Product Description

Steven Raichlen, a national barbecue treasure and author of The Barbecue! Bible, How to Grill, and other books in the Barbecue! Bible series, embarks on a quest to find the soul of American barbecue, from barbecue-belt classics-Lone Star Brisket, Lexington Pulled Pork, K.C. Pepper Rub, Tennessee Mop Sauce-to the grilling genius of backyards, tailgate parties, competitions, and local restaurants. In 450 recipes covering every state as well as Canada and Puerto Rico, BBQ USA celebrates the best of regional live-fire cooking. Finger-lickin' or highfalutin; smoked, rubbed, mopped, or pulled; cooked in minutes or slaved over all through the night, American barbecue is where fire meets obsession. There's grill-crazy California, where everything gets fired up - dates, Caesar salad, lamb shanks, mussels. Latin-influenced Florida, with its Chimichurri Game Hens and Mojo-Marinated Pork on Sugar Cane. Maple syrup flavors the grilled fare of Vermont; Wisconsin throws its kielbasa over the coals; Georgia barbecues Vidalias; and Hawaii makes its pineapples sing. Accompanying the recipes are hundreds of tips, techniques, sidebars, and pit stops. It's a coast-to-coast extravaganza, from soup (grilled, chilled, and served in shooters) to nuts (yes, barbecued peanuts, from Kentucky).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #882316 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 784 pages

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.

