Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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 :)

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!

Let's face it I got too manny books on BBQ. A lot of books on BBQ are re-hashes of what others have written mostly better. Like old wine in new bottles as the saying goes.
Along comes Gary who in five lessons describes extremely well what true BBQ is all about. There are many writers who believe hat one would not know the difference between gas and charcoal; but not our Gary. Myself having used both types I agree with Gary absolutely.
Although only five meals are cooked (all meat-no fish) a lot of information is given on all sorts of items which are part and parcel of the five lessons and beyond.
Everything is hands on and our teacher certainly does not get carried away using high-tech stuff. The emphasis is on feel which comes by way of experience. A very important grasp.
None of this Champion cook-off stuff and boasting about it, or hoping for us learners to find the magic bullet from some Hawayan shirted fool or half wit uncle Pete, as he calls them.
It is a fine book which will definetely lead to very good BBQ if one makes the effort as he explains it.
Of the many books I have few are so good that they drive you to go and do the cooking. This is one of them if you are prepared to do the work to be good at BBQ. I would not miss it. Again and again I come back to this book. The more I BBQ the more I realize how good the informations are. Although I use BGE's I have no problems adopting to the recipes. The book is down to earth and Gary conveys his love and knowledge of the LOW and Slow cooking very well.
An absolute must for serious BBQ

This guy walks you thru the barbequing process like a drill sargent at a Marine Boot Camp. But when it's over you'll be glad you did it his way!
The book is all about the technique of smoking (on a Weber Smoky Mountain (best), or Kettle, or any type of smoker), but it has lots of recipes too.
Why go thru all the hassle of experimenting with different times, amounts of wood or charcoal, or opening and closing vents, when this guy has done it all for you, eliminating 95% of the guess work!
The book is hardly the price of a slab of ribs anyway, so just buy it!

Gary Wiviott's "LOW & SLOW" should be required reading with every smoker sold. Prof. Wiviott has been there, made the mistakes, learned from them and now passes on his experience and knowledge. Do what he says, because he has done it and knows it works, and you will turn out real Barbecue. The book is a complete walk thru on learning true Barbecue. Do it and you will be doing it right. Plus there is the added bonus of recipes that taste good. This author knows food, prepares food, and shares it all. I have no hesitation in a full reccommendation of "LOW & SLOW."

Well, I guess I'm going to have to apologize to Gary Wiviott! When I first got this book, I was turned off by what I perceived as his condescending tone, his know-it-all approach and his waste of charcoal. After going through the first four "lessons" in the book, I now realize that this book flat out WORKS for preparing fantastic BBQ! I prepared spare ribs yesterday following his instructions and recipes and they received rave reviews from my family. A couple of weeks ago, I prepared baby back ribs that were better than anything I've ever had in any restaurant! My chicken BBQ been great too!

Sorry Gary Wiviott! I was wrong, you were right!

For anyone who is not already aware, the book is organized as a series of 5 lessons in making great BBQ. The lessons were originally created for the fantastic Weber Smokey Mountain smoker and were published for free on his web site. This year, Gary expanded the lessons to include directions for an offset smoker and for a kettle grill. He also added numerous excellent recipes for various rubs, washes, marinades, and sauces as well as side dishes and recipes for using the leftovers. The only thing he doesn;t cover is brisket, but once you master the techniques he teaches, you won't have any trouble with brisket.

My next cook will be the pulled pork cooking a Boston butt roast. Based on my experience with the chicken and ribs, the pork butt is going to turn out great!

I have a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker, a Weber Kettle grill and a Weber gas grill. I have only followed the instructions for the Smokey Mountain. So, i can't comment on his other instructions, but I woulod bet that they are right on as well!

When you get the book, my advice is to ignire all the blustering. Also, know that you don't have to do everything EXACTLY as he says, but you shouldn't stray too far. For example, Wiviott says to ONLY use lump charcoal. I used Kingsford regular charcoal (NOT the Matchlight) and everything has turned out great. The timing he gives is not exact, but is close enough for you to do quite well. He also deliberately has you to use too much charcoal. I realize now, that this is so that you are not changing too many variables from one cook to the next. The main difference between the cooks is the timing and the vent settings. He wants you to learn your Smoker first, and then start trying other things like optimizing your charcoal amount. so go ahead and bu extra charcoal for now. You can adjust later.

