Books
Barbecue Books (Mostly) to Give and Get for the Holidays
We’ve assembled some of our favorite barbecue-related book titles, the ones we’d most like to give or get. All are available online or likely at your favorite bookstore.
Barbecue Books and Cookbooks to Give and Get for the Holidays
Project Fire by Steven Raichlen
“Once again,” said celebrity chef Francis Mallmann, “Steven Raichlen shows off his formidable fire power and tempting recipes.” Cutting edge techniques meet time-honed traditions in 100 boldly flavored recipes. Reinvent steak with reverse-seared beef tomahawks, dry-brined filets mignons, ember-charred porterhouses, and T-bones tattooed with grill marks and enriched, the way the pros do it, with melted beef fat. Here’s how to spit-roast beer-brined cauliflower on the rotisserie. Blowtorch a rosemary veal chop. Grill mussels in blazing hay, peppery chicken under a salt brick, and herb-crusted salmon steaks on a shovel. From “Seven Steps to Grilling Nirvana” to recipes for grilled cocktails and desserts, Project Fire proves that live-fire, and understanding how to master it, makes everything taste better.
The Special Edition Franklin Barbecue Collection by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay
There’s not a barbecue buff in the country who wouldn’t love to find this 2-book boxed set under the Christmas tree. From brisket to steak, here’s everything you need to know about meat. From the revered pitmaster and New York Times bestselling author behind Austin’s Franklin Barbecue , this set features exclusive paperback editions of his already iconic books: Franklin Barbecue and Franklin Steak.
Healthy Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker Cookbook by Nancy Loseke
Straddling two ultra-popular trends—low-carb eating and pellet grilling—this book was written by Steven’s longtime assistant, Nancy Loseke. It features full-color photography and 100 recipes for appetizers, beef, lamb, game, pork, poultry, seafood, soups, salads, and sides, all keto-friendly. As Steven says, “…Nancy has more than a decade of experience with pellet grills. She’ll teach you how to get maximum performance out of your grill.”
Umami Bomb by Raquel Pelzel
Author Raquel Pelzel ingeniously teaches us how to use eight umami-rich ingredients—aged cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, soy sauce, miso, caramelized onions, smoke, and nutritional yeast—to create explosive flavors. Umami Bomb’s 75 recipes are bursting with the sublime, savory fifth taste—and they’re vegetarian!
The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen
This is it—the book that redefined barbecue for a new generation of outdoor cooks (over 1,000,000 copies have been sold). First released in 1998 as the inaugural title in a series, The Barbecue! Bible was redesigned inside and out for its 10th anniversary. The Barbecue! Bible now includes full-color photographs illustrating food preparation, grilling techniques, ingredients, and of course, those irresistible finished dishes. A new section has been added with answers to the most frequently asked grilling questions, plus Steven’s proven tips, quick solutions to common mistakes, and more.
How to Be a Conscious Eater by Sophie Egan
Using three criteria—Is it good for me? Is it good for others? Is it good for the planet?—author Sophie Egan helps us navigate the bewildering world of food so that we can all become conscious eaters. Is organic really worth it? Are eggs ok to eat? If so, which ones are best for you, and for the chicken—Cage-Free, Free-Range, Pasture-Raised? What about farmed salmon, soy milk, sugar, gluten, fermented foods, coconut oil, almonds? Thumbs-up, thumbs-down, or somewhere in between?
To eat consciously is not about diets, fads, or hard-and-fast rules. It’s about having straightforward, accurate information to make smart, thoughtful choices amid the chaos of conflicting news and marketing hype.
Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades by Steven Raichlen
Barbecue sauces, rubs, and marinades are every griller’s secret weapon—the flavor boosters that give grilled food its character, personality, depth, and soul. Steven Raichlen, America’s “master griller” (Esquire), has completely updated and revised his bestselling encyclopedia of chile-fired rubs, lemony marinades, buttery bastes, pack-a-wallop sauces, plus mops, slathers, sambals, and chutneys. It’s a cornucopia of all the latest flavor trends, drawing from irresistible Thai, Mexican, Indian, Cajun, Jamaican, Italian, and French cuisines, as well as those building blocks from America’s own barbecue belt.
Mosquito Supper Club by Melissa M. Martin
With a name like that, you know this is going to be an interesting read. Named after her restaurant in New Orleans, chef Melissa M. Martin’s debut cookbook shares her inspired and reverent interpretations of the traditional Cajun recipes she grew up eating on the Louisiana bayou, with a generous helping of stories about her community. For anyone who loves Cajun food or is interested in American cooking or wants to discover a distinct and engaging new female voice—or just wants to make the very best duck gumbo, shrimp jambalaya, she-crab soup, crawfish étouffée, smothered chicken, fried okra, oyster bisque, and sweet potato pie—comes Mosquito Supper Club.
The Brisket Chronicles by Steven Raichlen
Take brisket to the next level: ’Cue it, grill it, smoke it, braise it, cure it, boil it—even bake it into chocolate chip cookies. Texas barbecued brisket is just the beginning: There’s also Jamaican Jerk Brisket and Korean Grilled Brisket to savor. Old School Pastrami and Kung Pao Pastrami, a perfect Passover Brisket with Dried Fruits and Sweet Wine, even ground brisket—Jakes Double Brisket Cheeseburgers. In dozens of unbeatable tips, Raichlen shows you just how to handle, prep, and store your meat for maximum tenderness and flavor. Plus plenty more recipes that are pure comfort food, perfect for using up leftovers: Brisket Hash, Brisket Baked Beans, Bacon-Grilled Brisket Bites—or for real mind-blowing pleasure, Kettle Corn with Burnt Ends. And side dishes that are the perfect brisket accents, including slaws, salads, and sauces.
Project Smoke by Steven Raichlen
Steven knocked another one out of the ballpark with this superlative book. A complete, step-by-step guide to mastering the art and craft of smoking, plus 100 recipes—every one a game-changer –for smoked food that roars off your plate with flavor. Here’s how to choose the right smoker (or turn the grill you have into an effective smoking machine). Understand the different tools, fuels, and smoking woods. Master all the essential techniques: hot-smoking, cold-smoking, rotisserie-smoking, even smoking with tea and hay—try it with fresh mozzarella.
Give Me Liberty and Give Me a Drink! by C. Jarrett Dieterle
In New Mexico, $1 margaritas are illegal. In Utah, cocktails must be mixed behind a barrier called the “Zion curtain.” And forget about happy hour in Massachusetts—the state banned it in 1984. But we don’t have to stand down and dry up—it’s time to take to liquid protest. Created by the nation’s leading alcohol policy expert, C. Jarrett Dieterle, this hilarious book combines the thirst-inducing pleasure of trivia with 65 recipes for classic and innovative cocktails.
What cookbooks are on your wishlist this year? Share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Instagram!