Weber's New American Barbecue

Book excerpt: Grilling’s leading brand “take[s] barbecue beyond its Southern tradition of long, slow cooking of ribs and roasts and push[es] it into new territory” (Smooth magazine). The standard definition of American barbecue doesn’t do it justice. Traditional barbecue, in all its delicious glory, is a foundation—an idea to be built upon. And all across the country, home grillers and restaurant chefs alike are doing just that. In this big melting-pot of a nation, we all bring something different to the table—flavors, spices, perspectives—and each time we do, the meaning of barbecue changes a little. Through stories and essays, hundreds of photos, crystal-clear techniques, and 100 exceptional and fool-proof recipes, Weber’s New American Barbecue™ celebrates what’s happening at the grill today. From chefs creating new classics to everyday backyard heroes melding flavors to pitmasters setting new standards of excellence at competitions, this book explores the delicious evolution of our true American pastime—barbecue. “‘New’ is emphasized here, in essays on Chicago’s evolving barbecue restaurant scene, the South’s ‘Nouveau ’Cue’ chefs and Korean barbecue of Los Angeles. The recipes are as global as America today.”—Chicago Tribune “Rather than rehashing barbecue recipes that have already been done to death, Purviance sought out fresh takes on cooking meat with fire . . . It’s nice to get more than a couple recipes for grilled and smoked seafood, and this book delivers there, but the best thing is that these recipes all have an originality to them. There are no throwaway recipes in here.”—Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly