Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling

New York Times Bestseller

NAMED A BEST COOKBOOK BY Serious Eats • Christopher Kimball • Chicago Tribune • BBC • Wired • Epicurious • Leite's Culinaria • Food & Wine

For succulent results every time, nothing is more crucial than understanding the science behind the interaction of food, fire, heat, and smoke. This is the definitive, myth-busting guide to the concepts, methods, equipment, and accessories of barbecue and grilling. The founder and editor of the world's most popular BBQ and grilling website, AmazingRibs.com, and a BBQ Hall of Fame member, “Meathead” Goldwyn applies the latest research to backyard cooking and 118 thoroughly tested recipes in his masterpiece on the science of barbecue and grilling.

He explains why dry brining is better than wet brining; how marinades really work; why rubs shouldn't have salt in them; how heat and temperature differ; the importance of digital thermometers; why searing doesn't seal in juices; how salt penetrates but spices don't; when charcoal beats gas and when gas beats charcoal; how to calibrate and tune a grill or smoker; how to keep fish from sticking; cooking with logs; the strengths and weaknesses of the new pellet cookers; tricks for rotisserie cooking; why cooking whole animals is a bad idea, which grill grates are best;and why beer-can chicken is a waste of good beer and nowhere close to the best way to cook a bird.

He shatters the myths that stand in the way of perfection. Busted misconceptions include:

• Myth: Bring meat to room temperature before cooking. Busted! Cold meat attracts smoke better.

• Myth: Soak wood before using it. Busted! Soaking produces smoke that doesn't taste as good as dry fast-burning wood.

• Myth: Bone-in steaks taste better. Busted! The calcium walls of bone have no taste and they just slow cooking.

• Myth: You should sear first, then cook. Busted! Actually, that overcooks the meat. Cooking at a low temperature first and searing at the end produces evenly cooked meat.

Lavishly designed with hundreds of illustrations and full-color photos by the author, this barbecue cookbook contains all the sure-fire recipes for traditional American favorites and many more outside-the-box creations. You'll get recipes for all the great regional barbecue sauces; rubs for meats and vegetables; Last Meal Ribs, Simon & Garfunkel Chicken; Schmancy Smoked Salmon; The Ultimate Turkey; Texas Brisket; Perfect Pulled Pork; Sweet & Sour Pork with Mumbo Sauce; Whole Hog; Steakhouse Steaks; Diner Burgers; Prime Rib; Brazilian Short Ribs; Rack Of Lamb Lollipops; Huli-Huli Chicken; Smoked Trout Florida Mullet –Style; Baja Fish Tacos; Lobster, and many more.

"Readers will be delighted to learn that a man who willingly calls himself Meathead can still be trusted with a collection that has science in the subtitle. Goldwyn, whose day job is running the website amazingribs.com, explores the complexity of heat, meat, and smoke in the first half of his book, with a sense of humor sharper than his nickname suggests and a stack of scientific research provided by physicist Greg Blonder. Then he offers more than 100 recipes to take to the grill...[an] excellent guidebook." - Publishers Weekly