Byron Price, Hearst Books, New York, ISBN 0-688-12989-7. The first half of the book is the history of the chuckwagon and the cooks out on the range. Some really interesting stuff here. The second half is recipes and interesting tidbits.

"The Passion of Barbeque", by The Kansas City Barbeque Society, ISBN 0-925175-02-1

"Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" If I could have only one Cajun cookbook, that would be it.

"The Quick and Easy Art of Smoking Food", by Chris Dubbs and Dave Heberle, published by Winchester Press, ISBN 0-8329-0462-7. It only has a drawing of a masonry oven, but it does have detailed diagrams with materials list for building a wood and a masonry smokehouse, plus descriptions of several other items including a smoking barrel with an underground pipe to feed smoke for cold smoking.

"Smokestack Lightning--Adventures in the Heart of Barbecue Country" by Lolis E. Elie.

"Tony Chachere's Cajun Country Cookbook"

"Tony Chachere's Microwave Cajun Country Cookbook"

I have used them for the last couple of years and like them both.

I just received Jim Tarantino's book "Marinades" from Amazon. This is an excellent read. ISBN 0-89594-531-2

"Worlds Best Barbecue Sauces" by Bruce Bjorkman. I have found this book to be a good resource AND interesting reading.

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BBQ FAQ Ver 1.0, 2.0 ©1997, 1998 William W. Wight. All rights reserved.