Reviewed by Steve Holetz
As the days start to
get longer, and I find myself gazing
longingly at my beat up Weber, one of the
first books I pick up is The
Barbecue
Bible by Stephen Raichlin. This fine cookbook never fails to
ignite my passion
to barbecue once again. Whether I am looking for a specific recipe, or
sifting
for
ideas to combine for the evening’s meal, this title has become an
invaluable
resource in my kitchen,
or more precisely, on my back porch.
extremely useful. It took me some time to
figure out the idiosyncrasies of my little grill, especially
when attempting such big boy techniques as cooking a six pound pork
shoulder to falling-off-the-bone,
melt-in-your-mouth tenderness at a steady temperature of 275 degrees
for six
hours, while simultaneously
regulating the smoke from my beer-soaked hickory chips and
the heat from an hourly replenishment
of briquettes. However, Raichlen’s
guidance here is excellent, and will soon have you tasting your
’cue and
thinking that maybe you SHOULD enter that
contains over 500 recipes covering
everything from everyday recipes for hamburgers, steaks, and
chicken to more
exotic recipes such as Vietnamese Grilled Beef and Basil Rolls, and
Guadeloupean
Grilled Crayfish with Curry Buerre Blanc.
On the barbecue side,
the recipes here were the first that I attempted for each of the“Big 3
of
Barbecue”:
Carolina-style Pulled Pork, Texas-style Barbecued Brisket, and
Kansas City-style ribs. All three
recipes turn out an amazing product, the highlight of
many a summer afternoon for my family and friends.
Additionally, I
have tried my hand at both the Tandoori Chicken and Shrimp recipes as
well as
his Beer
Can chicken (a fantastic technique!), and used a number of his ideas
for grilled vegetables, all of which
are simple to cook and splendidly
flavorful. I still look forward to trying a few of his grilled
flatbread
recipes. There are also a wide variety of salads to be found here, one
of my
personal favorites being
the Iranian Shirazi Cucumber, Tomato and Onion salad,
a lovely light, crisp and flavorful accompaniment
to a summer meal.
better than any bottled sauce of this style I have tried. The sweet,
tangy and spicy flavors simply
explode in your mouth. The vinegar sauce is also
simple yet magnificent, either as a sauce lacing the
aforementioned pulled
pork, or as a base for a simple, crisp, cole slaw. In comparison, I
found
Raichlen’s basic barbecue sauce the least brilliant of the three, but I
have
yet to find a recipe that is
perfect for my taste, so I will
probably stick with variations of this one until I do. It is more
than acceptable. The
one condiment that was less successful in my opinion was his version of
Chimichurri. A spicy, garlicky, parsley filled sauce/paste which is the
traditional accompaniment to
grilled meats in South America, I found that the
recipe here was but a pale imitation in comparison
to the family recipe of my friend
Gonzalo, but what are you gonna do about that?
The book is pleasant
to look at, with attractive
woodcut-type art throughout, and occasional
photos. The recipes are
well-organized by type of food (sauces, fish, pork, beef, etc.) and
interspersed
with technique tips and explanations, and informational sidebars. For
example a
two page essay on
the state of Argentine grilling, or his search for the best
Tuscan steak, the Bistecca alla Fiorentina.
These essays are part travelogue,
and really enjoyable to read, as Raichlen’s enthusiasm for all
things grilled
shines through. My only complaint with the format has nothing to do
with the author
at
all but with the publisher. Workman’s books in this paperback format
are huge,
with a great
deal of information and a good value for the money, but if you
cook from them as frequently as I
do, the spines ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS crack. I am on my third copy of The
Barbecue Bible as I
write this.
butcher, or fish market. Although many of
the recipes are international and call for rare ingredients,
Raichlen always
provides substitutions that are easy to find. Additionally, some cuts
of meat
you
may have to ask you butcher to cut for you, but for me that’s always
part
of the fun.
meat, or fish, buy this book now! It
is a great read, and as formidable an addition to your cooking
arsenal as you
are likely to find on the subject of grilling. Thank
you, Mr.Raichlen!