BBQ Smoker Site » BBQ Books

BBQ Book Review – Startin’ the Fire by George Hensler

BBQ Smoker — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:19:00 +0000

I love BBQ competitions. So much so that I try to make it to every Florida Bar-B-Que Association event I can. Though I don’t compete myself, I am a world class professional spectator and BBQ eater. While attending BBQ competitions, I talk to as many teams as I can, trying to catch them during down time rather than interrupting them during turn ins and such. I’ve had to learn some of the lingo they use, the schedules they keep, and other particulars by going through the motions first hand. As such, I’m sure that I have stepped on a few toes or inconvenienced a few teams in the process. This is where a book like Startin’ the Fire by George Hensler comes in so very handy. George sent me a copy to read the other day, and I feel that I am now a better BBQ spectator for having done so.

See, like professional football, it really helps to know the whys and wherefores when it comes to truly enjoying what happens at a professional barbecue competition. What schedule do the cook teams have to follow? How much time do they get to prep and cook their meats? What’s the turn in order, and when is the best time to talk with them and not get in their way? Startin’ the Fire has all of these answers as more!

George’s book also does something that I think deserves special mention here. It gives us a window into the somewhat obsessive mind of a professional competitive BBQ cook. In particular, I am speaking to George’s chapter dealing with his battle with “Chikenholism.” Like it’s somewhat better known cousin, alcoholism, chickenholism is the insatiable addiction to buying, prepping, cooking, tasting, revamping, and repeating the entire BBQ chicken cooking process. Another of my BBQ blogger colleagues did not like the chicken chapter nearly as much as I did. You can see that review here.

I have to say that I have never been a huge BBQ chicken fan, but I can relate to the desire to develop patterns and routines that result in predictable outcomes. For me, being a bit OCD anyway, it’s just best that I stick to visiting and appreciating – from a far – the adventures of the rest of you chickenholics, brisketholics, ribaholics, and porkaholics. I’d be a mess otherwise.

I appreciate Startin’ the Fire for the concentrated and yet easy going manner in which it relays what it takes to get a BBQ team up and running. George has written a nice primer on the subject, and if you have any inclination of starting up a competitive BBQ team – or if you just want to become a better BBQ competition spectator – then buy this book.

I give it two tongs up!

If you’d like to purchase a copy of this book, please visit the Startin’ the Fire website. The Startin’ the Fire Facebook Page is worthy of checking out as well. You should also read up on the exploits of the Street, MD based Who Are Those Guys? BBQ Team and visit them on the Who Are Those Guys BBQ Team Facebook Page.

10 BBQ Books Our Readers Like the Most – Updated March 2011

BBQ Smoker — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:29:41 +0000

There’s no shortage of Books on barbecue available today, which is what often makes it tough to decide which ones may be of most use. Of course varying factors go into making this kind of decision. Are you a backyard barbecue enthusiast looking to improve your basic BBQ technique? Maybe you’re in search of a good set of plans for building your own BBQ smoker? Or perhaps you’re on a BBQ cook team and you just want some insight into how you can perfect your BBQ chicken, pork, ribs, or brisket’s flavor profile.

Whatever your reasons for browsing your local bookstore shelves or sites like Amazon.com’s BBQ book section, you’ll likely take a gander at the reviews a given book has received prior to making your purchase. Why? Because knowing that others in our BBQ community find a book worthing of purchasing is a good sign that we might like it ourselves. To that end, I’ve listed the top 1o BBQ books readers of this blog have found worthing of buying from Amazon.com.

Give them a look see. You’re bound to find something to complete your collection of books on barbecue!

10 BBQ Books Our Readers Like the Most

America’s Best BBQ: 100 Recipes from America’s Best Smokehouses, Pits, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses, and Restaurantsby Ardie A. Davis and Chef Paul Kirk took the #1 spot (no surprise, there from these two Kansas City BBQ guys) with Real Barbecue: The Classic Barbecue Guide to the Best Joints Across the USA — with Recipes, Porklore, and More! by Vince Staten and Greg Johnson finishing at the #2 position. The Staten/Johnson book has always been a favorite among readers of The BBQ Smoker Site blog – especially those who are of the “build your own barbecue smoker” variety. Backyard BBQ: The Art of Smokology by Rich McPeake took the #3 spot and is a solid pick for backyard BBQ folks interested in learning some of the more intricate aspects of the art of barbecue. This is a great list for anyone looking to start up any sort of solid BBQ reference library.

I’ve also pulled together a list of BBQ videos and BBQ Accessories our readers have found most useful. Give them a look see as well. You’re bound to find something interesting!

Smokin’ with Myron Mixon: Backyard ‘Cue Made Simple from the Winningest Man in Barbecue

BBQ Smoker — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:44:30 +0000

Where the world of competitive barbecue is concerned,there is no one who’s taken more Grand Championships, World Championships, and cold hard cash for cooking straight up kick ass barbecue than than Myron Mixon. Mixon’s roots are grounded firmly in BBQ tradition. This book will help you start your own.

The secret to the best barbecue from the man who barbecues the best: Keep it simple!

