The Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual [Hardcover]

C. Clark Hale (Author), C. Clark "Smoky" Hale (Author), Sandra Lyon (Author), Bob Lyon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000

More than just a grilling cookbook, this guide explains broiling, roasting, hot and cold smoking, and barbecuing. With great wit and wisdom, a variety of grills are explained by examining their operation, design, construction, and function. Instruction is given on selecting the proper cuts of meat, fish, fowl, and vegetables, so that recipes such as the Super Swine Sizzlers will taste their best. Also included are tips, advice, and dozens of recipes for rubs, marinades, bastes, and finishing sauces-ranging from the Italian Connection marinade to Greek Rub for Lamb or Basic Eastern North Carolina Basting Sauce.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I read this book twice before putting it down. It is great!" -- Jim Baker, World Championship Barbecue Cook-off team, 1999, and Managing Partner of Owen Brennan's restaurant, Memphis

"If you could only have one book on barbecuing, this is the one you should have, but if you already owned a dozen, you would still have to have this one" -- Joe Phelps, Publisher, The National Barbecue News

"This book would be an entertaining and informative read even for a confirmed vegetarian who never intends to own a grill" -- Evelyn Beard, Literary Editor

From the Publisher

In his inimitable style of wit and wordplay, author discloses the true origin of the word "barbecue" and the origin of the technique that distinguishes barbecue from all other forms of cooking. He defines the various techniques of cooking on a grill and teaches how to master all with chapters for barbecuing, broiling, roasting, hot and cold smoking and curing. He explains the rational and methods for mixing and using marinades, rubs, basting and finishing sauces.

His chapters on accompanying salads, slaw, beans, hashes and bread are as mouth watering as they are informative. He covers cooking with wood, charcoal, gas and electricity completely with clarity and wit. His chapters on grill explain and illustrate functions, design and construction methods and materials. He review auxiliary equipment and give complete details on meat selection, safety, storage and handling. He has included a complete gas grill operating and maintenance guide with check lists for comparing grills before purchase. The book is amply indexed.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Abacus Pub Co (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0936171030
• ISBN-13: 978-0936171036
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,365,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The barbecue guru of our time has spoken!, June 13, 2000

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual (Paperback)

If barbecuing is on your mind, prepare to transform your grill into a sacred fire pit. Once you start reading The Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual, you will be seduced by this ancient art. Smoky Hale is truly the barbecue guru of our time. His goal is to show us the best method and to dispel the myths created by those who do not understand the true definition of barbecue.

This is a book you will find difficult to put down, so give yourself time to savor page after page of mouth-watering information. The descriptive writing and historical facts will satisfy your cerebral appetite even before the cooking begins. Every conceivable piece of knowledge on barbecue is here in one book, look no further. Smoky Hale makes no excuses for his love affair with "Authentic Barbecue."

About halfway through this "manual" you will already be driven to distraction by a tempting array of dishes which includes: Barbecued Pork Ribs, Churrasco, Fajitas, Sirloin Strips, Perfect Hamburgers, Chicken, Shrimp, Pork Shish Kebabs, Grilled Bass, and a Grilled Eggplant and Tomato with Shrimp and Pesto Stuffing. Most importantly he divulges the secret for knowing when a piece of meat is ready to be turned.

Just as you are starting to get nostalgic about your grill, you will happen upon an entire chapter devoted to selecting a new grill. Yes, by Chapter Nine it is now the time to discover the anatomy of a grill. The diagram on page 294 may enlighten you as the Hardwood/Charcoal grill is finally explained in detail. This answered my question as to why one would need a fire box attached to a grill. For those who prefer to "Grill" quickly, there is an entire chapter on gas and electric cooking.

You will soon learn that the word barbecue is not all-inclusive and does not necessarily mean just cooking a steak on a grill. The decision on which grill to purchase will rest solely on how you intend to use it, as a simple gas grill will start to seem rather elementary after you see the possibilities of a hardwood/charcoal grill. Smoky also includes some intriguing ways to maintain your grill. He provides sections on curing, smoking and drying meat. His recipes for rubs, basting sauces, side dishes, salads and breads are included to heighten the desire of your already tortured palate.

I can truly say this is now my favorite book on barbecue. It is not only written by an author who is completely versed in his subject, this encyclopedic work has been infused with humor and has been filled to overflowing with an overwhelming measure of experience. Once you read about his friend Paul Kirk's Crab Stuffed Salmon, you imagination will be on fire.

All I have left to say is......"Start up the Grills!" P.S. No, you cannot borrow my copy! It is mine....ALL mine.

Just so you know, the best source for barbecue grills and smokers made from thick new steel is found in Texas.

~The Rebecca Review

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got a Grilling or Barbeque Question? THIS book's for you!!, August 7, 2001

By 

Daniel F. Moore (Yarmouth, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual (Paperback)

I have subscribed to the Barbecue'n On the Internet newsletter ... for about 3 years and that is where I first 'met' Smoky Hale, who has a column there. His 'aw shucks' self-deprecating style is both humorous and very informative. His many inside tips and experience with the art of 'Q' made me an instant fan. When his book was released in 2000, I eagerly purchased it and to no surprise, I use it regularly. The book is really a conversation with the reader. Smoky shares his years of experience, some good, some bad and you get the feeling that making some really bad food is part of the learning process. And he does discuss every aspect of the grilling and barbeque process. Barbequing, broiling, roasting and smoking procedures are thoroughly covered in detail. He also talks about seasonings, rubs and marinades....what to use and why. I really appreciated Smoky's discussions about choosing the right grill, cooking with a variety of heat sources: wood, charcoal, gas and electricity, meat selection, storage and safety and the chapter on building your own grill. These chapters were not only informative, but were replete with many humorous anecdotes and quotations. Whether you are a novice to barbeque and grilling or a self-styled pitmaster, you will enjoy this book. I have over fifty books on the subject and this is without question one of my top choices. It will demystify a sometimes confusing cooking genre and will give you answers to most, if not all of your questions.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Darned Good Book, August 13, 2001

By 

R. J. Hodges "kendoka_ca" (Sunnyvale, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual (Paperback)

Far from being faint praise, saying that this is a "pretty darned good bbq book" is the greatest compliment one bbq'er could make to another. As a life long (ex-Kansas City) proponent of the slow, lazy method of cooking ribs and other treats, this is undoubtedly the most dead-on manual for anybody who wants greater insight into cooking outdoors. For the novice, it is a definitive introduction to serious grilling and bbq. For those of us who have spent as much time trying to figure out WHY we try to coax any goodness out of a nasty cut of meat like the brisket as we do actually doing it, it is a great resource. The book is filled with information that will improve the efforts of bbq'ers of any level. This is the one bbq book every cook should own.