BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes from All Across America (Paperback)

~ Steven Raichlen (Author)
Key Phrases: smoker pouch, direct grilling, run the grill, Kansas City, United States, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Raichlen's 24th tome falls firmly into the quirky camp of his Beer Can Chicken, with its mixed-grill of recipes, barbecue tips, food history and restaurant profiles. While the chapters are essentially broken down by main ingredient ("Going Whole Hog," "Sizzling Shellfish"), each entry is branded with the city from which it is borrowed: "The Pittsburgh airport was the last place I expected to find superlative roast beef" begins a typical entry. At times, the attention to geography (and photos of bbq joints) is used to fine effect, especially in the appetizer chapter, where chicken-wing variations from Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville and Buffalo are laid out for easy comparison. But at other times the locale is superfluous. New York City is no more the place for Tarragon Chicken Paillards than landlocked Dayton is for Fennel-Grilled Shrimp. Classic BBQ joints, such as Wilber's in Goldsboro, N.C., are profiled along the way, and succinct, interesting history lessons on various styles of barbecue (Memphis, Kansas City, etc.) are served up. Cooking tips are provided in the margins of nearly every other page, with more space given to larger projects, such as how to barbecue a whole hog. The 650 photos are of various chefs, eateries, markets and fresh produce, rather than what is coming off the grill.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA is his best book yet. It is the quintessential guide to the easy and unexpected ulture of barbecue."
—Bobby Flay, author of Bobby Flay Cooks American and Boy Meets Grill

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Product Details

• Paperback: 784 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (April 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761120157
• ISBN-13: 978-0761120155
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,301 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How do you top The BBQ Bible?, July 7, 2003

By	H. Row "in1ear" (Arvada, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Just write BBQ USA! Raichlen traveled the WORLD in search of BBQ recipes (over 500!) in The Barbecue Bible. I graduated from burgers, steaks and grilled chicken breasts to Tandoori Chicken, Thai, and how to grill a whole fish ifrom the 556 pages!
So, again, how do you top the definitive work on open fire cooking? BBQ USA! 774 PAGES of over 425 recipes from all over the US, INCLUDING THE comprehensive history of BBQ in the US thanks to KC Masterpiece originator, Dr. Rich Davis. There are pages and pages of biographical info on BBQ icons and institutions in the United States and even one recipe from Canada! And more pictures.
I personally feel that even as a novice, you actually could pick up this huge volume and begin almost anywhere, any recipe and be successful. The book covers the basics in the beginning chapter. Choosing and using grills and accessories and even includes basic and more advanced techniques to grilling. You'll probably see someone disagree with that statement. I defy the naysayers to name a better bbq book WRITER. Raichlen may not be in front of PBS, or Food network cameras as much as Hirsch, Flay, et al. Steven Raichlen just writes the most comprehensive books on BBQ anywhere!
I must also mention a trend I've noticed in some other cookbook writers (some very well known) that are releasing cookbooks that rearrange recipes from their previous books and call them new and sell them based on their well known names. I looked through the indexes of BBQ Bible and compared it to BBQ USA. There are no or none that I could find repeats that appear in both books.
One other thing we as Americans can be proud of is our BBQ!
God Bless our Troops
I enjoyed this book, not only for the great food recipes but the great stories and history presented. If I were stuck on a deserted island with just my Weber and Raichlen's books on BBQ, I wouldn't want to be rescued.
John Row

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What A BBQ Guide Should Be, May 24, 2004

By	rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Want more out of BBQ? This is surefire one stop source! 774 pages of BBQ source that is, with info and recipes and techniques and history, with all the regional tricks and traditions covered, explained and recipes provided.

There is grillin under bricks, on a rotisserie, in a pit, smoked, and rubbed and pulled and flamed seared, with hog or beef or oysters,corn, beans, even meatloaf. Then there's brats and burgers and every fixin that goes so well with these.
They're all here. This is truly a source for them all. One doesn't have to travel all over to discover them, just pick and choose on a BBQ journey around the country cooking through this one. Or if you desire to visit a site or region, this even provides the places and addresses to find personally.

I like to try different stuff that I've never had before, so for me thus far I've tried: "Alabam BBQ Chickens with White BBQ Sauce." Who has ever heard of WhiteBBQ? But this is soo good! The horseradish, vinegar sauce is a hit, a triple at least! Also into the ribs, so a marinated in apple cider, with a "Magic Dust" rub really caught my eye and mouth, and you've just got to try the "Apple City Championship Ribs". And finally, a Tuna "London Broil" with Wasabi Cream Sauce. This is fantastic dish with a dry rub, and the contrasty taste of seared tuna with cream sauce is rich and superb, even for squeamish sushi avoiders. And what BBQ is there without dessert, say "Smoked Alaska." This is a treat, not as hard as one would think.

This is such a thorough book it will take many years of grilling to explore all its varieties and offerings, but many of us will and should! There is outstanding bibliography and sources. Join in the fun!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't find a better BBQ book out there!, July 18, 2005

By	Steven (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Wow! What a piece of work this book is!

Upon first receiving this book I was slightly dismayed. I took a quick stroll through, observing the layout and I was less then impressed. That is - until I really sat down and started reading. There may not be pretty pictures of the dish results, nor are there pictures of how to prepare each dish step by step, what there is however, is a giant tome of BBQ greatness and a whole lot of history with each recipe.

I really enjoy this book because it's not just another recipe book. The book starts out by teaching you the history of American BBQ. There are epic pictures peppered throughout this book showing the real BBQ culture. Author Steve Raichlen shares some of his personal stories, like this story about a really tough salmon bake where he had to feed roughly 600 people... but how he did it is truly obscene - it's great!

Do you cook BBQ for breakfast? (not including camping trips)
Are you tired of the plain ol' burger, chicken and steak meals?
Do you enjoy BBQ so much that you want to start learning every single aspect of it?
Does your wife think you hate her cooking because you BBQ so much?

If you answered yes to the above questions then this book is for you.