About the Author
Steven Raichlen, America's "'master griller"' (Esquire), is host of PBS's popular series Barbecue University at the Greenbrier. Bon Apptit named him Cooking Teacher of the Year (2003). Four of his five Barbecue! Bible books are Main Selections of The Good Cook club. In addition, he is author of the award-winning Miami Spice. He lives and grills--indoors and out--in Coconut Grove, Florida, and on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Pacific Northwest Planked Salmon With Mustard and Dill Sauce (page 456) Method: Grilling on a plank For the salmon: 1 salmon fillet, with or without skin (about 11/2 pounds; ideally cut from the end closest to the head; see Note) About 1 tablespoon olive oil Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper For the glaze: 1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann's) 1/3 cup Meaux (grainy French) mustard 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper You'll Also Need: 1 cedar plank (about 6 by 12 inches), soaked for 2 hours in water to cover (a rimmed baking sheet or large roasting pan works well for soaking),then drained Run your fingers over the salmon fillet, feeling for bones. Using needle-nose pliers or tweezers, pull out any you find. Rinse the salmon under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. If using salmon with skin, generously brush the skin with olive oil. If using skinless salmon, brush one side of the fish with olive oil. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the salmon on the plank, skin side down, if it has one; oiled side down if not. Make the glaze: Place the mayonnaise, mustard, dill, and lemon zest in a nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high. When ready to cook, spread the glaze mixture evenly over the top and sides of the salmon. Place the salmon on its plank in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat, and cover the grill. Cook the salmon until cooked through and the glaze is a deep golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer through the side of the salmon: The internal temperature should be about 135F. Another test is to insert a slender metal skewer in the side of the fillet for 20 seconds: It should come out very hot to the touch.Transfer the plank and fish to a heatproof platter and slice the fish crosswise into serving portions. Serve the salmon right off the plank. Yield: Serves 4Note: You can use fish fillets with or without skin-your choice. My wife finds that the skin makes the salmon taste fishy. I love it.) For that matter, the recipe works well with other rich oily fish fillets, including bluefish and pompano.St. Louis, Mo. Super Smokers Sweet and Smoky Dry Rub Ribs (page 289) Method: Indirect grilling Advance preparation: 4 hours for curing the ribs Ingredients: 4 racks baby back pork ribs (6 to 8 pounds total) 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 1 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea) 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce, for serving You'll also need: 2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably apple), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained; rib rack Remove the thin, papery membrane from the back of each rack of ribs: Turn a rack meat side down. Insert a sharp implement, such as the tip of a meat thermometer, under the membrane (the best place to start is right next to the first rib bone). Using a dishcloth or pliers to gain a secure grip, pull off the membrane. Repeat with the remaining racks.Place the ribs on baking sheets. Place the brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl and stir to mix well. (Actually your fingers work better for mixing a rub than a spoon or whisk does.) Sprinkle this rub all over the ribs on both sides, patting it onto the meat with your fingertips. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and let cure in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 23 for gas or page 22 for charcoal) and preheat to medium.If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center, preheat the grill to medium, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. When ready to cook, using a rubber spatula, scrape the excess rub off the ribs. Place the ribs, preferably on a rib rack, in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the ribs until tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.When the ribs are done, they'll be handsomely browned and the meat will have shrunk back about 1/4 inch from the ends of the bones. Transfer the cooked ribs to a platter or cutting board. Serve them as whole racks, cut the racks into pieces, or carve them into individual ribs. Serve them with the St. Louis-style barbecue sauce. Yield: Serves 4 really hungry people or 8 folks with average appetitesDr Pepper Barbecue Sauce (page 376) Ingredients: 1 large juicy lemon 1 clove garlic, peeled and lightly crushed with the side of a cleaver 1 thin (1/4-inch) slice onion 1 cup Dr Pepper 3/4 cup ketchup 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons A.1. steak sauce 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce, or more to taste 1 tablespoon cider vinegar,or more to taste 1 teaspoon liquid smoke 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Coarse salt (kosher or sea) Cut the lemon in half cross wise and cut a 1/4-inch slice off of one half. Remove any seeds in this slice. Juice the remaining lemon: You should have 2 to 3 tablespoons juice. Place the lemon slice, 2 table spoons of the lemon juice, and the garlic, onion slice, Dr Pepper, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke, and pepper in a heavy nonreactive saucepan and gradually bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a gentle simmer. Let the sauce simmer gently until thick and richly flavored, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice, hot sauce, and/or vinegar as necessary and seasoning with salt to taste, if desired.Strain the sauce into a bowl (or clean glass jars) and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until serving. The sauce will keep for several months in the refrigerator.Bring to room temperature before serving. Yield: Makes about 2 cupsBuffalo, N.Y. Buffa-que Wings (page 73) Method: Indirect grilling Advance preparation: 4 to 12 hours for marinating the wings For the wings and marinade: 16 whole chicken wings (about 31/2 pounds) 1/2 cup Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea) 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper For the mop sauce: 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter 1/2 cup Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce For serving: Blue Cheese Sauce or dressing 4 ribs celery, rinsed and cut into thirds lengthwise, then cut crosswise into roughly 3-inch sticks You'll also need: 1 1/2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or oak), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained Rinse the chicken wings under cold running water and blot them dry with paper towels. Cut the tips off the wings and discard them (or leave the tips on if you don't mind munching a morsel that's mostly skin and bones). Cut each wing into 2 pieces through the joint. Make the marinade: Whisk together the hot sauce, lemon juice, oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large nonreactive mixing bowl. Stir in the wing pieces and let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 to 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning the wings several times so that they marinate evenly. Make the mop sauce: Just before setting up the grill, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir in the hot sauce. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center, preheat the grill to medium, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. When ready to cook, drain the marinade off the wings and discard the marinade. Brush and oil the grill grate. Place the wings in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat, and cover the grill. Cook the wings until the skin is crisp and golden brown and the meat is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes.During the last 10 minutes, start basting the wings with some of the mop sauce.Transfer the grilled wings to a shallow bowl or platter and pour the remaining mop sauce over them. Serve with the blue cheese sauce and celery for dipping and of course plenty of paper napkins and cold beer. Yield: Makes 32 piecesNOTE: ALL RECIPES FROM BBQ USA by STEVEN RAICHLEN. EACH RECIPE REPRINTED OR POSTED ONLINE MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING CREDIT-- Recipe from BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen Copyright 2003 by Steven Raichlen All rights reserved. Used by permission of Workman Publishing.

Customer Reviews

A Taste of BBQ - History and BBQ on Your Plate.
Very good book with tons of recipies and bbq side notes. If you can't find a recipie for what you want to cook in this book ,then you better take a closer look at what your eating. Most of the recipies are copies that he comes up with of other bbq'ers works, but Raichlen gives a good variety of the different types of bbqing there is for people to try. For the person new to BBQ, there's Carolina bbq, Texas bbq, Kansas City bbq, Asian bbq, Carrabean bbq etc., all found in this book with unique flavours and very tasty recipies. Raichlen shows his love for bbq in his extensive research and effort to make this book. While slow cooking your food, you'll find out how tabassco sauce was made, or read about how the philly cheese steak was created, or better yet, about an old time bbqer who made a living out of selling pulled pork from a shed.

If you pick up this book, and one of Paul Kirk's, then your off to a very very good start. You won't need another bbq book ever again.

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.

What A BBQ Guide Should Be
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!