Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue

April 15, 2004
Kirk (Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue Sauces) has won more than 400 awards at barbecue competitions across the country; here he shares the secrets of his success. Unlike Steven Raichlen in his popular series on outdoor cooking (e.g., The Barbecue! Bible), Kirk focuses on authentic barbecuing, "cooking low and slow" rather than grilling-although he does cover grilling as well. Along with dozens of recipes (100-plus pages are devoted to marinades, "slathers," rubs, and sauces alone), he provides insider tips about competition cooking and advice for anyone interested in entering the world of the barbecue circuit (who knew barbecue judges had groupies?). Recipes range from Asian Beef Skewers to Lebanese Lamb Burgers to All-American Kansas City-Style Baby Back Ribs; there is a scattering of more elegant recipes that Kirk ascribes to his "Chef Paul" persona, as opposed to the "Baron of Barbecue." For most collections.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2004
Prizewinning barbecue chef Kirk shares his successful recipes culled from years of experience sweating through worldwide barbecue competitions. Kirk holds that the secret to good barbecue lies in the basics: the best ingredients and the proper equipment. Not content with everyday bottled and canned sauces, he recommends that serious, caring barbecuers make their own, even Worcestershire sauce. He inventories the whole territory of marinades, mops, sops, and rubs, those flavor imparters that most barbecue competitors guard jealously. In addition to the expected red meats, Kirk lists recipes for lamb and goat and expounds on sausage making. Smoking fish, as well as uncommon poultry such as dove, give this volume a universal appeal. Noting that he has won competitions on the basis of generally ignored vegetable dishes, he gives his recipes for potato salads, slaws, and bean dishes. For those eager to test their barbecue prowess in public, Kirk and coauthor offer advice based on Kirk's own experiences of how to win barbecue contests.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)