BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes from All Across America

Customer Reviews

Making a good grillmaster great

It is obvious from reading some of the reviews that this book goes beyond most peoples comfort level with a grill. And thats the point. If your idea of grilling is tossing a burger or chicken breast on the coals for dinner, then this book will overwhelm you. If however, you are already a fairly accomplished grill jockey, and are truly interested in the sport, then it is an outstanding encyclopedia of recipes, techniques and history, to educate and expand your horizons. I highly recommend that you first read "How to Grill", which goes into great detail on all of the nuances of advanced grilling techniques, and is perfect to introduce the reader to mops, sauces, wood chips etc. BBQ USA is not for the beginner, but for the intermediate grill jockey. It blew me away!!. I have cooked several recipes, and in true Raichlen fashion, they are showstoppers!.

For the BBQ enthusiast

I very rarely read cookbooks from cover to cover, especially those the size of BBQ USA, but this is one I couldn't put down. A thorough mix of recipes, restaurants and BBQ lore this is more than a cookbook, it is a culinary history of America.
You may be wondering why you should buy this book, especially if you already own some of Raichlen's other books. (Barbecue Bible, How To Grill, etc.) This book has two advantages over his previous books.
First, this book is about barbecuing as much as it is about grilling. In his typical manner the author does cover techniques for how to grill just about any food that can hit the plate. This is interesting but I am just not sure that I need that many grilled dishes. Instead I like to work on the art form that is American BBQ - taking a worthless hunk of meat and through the judicious application of smoke and fire turning it into a scrumptious meal that will draw friends and neighbors to you backyard. This book finally has a good coverage of traditional American BBQ. For example, this book has five recipes for pulled pork. Each one is a regional variation with different ingredients and cooking methods. There is good discussion on the benefits of each of these variations leaving the home cook with information that he can use to create his own recipe. You will find the same thorough treatment given to ribs, brisket, etc.
Second, this book is about the USA. Now I don't mean to be ameri-centric but BBQ is one of those things that is part of our national personality. Our BBQ shacks and backyard pit masters are a part of our heritage, a heritage that should be appreciated and passed on. BBQ USA is a storehouse of the history, importance and meaning of BBQ to those who make it and those who eat it. It is a call to get together with friends and share time over good food and good conversation.
By the way, this book is not an introduction to grilling. If that is what you are looking for try How To Grill.

Great Barbeque Guide and Regional Recipe Book

BBQ USA is an awesome guide to barbeque throughout the United States (and even a few places outside of the US). This book highlights what is similiar and what is different about how people barbeque in different regions. Organized by food type (ex. beef, poultry, fish, etc) the guide gives various examples of how a food would be handled in different areas. Ribs may be, for example, done with: dry rubs, marinades, smoked, rotisserie, boiled, or jerked, just depending on where you go. This by-food-type organization is a boon to the barbequer who may catch a good deal on a particular food at the store, but isn't sure what they want to do with it.

The discussions of regional barbeque is fascinating. With some pictures thrown in of restaurants and barbeque stops around the country, this is not just a recipe book, but a tour of the US through a different lense. The fact that there are a whopping 425 recipes for barbeque from around the country will keep pit-masters busy for many weekends to come. With this book in hand, there will never again be reason for any ambitious barbequer's family to complain of food boredom!

As a recipe book, this one is great. There is variety for every palate, great instructions, and helpful tips. The only thing that some may not like is that there are only a few pictures of the foods in the recipes. Given the size of this tome, with it's 425 recipes, this is understandable. For the new barbequer who needs pictures, or to those that just prefer them, a better book might be Steven Raichlens' "How to Grill", which gives awesome instructions in equipment, technique, and beautiful glossy photos on every page.