Full Description
Like jazz, barbecue is a uniquely American original, and few subjects ignite more passion, excitement, controversy, and competition. In Celebrating Barbecue, Dotty Griffith, restaurant critic for The Dallas Morning News, gives readers the lowdown on real barbecue, identifying the four great regional styles of American 'cue (Carolina, Memphis, Texas, and Kansas City), as well as what Griffith calls "micro-styles" like Santa Maria Beef Barbecue or St. Louis Barbecued Snouts. Though reducing barbecue to a set of rules and specifications is, as Griffith says, "like teaching a cat to bark," Celebrating Barbecue attempts (and succeeds!) in doing just that, beginning with the history of barbecue, defining each region's preferences for meat, fuel, and seasonings. There are classic authentic recipes for slow-cooked meats such as Texas Brisket and North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork, with cooking temperatures, seasonings, woods, and techniques (including fail-safe techniques for bad weather or uncooperative equipment or fuels) explained in detail. Griffith includes recipes for mops, rubs, sauces, and marinades, as well as sources for ready-made flavor enhancers. A full complement of appetizers, sides, and desserts rounds out the more than 85 recipes. Menus are provided for each regional style so you can create your own barbecue feast. Travelers will find lists of barbecue restaurants, cook-offs, and festivals, and stay-at-homes will find the best places to mail-order 'cue, as well as a directory of pit masters and a section on cookers.
Opinionated and informed, Celebrating Barbecue is written with wit, passion, and verve. A pleasure to read and to cook from, it's the only book you'll need to enjoy this most American of foods.
Contents
Contents
PART ONE
An Invitation to Die
Me and 'Cue
Barbecue: Past, Present, and Future
The Right Stuff
Using This Book
PART TWO
Carolina Barbecue:
Where Vinegar, Tomato, and Mustard Factions Wage Taste Wars
Memphis Barbecue:
Dry vs. Wet Ribs, or The Town of Pork and Bones
Texas Barbecue:
Here's the Beef!
Kansas City Barbecue:
Where East Meets West
Wild Cards:
Santa Maria Beef Barbecue, Owensboro Mutton Barbecue, St. Louis Barbecued Snouts, and Playing Chicken
Hot Bites and Sides
Sweet Endings:
Pies, Cakes, and Other Regional Favorites
SOURCES
Barbecue Associations
Barbecue Contests
Classes on Barbecue
Barbecue Publications
Sources of Ingredients
Sources of Equipment
On-Line Sources
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
LIQUID AND DRY MEASURE EQUIVALENCIES
INDEX
