Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons [Paperback]

Gary Wiviott (Author), Colleen Rush (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2009

Step away from the propane tank. Surrender all of your notions about barbecue. Forget everything you've ever learned about cooking with charcoal and fire. It is all wrong. Get it right with the "Five Easy Lessons" program, which includes over 130 recipes and step-by-step instructions for setting up and cooking low and slow on a Weber Smokey Mountain, an offset smoker, or a kettle grill.

This program is guided by a singular philosophy: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Do exactly as Gary says, don't even think about opening the lid before it's time, and you will learn:

• What gear you do and, more importantly, don’t need
• Exactly how to start and maintain a proper fire (without lighter fluid)
• All about marinades, brines, and rubs
• To use your senses and trust your instincts (instead of thermometers)
• How to make delicious, delicious barbecue

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Wiviott is a barbecue life coach. From the popular online tutorial that started it all to his lively cooking demonstrations and teaching diehards how to set up a smoker in Chicago’s notoriously brutal winter weather, he is committed to spreading the gospel of low and slow barbecue. He is no stranger to the most popular national barbecue forums and food communities, including TheSmokeRing.com, Slow Food USA, and the Society for the Preservation of Traditional Southern Barbecue. Gary is also the founder of LTHForum.com, the Chicago-based culinary chat site.

Colleen Rush is the author of The Mere Mortal’s Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas (Broadway, 2006). She knew very little (okay, nothing) about barbecue before meeting Gary—thought nothing of using lighter fluid—but has since reformed her ways and makes a damn fine pulled pork sandwich.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762436093
• ISBN-13: 978-0762436095
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Outdoor Cooking > Barbecuing & Grilling

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Read with great patience and tempered expectations, and your purchase will be justified, August 7, 2010

By 

Mike S. in Texas - See all my reviews

This review is from: Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons (Paperback)

Wivott's book has useful information and is a valuable introductory text, making it a wise purchase with your first smoker; however, I have to agree that the condescension and unyielding purist approach are unjustified. You will definitely save yourself time learning how to start and operate a decent fire, but Wivott sanctimoniously offers merely one of many schools of thought on cooking while demanding complete reverence, and the recipes contained within really aren't a religious experience, they're just pretty good. Add to that the limited scope (a previous reviewer was correct, the book contains about five basic recipes), and the clear dominance of Wivott's palate throughout, and the book is simply an okay guide, nothing more. It is a good place to start if you are new to barbeque, and a great place to start if you've never cooked in your life. Unfortunately, it's written only for the latter. It would be easy to dismiss my thoughts as a reader who simply "didn't get it," but I honestly don't think that's the case. As a teacher, Wivott tries to save the reader many of the lessons he has learned the hard way by insisting we do it right every time, straight from the beginning, with proper technique and without asking questions. I just happen to think barbeque should be a fun, organic experience, and so should the learning curve. I hated taking piano lessons as a child, which is unfortunate, because that is exactly what this feels like.

A final technical note: I purchased Low & Slow after buying the largest Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, but the only model in production when the book was written was the 18.5" version. With as specific as the instructions in the book are, if using the 22.5" WSM, you'll find you already have to vary from the program.

42 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Instant Classic, June 7, 2009

By 

Uncle Fester (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons (Paperback)

I buy far too many cook books. I have everything from the Cooks Illustrated line-up to some Food Network/ PBS shows, etc.

This has to be the best instructional cook book I have read.

This book is not a sum total of recipes, nor is it a compilation of how the technique was developed... It is a lesson plan. It is very much a course in how to barbecue and after you have learned each lesson you will truly know how to read what is going on with your fire and food.

You won't have to go search a website to find out the amount of time you should leave ribs on and at what temperature. You won't have to purchase some digital thermometer or fancy temp control. No more guessing, speculating, or making things much more difficult than they need to be.

After all, should barbecue be that difficult? This is the book that will teach you how, it will give you the skills. You can use this with a weber smokey mountain, an offset, or... a kettle grill!

Now, there are also some great recipes in the book to boot! You'll learn some flavorful marinades and you'll learn the basics of a marinade so that you can whip one up from scratch! The same with brines and with rubs! Being able to create these things successfully from scratch is what separates the ok bbq'er from the great and confident one.

There is also a whole section on what to do with leftovers. I had some smoked chicken left over and used one of the recipes... now I smoke the chicken just to make left overs. By the way, it is the best chicken I've bbq'ed. And it is so fast and easy now that I've done it a couple times.

I can't say enough good things about this book! It is a steal for the price, GET IT!

On a side note, it is really damn fun to work your way through the lessons as well :)

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book, May 13, 2009

By 

C. Ewald - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Low & Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons (Paperback)

Wow...this book is awesome. I never really knew how to use a smoker, and this book is the bomb with easy to understand instructions. The best smoked meat I've ever had is now what I cook! There are also fabulous recipes for sauces, sides and so much more! This book would make a great Father's Day gift, but I bought one just for me!