Customer Reviews

Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures and Glazes

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book contains TONS of recipes for marinades, brines, etc etc. I have tried several recipes but none of them have "wow-ed" me. Overall I'd have to say the recipes give an average taste, but I have yet to discover anything spectacular in this book. There is quite a lot of information on what affects marinades, cures, rubs etc and how they work, which I found interesting and very informative.

While grill chefs will be very happy with this book, it has a broad appeal for all cooks. Take poultry. Poultry is actually more difficult to cook well then most beginning cooks realize. It is easy to overcook and dry out chicken, undercook and deliver unplesantly bloody chicken or just end up with bland results. This book provides the key to solve those problems through .....marinades, rubs, brines, cures and glazes. All of these methods can be used prior to or in conjunction with standard indoor cooking techniques. Try a brine before preparing your next pork chop in any manner

What I particularly appreciate it that the author takes the time to explain the reason the techniques work. He clarifies what can and cannot be expected from each technique clearing up much confusion on these top ics.The presentation of this material is easy to understand and informative. People who enjoy Alton Brown will enjoy this aspect of the book.


If you like, however, you can skip this material and go directly to the recipes. The recipe section is full of spice and herb combinations that are novel and imaginative, and that is coming from someoe who owns nearly 100 cookbooks.

Darn good buy.

I have ALL the Raichlen books and quite a few other BBQ and grilling classics / how-to's etc.

Jim is not only a fascinating read from a food history / science point of view, but his recipes are very do-able, and delicious. Granted, I'm the kind of BBQ geek that reads these books cover-to-cover like a novel. But even the most avid BBQ addict falls into a rut, relying on the same old batch of rub and tried-and-true classics.

Tarantino's book inspires you to want to try new things. It would serve a newbie outdoor (or even indoor) chef well, but I recommend it most to the seasoned Griller / BBQer who has become lazy and needs some fresh ideas.

In my pilgrimage from menu designer to food photographer to gourmet cook (not there yet), I recently found myself in audience with a restaurateur in Bay St. Louis, Miss., who is passionate about marinades, and I realized my ignorance on the subject. I have been buying bottled marinades, following the directions on the bottle, and cooking easy meals.
So I ordered Tarantino's book. I now see my ignorance is vaster than previously suspected. This book won't fix it all, but it is an essential text.
Read the early "Tools & Techniques" chapter before tackling any of the hundreds of recipes. I didn't, and paid a salty-tasting price for impatiently putting pork in brine at 55 degrees rather than the recommended 40 degrees. The author points out that it takes as long for the brine to cool as it does to prepare, and explains the reason for the recommended temperature. Plan your timeline. You may need to start preparations Friday night for a Saturday supper.
The recipes are grouped into six sections:
Basic Recipes & Ingredient Themes
The American South & Southwest
Latin America & the Caribbean
The Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, & North Africa
Asia
Tarantino introduces each section with a "Pantry" list of ingredients it is hand to have on hand, and a "Special Ingredients" glossary, describing some items with such details as source, preparation, use, taste and storage.
There is a good bibliography and index.
Here's something I didn't find:
After I soaked the pork loin in "Basic Brine for Pork and Poultry" for six to eight hours, how do I cook it?
The recipes get you through the cold prep part of the process, but then you're on your own.
This is an inexpensively produced book with no photos or illustrations, but plenty of room to write notes in the margins. I uploaded a photo I made of Smoked Salmon with Tangerine-Pink Peppercorn Marinade. There were strong flavors--quite tasty.

This is an excellent resource for both the beginner or experienced bbq fan. It lists a wide variety of processes for excellent food off the grill or in the oven. The play with peppers and firey spices in the Latin American section is especially nice. Great book. I highly recommend it.

I bought this for my dad for xmas two years ago, and after eating many delicious items that he noted were recipes from this book, I had to buy it for myself as well....This is an excellent addition to my cookbook collection!

I used to just grab whatever was in the fridge and spice rack and make up stuff when I grilled, but this book has much better ideas. There are rubs and brines of every sort in this book and it is organized by cuisine type, (Mediterranean, Asian, etc) which makes it easy to match flavors with the rest of the meal.

This is a great informational book on what each ingredient (spices , seasonings and jucies) does to the meat and taste. Has an abundance of great recipes. Has a lot of info on cook times and how different meats should be cooked. I'm a BBQ fanatic and consider myself a grill specialist (not quite a Master yet). I think this book will give me the knowledge to push my grilling to a competitive level. "Watch out for DIGGLER'S Meat"

This is a well thought out and complete guide.I like the idea that it has a section that tells you everything you need to have in your pantry in order to make good use of the many recipes.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm not so sure I like how it is organized as it is broken down into regions for recipes. I think it would be better to group by marinades, rubs, etc. vs. spreading them out by region. Otherwise, you will love this book. It hasn't failed me yet. Lots of applications.