In the world of competitive barbecue, nobody’s won more prize money, more trophies, or more adulation than Myron Mixon. And he comes by it honestly: From the time he was old enough to stoke a pit, Mixon learned the art of barbecue at his father’s side. He grew up to expand his parent’s sauce business, Jack’s Old South, and in the process became the leader of the winningest team in competitive barbecue. It’s Mixon’s combination of killer instinct and killer recipes that has led him to three world championships and more than 180 grand championships and made him the breakout star of TLC’s BBQ Pitmasters.

Now, for the first time, Mixon’s stepping out from behind his rig to teach you how he does it. Rule number one: People always try to overthink barbecue and make it complicated. Don’t do it! Mixon will show you how you can apply his “keep it simple” mantra in your own backyard. He’ll take you to the front lines of barbecue and teach you how to turn out ’cue like a seasoned pro. You’ll learn to cook like Mixon does when he’s on the road competing and when he’s at home, with great tips on

• the basics, from choosing the right wood to getting the best smoker or grill
• the formulas for the marinades, rubs, injections, and sauces you’ll need
• the perfect ways to cook up hog, ribs, brisket, and chicken, including Mixon’s famous Cupcake Chicken

Mixon shares more than 75 of his award-winning recipes—including one for the most sinful burger you’ll ever eat—and advice that will end any anxiety over cooking times and temps and change your backyard barbecues forever. He also fills you in on how he rose to the top of the competitive barbecue universe and his secrets for succulent success. Complete with mouth-watering photos, Smokin’ with Myron Mixon will fire you up for a tasty time.

Best BBQ Sauce Recipes for Christmas

BBQ Smoker — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:27:40 +0000

Now the biggest and the best recipe collection for the grill is getting better: Announcing the full-color edition of The Barbecue! Bible, the 900,000-copy bestseller and winner of the IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award.

Redesigned inside and out for its 10th anniversary, The Barbecue! Bible now includes full-color photographs illustrating food preparation, grilling techniques, ingredients, and of course those irresistible finished dishes. A new section has been added with answers to the most frequently asked grilling questions, plus Steven's proven tips, quick solutions to common mistakes, and more.

And then there's the literal meat of the book: more than 500 of the very best barbecue recipes, inventive, delicious, unexpected, easy-to-make, and guaranteed to capture great grill flavors from around the world. Add in the full-color, and it's a true treasure.

Build Your Own BBQ: The Steel Ugly Drum Smoker Experiment

BBQ Smoker — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:52:30 +0000

I’ve received a lot of emails with “Build Your Own BBQ“, “Build a Smoker Grill“, or “Build a Steel Drum BBQ Smoker” in the title. Previous responses I’ve given have referenced the Big Baby Smoker, which I still consider an amazing example of DIY BBQ Smoker ingenuity.

However, there is another DIY Smoker out there, the “Ugly Drum Smoker” (UDS) that is not only a little bit easier to construct, but is in use worldwide by BBQ Smoker enthusiasts – some of whom are winning cook off contests with them!

Build an Ugly Drum Smoker

The Ugly Drum BBQ Smoker is probably the most basic, yet efficient steel 55 Gallon Steel Drum smoker out there. Actually, Jim over at the Backyard Barbecuer has modified this idea down to a 15 gallon drum version that’s pretty darned nifty! Give him a buzz and I’m sure he’d be willing to share his ideas with you!

A very detailed set of Ugly Drum Smoker Plans, complete with drawings and step by step photos will soon be available. Be sure to sign up now so you’ll be notified as soon as they’re ready!

It’s been recreated by hundreds of backyard barbecue enthusiasts around the world, and has even been used to create award winning ‘cue at regional BBQ cook-off competitions! (I think even Darth Vader uses a 55 gallon drum smoker version!)

The UDS works differently from pipe-style smokers, because the heat and smoke source isn’t beside, but rather directly under the meat you’re smoking.

Some folks use water pans and diffusers to reduce the amount of direct heat that reaches the meat, but normally – the heat is managed by covering air intake holes. This is the preferred temperature control method, because it allows drippings from the meat you’re smoking to fall onto the coals and wood chips – adding to the smoke flavor.

One of the best things the UDS has going over side fed smokers is that you can load it with charcoal and wood chips, and then “set it and forget it” – allowing it to burn at a flat temperature for as many as 12 hours.

Though the UDS smoker’s thin sides keep it from retaining heat like offset smokers, it does offer a huge advantage in it’s price – which can be as little as $60 for the resourceful DIY individual.

Big Baby Double Barrel Smoker – A DIY BBQ Dream

For the money, it’s tough find a double barrel smoker plan set better than the one contained within the pages of Vince Staten and Greg Johnson’s book - Real Barbecue. Build this one and you’re sure to be the king of your neighborhood’s backyard BBQ events for years to come.

Build a Big Baby Smoker Instead!

There are a ton of resources out there on building your own BBQ smoker, especially the Ugly Drum Smoker. Of course, one of the more traditional DIY BBQ Smoker set ups folks tend to try to build is the double barrel Big Baby smoker. This book provides some basic information on how to get started building this bad boy. Interested in building your own BBQ Smoker? Then you should give this a look see.

Of course, if you’re of the mind that all of this DIY BBQ Smoker stuff is too much for your hectic schedule, I’d recommend looking into of the many electric BBQ smokers on the market. They’re efficient and remarkably easy to use and maintain!

Want news about other items purchased by member of the BBQ Smoker Site community? Be sure to check out our Popular Barbecue Books, Videos, and Accessories page.