Customer Reviews

John Willingham's World Champion Bar-B-q: Over 150 Recipes And Tall Tales For Authentic...

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Tired of all the confusion and misinformation that surrounds barbecue? Ever tried to follow the barbecue techniques in say, Paul Kirk's , Smoky Hale's, Barbecuing & Sausage - Making Secrets or even the Smoke & Spice barbecue books? If so, you to have probably found yourself confused and discouraged just like us. Their recipes may be fine but there methods never seem to workout. It either takes much longer than the recipe states or the temperatures are so low you end up making jerky.

We must admit John Willingham's World Champion Bar-B-Q was our first barbecue book, but unfortunately we didn't stop there. We soon bought other barbecue books and started using their techniques. Our results were miserable and we were finding ourselves confused and frustrated. In a last ditch effort we went back through the information we had gathered. There was a lot. We soon rediscovered that in John Willingham's World Champion Bar-B-Q he didn't just include recipes or basic information but a solid foundation so we too could create our own World Champion Bar-B-Q.

We found techniques, information and most of all true Bar-B-Q wisdom, no other barbecue book covers in such complete detail. For example: the proper use of wood when barbecuing and its not for its smoke. The recipes are excellent. Our favorites are when John shares his World Champion Bar-B-Q recipes including step by step details. Even the most simple recipes have a Willingham twist to them. No, not all the recipes in John Willingham's World Champion Bar-B-Q are barbecue and no there not all John Willingham's but each has been shared by a friend and many have a story that is also shared. John has not only shown his love of Bar-B-Q but his love of family, friends and good food. So no matter if you are a first time barbecuer or a seasoned competitor there is something to be learned by all and if you already have the book reread it, chances are you missed something.

We have found that John Willingham's World Champion Bar-B-Q is a true extension of the man. It has been two years since we first bought John's book and through his guidance and friendship we too have begun to compete. John has strong beliefs that Bar-B-Q will become the next true American sport and that a family that plays together stays together and we believe that too.

Thanks John, Lana and Bill

This has to be the best BBQ book I've owned. (slight nudging out Smoke and Spice). The author, a genuine BBQ competition multiple title champion, offers enough information to get anyone started on BBQing the proper way. He covers equipment, BBQ basics (how BBQ cooking is different then grilling, roasting, etc), he then tells how to BBQ different meats. Once you got the ground rules, he then hits you with several excellent original authentic recipies. He then offers a few variations on the normal recipies, and wraps it up with recipies for sauces, rubs, spices, mops, etc. Scattered throughout the book are bbq history, tidbits, and stories. As in Smoke and Spice, these carry you through the book and make it something to READ, rather then reference. If I had to toss my other BBQ books and keep one, it would be this. If I got to keep two, it would be this and Smoke and Spice.

John Willingham's Book of Barbecue is the best treatise on this subject I've ever read. For novices as well as seasoned chefs, this book will open up the world of good 'Q to the reader. John's down-home sensibilities, in addition to his correct recipes and instructions (are you listening, Martha Stewart? ) will bring the best in barbecue to your table. And if you're in Memphis (especially in May) make an extra effort to visit John's restaurant (Willingham's) and meet the man behind the book.

For some time, I have been looking for one barbecue book that I could really trust and turn to over and over again. This is it! This is barbecue the way it should be. All the recipes I have tried are delicious and work really well. The book has great ideas for foods that complement your barbecue. The approach is straightforward and easy to understand. We are lucky that a man like John Willingham, one of the world's great barbecue champions, is willing to share so many of his secrets. I don't think there's another book like it. A FAN FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Before reading the book I had the misconception that bar-b-q was prepared on the "grill". After reading the book I purchased a "cooker" and used it every weekend during the summer.

Each recipe is better than the one before. My entire neighborhood enjoyed the results of food prepared following the recipes and instructions of the book.

A must buy for anyone likes "ribs" or bar-b-q.

Having the pleasure to have met Mr. Willingham personally, I am delighted to see his long-awaited cookbook arrive! Willingham is without a doubt, one of the most successful men ever to compete on the professional barbecue circuits of America. His down-home approach in this book is like an audio conversation with the man himself. They style it is written is so descriptive you can almost smell the smoke he describes. It features the full compliment of traditional slow style cooking, delicious sidedishes, desserts and drinks from him and friends all over the world. This hardback edition contains many interesting theories on the process of cooking barbecue, and if you read between the lines of his brief narrratives before each authentic southern recipe, you can gleam the genius behind the "madness". This book is perfect for the backyard entheusasist, or the professional attempting to improve his product

This book has very good tips and methods on HOW to BBQ, and is then followed by a decent number of recipes. The recipes are not quite my style, but they are good anyway. One big positive thing about this book is how it describes building your own pit. Not all books do that, and information on building your own pit is fairly scarce. I agree with an earlier reviewer that this book tended to advertise the authors products a bit, but the author also gave some knock-off recipes so you don't have to buy his products. I would recommend this book for a beginner who doesn't want a really big book. This book is thinner than some of the other big BBQ compilations, and that is nice, but I prefer some of the larger books personally. My favorites and "Smoke and Spice" by Cheryl Jamison and "Paul Kirks Championship Barbecue". These are both large books, but worth every ounce in pure BBQ heaven!

