Book Review: Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook
When I got my review copy of this book, I wasn’t expecting much. To be honest, I didn’t expect to learn anything new. Why? Probably ego. I mean C’mon! I’ve got all of Steven Raichlen’s books, the Jamisons’ Smoke and Spice, Sublime Smoke and Born to Grill, Cook’s Illustrated The Best Recipe: Grilling and Barbecue – and half a dozen more. I look at barbecue books on the shelf all the time, and I’m rarely impressed. By the time I had gotten through Dr. BBQ’s (Ray Lampe) Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook, I had discovered a new favorite. (BTW, this being kosherblog, I feel obligated to point out that Steven Raichlen is Jewish and has written a Jewish Cookbook. Why does every review of a new Jewish cookbook express surprise that Jewish Cookery can be healthy? You’d think we were a nation of unhealthy slobs!)
There are 5 main sections in the book, dedicated to rubs, marinades and sauces, smoking, grilling, side dishes and recipes with leftovers. The leftovers section was a new one on me. I guess I don’t cook enough barbecue if I never had enough leftovers to make into something like Thai Brisket Salad or Spicy Smoked Chicken Frittata. (I guess I’m going to have to cook more barbecue.)
The smoking and grilling sections were filled with delicious sounding recipes – below you’ll find one I tried, and enjoyed greatly. I never heard of Alabama White Barbecue Sauce, but it turned out to be a great accompaniment to smoked turkey. If you’re afraid (like I was) of the combination of mayonnaise and meat – don’t be! I don’t think that White Barbecue Sauce would pair well with red meat, but it does wonders for poultry. $1000 Maple Bean Pie, in the side-dishes section scared me a little bit – but the other side-dishes sounded much better.
What separates this book from many others is the attitude. What comes across clearly in this book is the good doctor’s desire to promote good eating. While he does have suggestions and preferences, he stresses that there is no “one true way”, and encourages the reader to try their own variations. Ray Lampe is also a barbecuing champion, and his experience comes through in his writing. There may never be a kosher barbecue competition, but if there were, I’d be prepared.
Here’s Dr. BBQ’s recipe for Smoked Turkey Breast with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce. This turned out to be some of the juiciest smoked turkey I have ever had. Enjoy.
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons black pepper
1 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoons salt- Combine all ingredients.
Big Time Barbecue Rub
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup turbinado sugar (I used demerara sugar)
1/4 granulated brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 tablespoon granulated onion or onion powder
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne ppowder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried cayenne
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg- Combine all ingredients.
Smoked Turkey Breast
1 boneless turkey breast (3-4 pounds), skin on
1 double batch Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
1 batch Big Time Barbecue Rub1) Place the turkey breast in a zipper-lock bag. Pour half the sauce on it and seal. Refrigerate for a whole day, turning occasionally.
2) Prepare your cooker for indirect cooking at 275°.
3) Remove turkey breast from the bag and sprinkle liberally with rub. Put in in the cooker and cook to an nternal temperature of 160°. This should take about 2 to 3 hours.
4) Remove the breast from the cooker and wrap it in foil with another cup of the sauce. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
5) Slice and serve with the remaining sauce.
Hmm, a kosher barbecue competition… now that’s an idea. Shall we organize one? Get Chabad as a sponsor, and they can blow-torch all the competitors’ BBQ equipment.
Kosher barbecue fans!! Who knew?
Thanks for the nice words, and I’m glad you liked the book.
Look for another next spring.
There is no reason why BBQ shouldn’t be more prevalent in kosher cuisine.
The reason why there are so few kosher BBQ places is due to a few factors:
The restaurants don’t employ people that have BBQ experience as cooks.
They don’t have the right equipment to BBQ in the restaurants. (BBQs wood-burning or charcoal)
Many people have the misconception that religious Jews won’t buy BBQ and only have taste for bland Ashkenazi food.
Many people have the misconception that BBQ has to be expensive.
Come on… The Beis Hamikdash was one big BBQ! The Kohanim had the aprons and the chef hats. They shected the fleish and threw it on the world’s largest grill.
That proves that even Hashem loves a good Q.
Hashem teaches us an important lesson in sefer B’reishis. Cain offered the fruits of the field as a sacrafice. No go.
But mmmmmm, Abel offered up some tasty fleish and it was accepted.
What more proof do we need?
Most religious Jews only have a taste for bland Ashkenazi food…
However, as the local BT gourmet griller, I’m slowly helping my New York FFB friends break out of their shells. I grew up in South Florida, where grilling is the past time, with parents that loved exotic foods.
We are lucky with a thriving Kosher restaurant market (something like 50 or 60 in the tri-county area), but no BBQ…
We’re doing our trial run for Rosh Hashana BBQ (day 2 lunch, obviously, given this year’s schedule), but all our friends are excited for a BBQ’d lunch that isn’t bland hot dogs and hambergers.
Anyway, there is an annual Kosher BBQ competition in Memphis in August, so it does exist… Just because something isn’t in in the greater New York area, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. :)
Memphis Jewish BBQ Competition
I’ll keep that competition in mind for next summer… sounds like a great reason to visit Memphis.
Alex,
Where do you live and where in SoFla are you from? I grew up in the Gables. Now I’m on the UWS. Your name rings a bell…
Sounds perfect for Thanksgiving in Tucson. But we don’t have a smoker. How could this be modified for our regular grill or oven.
Thank-you!
Should work out right to simply put it in a 275-degree oven, instead of a smoker. You won’t get the smoke flavor, of course – and it will probably cook faster in an oven. Use a thermometer with probes that stay in the meat while cooking.
BS”D
I think that for the turkey breast, the smoke really does wonders for the recipe- it’s unbalanced without the smoke. I usually smoke at 200-225 degrees F tops,so the breasts get smokier, but still remain juicy. I like the rub hotter and more pungent and less sweet, and the white BBQ sauce with more pepper and some white pepper. But what really helps the sauce is Atomic extra-hot horseradish, the most powerful kosher store-bought horseradish I’ve ever had. Under normal circumstances I’d stay away, as it’s prepared horseradish with added flavoring, that being responsible for the extra horseradish kick, but it does well in this sauce.