Customer Reviews

Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable Recipes, Tips and Tricks from a Barbecue Champion

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book does not really deal with the process of low and slow barbecuing in any great detail: For that I was very disappointed.

The whole topic is covered in the first twelve or so pages of Chapter One. The emphasis is placed on charcoal or propane as seen on pages 19 thru 22 and which the author calls "Grilling Techniques at a Glance." However, in a true barbecue text, I don't want to see any mention of cooking temps above 250 degrees, or searing, or "chamber temperatures of 500 to 700 degrees."

He does make mention of low and slow in his "Master Barbecue Chart" (which is a good quick reference) on page 28. The twenty pages from 16-36 are all you get about how to smoke, and all the tips, secrets, equipment, etc. That's 20 pages out of 207 total.

The remainder of the book consists of a chapter on "How Barbecue Changed My life" and the rest is recipes. While the recipes at first perusal look good, I would have titled the book "Lots of Recipes and a Few Pages of Pretty Standard Tips But No Real Secrets."

I bought this book along with another BBQing book and I have several other cook books. I found this one very easy to pick up and read through. It has good tip, and re-enforces tips on the sides of the page. Great recipes and just enough background stories and info to make it an entertaining book to read.

I am just starting out in real BBQ and I am grabbing this book over others for ideas and recipes. I would say this is great book for beginner and intermediate smoker/BBQ enthusiast

Took me a while to do this review because a friend wanted to see my Barbecue Secrets book, and he wouldn't give it back! I like the book a lot. I've only tried the ribs so far, but I look forward to trying other recipes.

To say that Ron Shewchuk has been bitten but the BBQ bug is a gross understatement. He has worked hard to gain a tremendous knowledge base which is evident in his book. There is lots of advise on preparation as well as some really fine recipes. The book is well written and is a definite credit to my reference materials.

I bought this book at Williams-Sonoma last summer, and it has been a terrific buy. The book includes both "real" slow-cook Barbecue recipies, as well as recipies that work very well on the gas grill. I have made many of the grilling recipies (his "cheater ribs" and the southwest chicken wings have won me great praise), and have just purchase a Weber SMC to try the real barbecue recipies. I even bought a copy for a friend.

This is a great book.

As a "newbie" in the barbeque/smoking area, I wanted a book with basic explanations of why long slow cooking with smoke makes such tasty treats as ribs, pork butt, chicken etc. My family unanimously like my first attempt at ribs, terming it "better than anything they had eaten at any restaurant". I based what my cooking process on the advice from this book, finding it simple and straightforward. I think most folks will have similar results if they have a decent smoker. The hard part is choosing seasonings (rubs in particular) so I did hit the local bbq store and buy their recommended rub, but I really think choosing the right wood is just as important as seasoning. There are lots of recipies for rubs and ideas on how to adjust them.
PS - The stories about competing professionally are worth reading too!

My wife bought this book for me a few years ago, but I never really read it until earlier this year when we finally purchased our own gas grill. I've since prepared about 15 recipes from this book, and each of them has met with rave reviews from my friends and family. The cedar-planked salmon with maple bourbon sauce is simply fantastic, and routinely produces comments like "This is the best salmon I've ever eaten," and "I want this for my birthday dinner!" The flank steak fajitas adobo with strawberry mango salsa are another favorite. And Ron's steak marinade -- "Easiest, Tastiest Steak" -- is mouth-wateringly delicious, and useful for a variety of meats.

While many of the recipes are applicable to grilling, several others are more amenable to true barbecue, via smoker or pit. Step-by-step instructions on how to prepare pulled pork or brisket mean that even a novice can produce succulent barbecue.

Simply put, since reading this book, I've discovered a new passion in life -- barbecue and grilling.

This is my favorite BBQ cookbook out of a dozen or so that I have. I am not the type of cook who wants to tend a slow barbecue pit for twelve hours to get perfect ribs - I am happy to go to a rib joint for that - but I do like to make reasonable and delicious barbecued food at home, so this book totally works for me.

This book is more down to earth than the ones by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby - which are a little too precious and Martha Stewart-ish for my idea of BBQ - and less overwhelming than the excellent books by Steve Raichlen, the Jamisons and the Weber Company (all of which have some great, excellent and accessible recipes in them).

This is a fun book, written by an author whose love of all things smoked, grilled and 'cued is evident from the first page. Different techniques are well-explained, and I appreciated the inclusions of complete menus as well as playlists of music to barbecue by. There are awesome marinades, rubs, side dishes and a small but perfect selection of desserts. I have the feeling that the recipes included are the author's favorites - the best of the best - rather than a compendium of recipes he's tried out in a test kitchen.

My go to recipe is Cheaters' Ribs. While a true aficionado would consider this recipe a sacrilege, it is a great way to prepare ribs when it's too cold, too hot, or too dark to cook outdoors. And a great way to try out all the rubs and sauces in the book, too.

I did indeed write this book, and it is a labour of love. In it I share everything I have learned from over 20 years of backyard cooking and ten years on the competitive barbecue circuit.

Barbecue Secrets is much more than a cookbook. There are over 100 recipes -- from appetizers and sides, to great grilled and barbecued meat and seafood, all the way to delicious drinks and desserts. But there's also lots about the history, science and culture of barbecue. In fact, you can think of this not just as a cookbook, but more of a handbook for the Barbecue Lifestyle. It even contains playlists of great music to listen to while you barbecue!

One of the unique features of the book is a gripping account of the 2001 Oregon State Open Barbecue Championship, where my team, Rockin' Ronnie's Butt Shredders, took first place, becoming the only Canadian team to ever win a U.S. barbecue championship. Here's a quick excerpt from Chapter II, entitled To Newberg...and Glory: How Barbecue Changed My Life.

"As the evening rolled on we started to get into the rhythm of what barbecue contests are all about. We were happy. We had abandoned our daily lives and become citizens of Barbecueville, a temporary tent city that needs no laws but the rules of judging set out by the KCBS. The main industry in Barbecueville is a mild form of debauchery that involves drinking, cooking, eating meat and staying up all night listening to Waylon Jennings's greatest hits, as hickory smoke wafts across a skyline glittering with chili-shaped patio lights. Throughout the year our chubby nomadic tribe moves from contest to contest, building and then taking down our ramshackle city like a three-ring circus.

"We call what we do a championship, but it's the only competition where the event and the tailgate party are exactly the same thing. Even so-called sports like curling and darts don't count cribbage boards as standard equipment. And even though we're all "competing," what we're really doing is what we love - cooking and eating barbecue. Once you have had one aromatic, succulent, deeply satisfying bite of real barbecue, fresh out of the cooker, your life has permanently changed. To taste a perfectly cooked slice of brisket, or to experience the texture of pulled pork, piled high on a fluffy white bun, drizzled with vinegary sauce and topped with crunchy, sweet coleslaw, or to bite into a rib and feel the tender meat come gently off the bone as you taste the tangy, salty, sweet, savory pork, is just one step short of heaven. And when you can claim that you not only cook barbecue, but cook the best barbecue, you are not just a winner but a culinary demi-god, bringing a greasy nirvana within reach of those around you."

Barbecue changed my life. I hope this book changes yours!

Cheers,

(...)

I have not read "Barbecue Secrets" myself, but I just received my monthly copy of the National Barbecue News, and in it is a review for "Barbeque Secrets". Reviewer Doug Moseley highly recommends buying this book, saying (among much other high praise) that "it's different in so many great ways".