I found this book to be an overhyped offering by a veteran of the competative BBQ circuit, and I'm of the opinion that their publisher went along for the ride and joined in the overhyping frenzy because they want to make money too ... regardless of whether or not the book lives up to its own hype.

STRENGTHS:
* The author does at least cover some of the basics of classic BBQ, including dry rubs, mop sauces & marinades, basic wood use, and the like, and he waxes nicely poetic in places about the joys of slow cooking. Props for the latter, because it's sadly going out of style.

* There's some modestly decent introductory information in here on hardcore BBQing.

* Some of the recipes in back actually appear fairly decent old fashioned offerings ... like shoofly pie.

WEAKNESSES:
* There's only 150 recipes in here, many of them borrowed from friends and acquaintances, and ranging widely in quality from very good to merely adequate. So in a word, this book is thin on serious content, and it's padded with recipes that aren't even the author's. Wait, lemme re-check the cover ... yes, the cover clearly implies that the book is indeed SUPPOSED to be about 'world champion' BBQ recipes - so how did all the padding by non-champs and non-BBQ get in there ?

* You can't have a serious book on BBQ without spending a decent portion of the page count on primal cuts of beef and pork, how best to break them down and approach each. The author spends too little time on such material, to the book's detriment. I expected more effort from a 'world champion' - not that the title really means all that much.

* Many of the condiments, mixes, rubs, and sauces called out are proprietary, and are primarily available from the author's own little startup company (very convenient and opportunistic, yes ?). The author does deign to lay out recipes for a dry rub or two, and a basic mop sauce or two, but he could have done more on that. My philosophy is simple - either tell me how to make it (and why), or keep the book (and the product placements) and get stuffed.

* Much of the equipment that the author waxes poetic about is his own personal (and highly customized) BBQing rig, which the readers will never have a chance to work with. He doesn't spend enough time/depth covering the type of equipment commonly available to most readers (ex: basic 'bullet' water smokers, basic offset smokers, electric smokers), and the result of this somewhat self-serving focus is that the usefulness of the book to the everyday reader is significantly undermined.

BOTTOM LINE: Lots of hype, and a pretty cover photo, but thinnish on genuinely useful content. I'm not saying that the author can't cook - rather, I'm saying that he doesn't do nearly a good enough job passing such skill on the readers. So, this book is a bit like a meatball hero ... it looks pretty when you order it, but one you bite in, it's mostly filler and not enough meat. There are LOTS of better book on BBQ out there. Save your money, and avoid this one. This book is proof positive that having BBQ trophies on one's wall does NOT mean that someone's any good at writing cookbooks.

Incidentally, shame on everyone who raves about this book - it seems rather clear to me that people who do either know relatively little about serious cooking or reviewing books about the same, or they're chiefly interested in boosting their personal amazon stats ... perhaps both.

I was a novice to barbecue when I moved to Memphis in 1986. Many cities claim to be the capital city of barbecue, but Memphis truly wears that crown.

I lent the book out to my sister in Saint Louis, and let me tell you--I had to buy the darn thing over, because people will not part with this book. Is it really that good?? YES!!

To put it simply--John Willingham has forgotten more about barbecue that the rest of us know!!

Just looking at the ribs on the cover of John Willingham's World Champion Bar-B-Q convinced me to buy the book. As I read the tall tales, tips and recipes my hopes soared that I too could cook ribs that looked and tasted as good as John's.

Since I was a novice Bar-B-Q cook when I first purchased the book, it took some time for me to begin to soak up the facts and wisdom contained in it's pages - just as it takes a slab of ribs some time to absorb the spices in the mild seasoning mix (recipe on page 171) and then marinade in it's own juices. In both cases the time and effort were well rewarded.

Compared to John and the other great Bar-B-Q masters who have contributed to the book, I am still a novice. However, last week after I took my most recent ribs out of the cooker, our housekeeper tasted one. Her eyes lit up and a smile filled her face. As she looked at me she said, "Look out Mr. Willingham."

Because of John's book my home is now frequently filled with friends enjoying the food, fun and fellowship called Bar-B-Q. Thanks John! Because of your book now I know I can and I do (see poem on page 41). Your father would be proud of you!! Someday I hope to be able to return the favor.

Bobby Arnold "Lake Cavalier" Mississippi