Weber's Charcoal Grilling: The Art of Cooking with Live Fire

This book is the bible of barbeque. The true definition of barbeque has been lost over time due to convenient changes in grilling technology. It is really defined as: "a rack to hold meat for cooking over hot charcoal usually out of doors." It is important to note that it says "charcoal" and not propane! This book delves deep into the world of charcoal and cooking with it. I purchased this book as a source of recipes for my charcoal grill. I found the beginning of the book has absolutely no recipes in it, but is the most valuable section of the book. It deals with how to cook with various types of charcoal, how to regulate heat, different methods of cooking, smoking, and other tips that are crucial to barbeque success. Like the title suggests, cooking with charcoal is an art! I have found over the years that what separates a casual preparer of food and a good cook is having a handful of tips and tricks in the kitchen. This book is packed with patio tips and tricks for the BBQ artist in training. Do you know how to deal with rubs that contain mostly sugar? What if the rub is completely dry? When do I apply my BBQ sauce? How can I avoid drying out my meat when cooking it? How can I get different temperatures on my charcoal grill? Am I marinating too long? These are questions you may be asking or SHOULD be asking yourself. This book answers them all and much more. On to the other 90% of the book: the recipes. The recipes are complete, detailed, and mind-blowing. You will find that many great barbeque recipes are simple, but a couple gourmet touches and techniques set them apart. Each recipe will carefully tell you how to prepare the food and most importantly how to cook it. These recipes are not simply: "rub with these spices, throw on grill for 5 minutes per side." It tells you how to deal with different sized cuts of meat, temperature of the grill, and everything that goes into making it right. You will be even more impressed when you try some of the DESSERTS in this book! The pictures in this book are amazing. Do not torture a loved one by purchasing this book for them to celebrate a winter holiday knowing they cannot possibly barbeque in that weather. You can't even get past the instructional section on how to arrange charcoal without firing up your grill and tasting one of these delicious looking recipes. The only criticism of this book is that it may lack a volume of recipes. This is due to the full page color picture that normally accompanies a recipe. Personally, I feel this is the right amount of recipes. Barbeque is a specific cooking method which is the focus of this cookbook. This "art" is so well covered that any recipe you may already have for outdoor grilling will be enhanced by this book. This book has a section on rubs and sauces that can be applied to numerous meats, multiplying your possibilities. Even propane grillers can benefit from the recipes in the book. (Although, they may exchange their grilling equipment because of

This book is the latest book from Jamie Purviance. or Weber's Real Grilling - you should definitely ad those books to your wishlist. I would recommend buying Weber's Big Book of Grilling at the same time as this one, because that book does a better job of providing more "general recipes" - but this book could also stand on its own. Here's what this book has that other books in the genre don't: 1. Instructions on how to manage the fire in your charcoal grill 2. Excellent images of every recipe 3. Instructions (with excellent photos) on how to grill the best turkey you've ever had in your life Sprinkled throughout this book are some stories of "Charcoal Fanatics" - and recipes from those fanatics. These stories are intersting to read, as they contain helpful tips and excellent recipes. He has interviewed championship-winning grillers and BBQer's and gotten them to both smile for the camera and spill their secrets. This book goes beyond merely grilling and begins to address the topic of BBQ on the Weber 2820 Smokey Mountain Cooker/Smoker - including detailed instructions on how to fire it. It has excellent recipe's for Brisket, Tri-tip, Steaks, Turkey, Chicken, Duck, Burgers, Sauces, Rubs, and just about everything else you might want. It also has tons of seafood recipes, but I don't pay attention to those recipes as I don't like seafood. In short, you should buy this book if you own a charcoal grill (or are planning to own one) and want to grill more than just burgers and hot dogs. Some of the best tasting meals that cook for several hours over indirect heat are actually less involved than cooking burgers - since you never have to flip them or turn them - but the results are amazing. Following the techniques in this book, and using the recipes it contains, you can quickly gain a reputation of being the best grillmaster around... and you will no doubt be drawin into want to buy a Smokey Mountain after reading some of the amazing things you can do with it too.

What makes not only a good cookbook but a great one? Compose a list of features that Jamie Purviance includes in WEBER"S CHARCOAL GRILLING and you'll have a complete answer. Purviance's books are the only well-thumbed cookbooks on my wide shelf of his competitors', grilling or not, and this one will be shop-worn (not shelf-worn) in just a few weeks. (In fact, I may toss a few of those pretenders to make way for the Purviance library!) The recipes he researches are explained and organized; most importantly, they are accurate. One matter often overlooked in such books is the writing style, perhaps because most cookbooks are so terrible at crafting readable prose. But Purviance's books are exceptional; the brief introductions and biographies are clear, fluid, and welcome additions. Purviance's short essay on how he was first introduced to charcoal grilling at a youth camp cookout brought a tear to my eye. When did a cookbook last do that for you, unless you were peeling onions at the time? WEBER'S CHARCOAL GRILLING doesn't skimp on showing you exactly what the final product looks like either. Tim Turner's photography is excellent. Weber has another winning cookbook in its library. Buy it.