Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling Hardcover – Illustrated, May 10, 2016

Fantastic!!! I have used the Amazing Ribs website for YEARS and it turned me from a mediocre BBQer to an expert. I can now make steak, burgers, chicken, pulled pork, ribs, etc, as good as anything ANY restaurant or ANY of you reading this can make. I have made pulled pork for people in years past that have literally made people weak in the knees. I've made ribs before that people REFUSED to believe that I didn't buy and that I actually smoked them myself.This book is basically a summary of all of the great articles from amazingribs.com and combined into 1 place. I LOVE that. It's so nice to have all of the information I normally refer to online in an easy to use book. The look of the book is also extremely attractive. You'll be surprised at how wrong you are about a lot of things regarding cooking when you read this book. He debunks a LOT of popular myths using science which is superb and extremely interesting to learn. It's also a fun book which is important as well to learning and remembering information.I simply cannot recommend this book more highly. This IS the BBQ bible. If you consider yourself a person who likes to BBQ you NEED this book. It will change your life. Indirect heat is what separates the men from the boys when it comes to cooking. Mastering indirect heat is how you can move from simply a guy who "grills" to a professional who makes world class BBQ. He coves a lot of great gear and accessories to purchase that will help with your grilling. I have a lot of what he recommends and I won't waste your time with reviewing each and every piece of equipment he talks about but I will recommend this one thing. The Maverick ET-733 is the best piece of BBQ equipment I own. (aside from my Weber Smokey Mountain and 22" Weber grill of course...) I'm sure you've had the "well, I slightly overcooked the steak...but I'll get it next time." NEVER AGAIN if you own this thermometer and learn how to use it. You can make perfect food each and every time you cook using this thermometer. Even if I'm making something extremely simply like a single burger I will STILL use this. I will NOT cook any food on the grill without it. It takes practice to understand how deep to insert the probe, etc, but once you cook with it for a while and you master using it, and along with the information contained within this book you'll have the power to become a competition winning Q'er.PS. I'll put my pulled pork up against ANYONE in the world including the author of this book. My pulled pork in my specialty and it's unbeatable. I'm going to start entering the competition scene to prove it. See the pictures I added to see what the best pulled pork in the world looks like. That is, of course, a custom homemade rub as well.

There are many excellent BBQ and grilling cookbooks if you are primarily interested in recipes. Meathead brings us not only recipes but more importantly educates both the novice and experienced cook on the science behind cooking meat and does so brilliantly. Meathead, AKA Mr Goldwyn, does not run a BBQ restaurant, he runs the premier BBQ website/forum on the interweb: AmazingRibsdotcom. This "cookbook" is a distillation of all the expertise and scientific exploration of BBQ and grilling that the author and his colleagues have accumulated over decades. It is emphatically not a "this is the way Big Bob always did it" cookbook but rather an exploration of the science behind the magic that excellent BBQ cooks have developed. Big Bob had to develop his skills through trial and error, the rest of us can now learn from Meathead why certain techniques are better than others without having to devote decades honing the craft. Importantly the book also dispels many many myths that are reiterated in numerous other BBQ cookbooks.I just got the book and haven't had a chance to cook the recipes yet (but I have cooked recipes from Amazing Ribs which is where this book has its genesis). I don't think this is the only BBQ cookbook you'll ever need as other books explore additional styles and recipes but this book is a huge contribution to BBQ because it provides the novice and experienced cook alike the scientific basis for good BBQ. And, this is not just the latest wild theory but rather a collection of tried and tested experiments to support Meathead's teachings. I wouldn't call Meathead a guru because gurus don't use evidence. Meathead's BBQ book is more like the Cook's Illustrated kitchen approach which is empirically and scientifically based.I think anyone starting with BBQ should definitely get this book as a definitive text on how to understand BBQ cooking. Any experienced cook should also get it to challenge themselves to understand why their inherited methodology may or may not make the most sense. This book will be considered an authoritative text on BBQ for many years to come.

I have lots of BBQ books. This is definitely one of my favorites. The book covers everything from cookers to fuels, to meat science. Many people can repeat something they hear someone else say without having an understanding of the topic. This book will help you "understand" barbecue! I love that they test (and debunk) many barbecue myths in this book. There are lots of recipes. I haven't made anywhere near them all, but the ones I have made have been excellent. I do think every BBQ enthusiast should be making their own rubs. This book has several great rubs to get you started on journey into making your own rubs.Buy this book - you will NOT be disappointed! All your friends will be envious of how you can talk (and more importantly, cook) BBQ.

Gives a lot of detail and ideas for smoking meats. Goes into the science of it, without being hard to understand. Has recipes for rubs and marinades. Great book for someone who likes to smoke, or is just beginning to get into it.

I’ve been grilling, smoking and BBQing for years and love this book! No matter what you’re level of experience, this book is a must.

I have had the book for several years now and it is really fantastic. It dispels almost all the popular grilling myths and scientifically explains why. Very enlightening and great recipes and explanations about why they work or don't work. Highly recommended, as is his website and Amazing Ribs membership.