One thing to definitely follow is to use the Weber Chimney starter to start your charcoal. I have used all available methods of starting charcoal and the Weber Chimney Starter is the best method, bar none. Just follow Wiviott's instructions and use three sheets of newspaper prepared as he tells you and your charcoal starting will be fool proof.

By the way, the best price anywhere for the Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker is on Amazon!

I bought this book earlier this summer because I was starting to really understand how to use my new charcoal grill and was getting into outdoor cooking big time. Since then I've spent more time learning and perfecting my techniques for smoking food than doing just about anything else this summer!

Seriously, I'm not usually someone who gets swept up in hobbies or overly excited about anything, but after tasting the results from the first of five lessons in this book I was forever hooked! It also introduced me to the very creative and welcoming community of serious grillers and barbecuers (and no they are not the same thing at all!).

As for the book, Gary Wiviott (otherwise known as the Professor), a Chicago native and barbecue fanatic, takes his extensive knowledge and experience in preparing smoked foods and breaks it down to five lessons that will teach you how to build a proper fire (with the proper materials - no Kingsford nor lighter fluid), how to prepare your food, and how to serve it properly. He also insists, firmly, that you follow the book in order or risk "being kicked out of the program." In all seriousness though, following the lessons linearly actually teaches you very well how to controller your smoker/offset/kettle and how to "read your meat."

I would suggest this book for anyone interested or immersed in barbecuing. While the Prof. is opinionated about his views on barbecue, I think his methods and opinions help each reader/student learn in a strait forward way and develop their own tastes and preferences in how they like their food. This book is also a great way to brush up on your barbecuing knowledge if your a seasoned pro. And, at the very least, it's a great cook book!

One word of caution, once you go down the road that Prof. Wiviott has prepared in this book, you'll never come back! If your like me, and everyone I've loaned the book to or suggested to will tell you the same, you will be so hooked and obsessed with perfecting your barbecuing arts that you'll wonder how you ever considered what you did before "barbecue."

Being new to "real" barbecuing, I was looking for clear instruction on how to best use my new Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Like most of us, I had scoured the internet for information on meat preparation, rub recipes, proper heat control techniques, etc., but there was so much conflicting advice, I decided to go with one source and follow it. Gary Wiviott's "Low & Slow" was my choice, and I'm delighted that it was!

Gary's method is perfectly described and illustrated (and he's a hilarious writer, by the way)in 5 easy to follow lessons; each of which is designed to take you through the entire process of building and controlling the perfect fire, cutting the meat correctly (splitting chickens, trimming the ribs, etc.), creating a variety of spice blends and sauces, and side dish recipes, too. He even talks about how to cut your ribs before plating them for serving (yes, there are different ways.) Each lesson builds on the previous, and they are more challenging as they go. By following the 5 steps, you will soon be mastering the art of smoking chickens, ribs, and roasts like never before.

What Gary's book aims to do is to make you comfortable with the basics of barbecue: Meat, fire, and time. He helps you get a "feel" for using your Weber Smokey Mountain (or kettle grills and side smokers, if that's what you have) without over-reliance on gadgets, gizmos, and fancy formulas. It's a basic system that works. I've had some of the best barbecue of my life... right at home. It's a winner.

Most of the BBQ books that I have read, are just a collection of BBQ recipes. For me this is the best BBQ book that I have read. An excellent method that guide you on how to handle your charcoal and then guide you in preparing a BBQ chicken recipe all the way to preparing an excellent pull pork. One of the best things is that all recipes are designed depending on the capacity and type of your BBQ. One drawback is that only explain the use of three different type of smoker and that Gary is truly a fan of charcoal grilling. If you have a gas bbq, this is not the book for you. At the contrary, the recipes are all well organized and quite simple to prepare apart from the use of extremely hot ingredients and mixes of peppers. I recommend this book to everyone that want to know the secrets of preparing good smoke BBQ.