Customer Reviews

Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book: Recipes and Secrets from a Legendary Barbecue Joint

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book contains a variety of recipes along with ample history of Big Bob Gibson's barbecue.

At present, I have tried from the book:
(1) the pork shoulder recipe, served with the Memphis style sauce
(2) the whole butterflied chicken, served with Bob Gibson's famous white sauce.

Both were outstanding and each was easily worth the price of the entire book, particularly the white sauce-WOW.

both followed classic barbecue techniques and did not require excessive preparation or a half dozen steps.

In addition to covering the most common types of barbecue, the book also includes side dishes, an occassional dessert, and a variety of sauces--most derived from something done at Big Bob Gibson's or by Chris Lilly in competition.

There are lots of great barbeque books out there, what this book brings is (1) recipes that have routinely won awards at barbecue competitions-lots of awards, (2) some unique Bob Gibson sauces that are terrific (3) a enjoyable history of the man and the restaurant.

I look forward to trying more recipes in the future.

NOTE: I tried these on the big green egg, which is well suited for long cooking sessions. Even though the book does not address ceramic cookers, the recipes are not equipment specific. But the obviously amazing results possible (and amply described) with a true barbecue pit and 100% hickory make it clear there is another level of barbecue out there.

Chris Lilly is one of the best BBQ chefs in the country. However, I am disappointed with his efforts here. This book is true to the title. Most pages are about the history of Big Bob Gibson's BBQ joint. Lots of pictures. This part is interesting, but not helpful to someone who wants to cook. The recipes are some basics and some off-the-chart stuff with unusual ingredients. He doesn't disclose a lot of Gibson's recipes, but gives something close. He has 4 or 5 recipes for a whole hog, but nothing (or very little coverage) for some basics like a beef chuck shoulder and other cuts. He assumes you will BBQ indirectly on a Weber kettle. All in all, this is not a basic book. His coverage of rubs is great, but doesn't teach anything about other essential topics. After you've mastered BBQ smoking, get this for historical interest.

Chris Lilly is simply the best there is. The man really knows his stuff and shares his award-winning secrets in this beautifully written book. Full of historical and personal anecdotes, it reads like a memoir at times. I couldn't put it down. The recipes are easy-to-follow with readily available ingredients, and complete with suggestions on cooking method, time, and type of wood to use. This BBQ book is so much more than one might expect, going beyond your smoked meats, rubs, marinades, and glazes, and sides of beans, potatoes, and coleslaw (and those delicious recipes are all included along with the whole pig roast for the purist). Keep turning the page and you'll discover appetizers or sides like Scallops with Burnt Ends; Grilled Fruit Skewers with Spicy Maple Cumin; Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with Maple Baked Beans, too.

Once a "rookie Q'er" who may have sat on a stump staring at a pit a few more times than he may care to count to learn the ropes, Chris Lilly now commands that very pit, pushing the envelope, and keeping it fresh and interesting at every turn. Buy the book...then buy it again for your friends. Y'all be glad you did!

I'm from the South. That being said, I believe this to be one of the more complete books on barbecue. It's loaded with tips from a real, practicing pit master. There's page after page of recipes and practical information that both beginning and master barbecue enthusiasts can put to use. The price for this plethora of information is a very good value. Lots of color photos and instructions. There's lots of barbecue history, based mostly on the restaurant. Would I buy this book again? YES, Absolutely! In fact, I bought one for my step-son for his birthday. Buy it; you will not be disappointed.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I cooked Big Bob's famous chicken recipe with the white sauce...Awesome! I just started cooking bbq and this book is a great read for history, tips, and above all recipes. I also just finished cooking one of the pork shoulder recipes for the 4th of July and all I have to say is there were no left overs. I will definitely be busy for the next year trying all these recipes. Low and Slow is the way to go and Chris Lilly is the master.

I did not grow up in northern Alabama, but in southern Alabama, and so I was not familiar with the Big Bob Gibson's BBQ legacy. I read about the book in "Garden and Gun" magazine and knew I had to see what the fuss was about. If you love to barbecue this book is worth the money and time to read it. Not only will it give you a new approach to outdoor cooking, it will inform you as to the cultural heritage of southern barbecue.

First of all the book is well written, interesting and informative. Secondly, the recipes are the best I have EVER reproduced from a book. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about "white sauce" on barbecued chicken (or anything else cooked outdoors) but when I followed the recipe the result was absolutely astounding. The longer the white sauce soaks in the chicken, the better it gets - like magic. My wife followed the recipe for a rub and bourbon sauce for pork loin and the result was the best tasting pork I have ever eaten. The sauce was fantastic, the rub gave the pork a delicious flavor that anyone could be proud of, but the step-by-step instructions regarding the cooking process resulted in a properly "barbecued" ("low and slow") pork loin - and smoked...on a propane gas grill! My wife is an excellent cook, but previously her "grill skill" was somewhat underdeveloped. Now she is becoming quite accomplished in the sacred art of barbecue.

This author's attention to detail in the instruction of the most closely guarded secrets of the "Southern old guard" grill masters is what sets this book apart from any other out there. Recipes range from meats to veggies to deserts. Big Bob's methodology has changed the way that we cook outdoors and it has given us a skills set that we can use to pamper family and friends and proudly pass to our grandchildren. If you are from the foothills of northern Alabama and have ever visited Big Bob's (in the 80 years of its existence) then this book is a "must have." For the rest of us uninitiated flatlanders I most highly recommend this book.

This is a great book on the basics of BBQ and also the history of BBQ. Good information on spice combinations and what spices and rubs work best for pork, beef, seafood, and chicken etc. Great launching pad for creating your own special sauces and rubs from the basic to the flamboyant.

I probably own virtually every cookbook written about cooking barbecue long and slow. This one is the best of the lot. I always figure my money is well spent if I get one tip out of a cookbook. This one provided me numerous ones. I use a Weber 22 1/2 charcoal grill a lot and their tip about lining up your charcoal in a ring around the grill allows you to minimize the times you lift the lid and lose your heat. Great tip!

This is an all-around great book, no matter who you are. It is filled with recipes from from Big Bob Gibson's itself. Plus as a bonus, the recipes for their award-winning saces!

I'm new to "low and slow" BBQ and recently purchased a Weber Smoker Mountain smoker. I have a handful of BBQ books and this is by far my favorite. Chris Lilly weaves interesting history, gorgeous pictures and classic recipes into a very concise and user friendly manual. You even get the feeling he's (almost) giving away family secrets. I have smoked up a few of his recipes to date (Gibson's baby back ribs, whole chickens with white bbq sauce) and they came out great. We even made his bbq sauce from scratch and his fantastic red-skin potato salad.

What's remarkable is the simplicity of many recipes. Plus, this book doesn't overwhelm you with 20+ ways to cook ribs, etc. Instead, the focus is on a handful of the most popular, or successful recipes, from each major meat category - plus quite a few classic side dishes and his famous sauces and rubs. Along with the Weber smoker online community, I feel this book allowed me to quickly jump into bbq with pretty good results.