 "If you are a rank amateur..." | 2009-11-11 |
| - Reviewed By swantoncrackers2 |
| This is the first book I bought about real barbecue. I had never smoked a thing before and this book made it easy for me. It is clearly laid out, and the recipes, at least the ones I wanted, were easy to use. I since have found different and better ways to do some of the things this book covers, but I don't know that I'd be there without this book. So, I can recommend this book highly to anyone just starting out with barbecue. |
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 "Good information, but I don't like the tactics" | 2009-09-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1WRYY4YU85QP |
While Steven Raichlen is a grilling maestro, and this book is great for people learning how to grill, I just didn't like it. I thought that it tries to do too much. Furthermore, I felt that the recipes he presents are a little on the snobby side and less like something that someone who wants to grill out regularly will do. Lastly, I disagree with some of his methods.
When I say that he tries to do too much, I feel that he's trying to cater to too many people. Gas or charcoal? Beef, chicken, pork, or other? I could go on and on. I understand that he's trying to cater to a broad variety of people, but it seems silly to me. The idea of the book is to show people the proper way to grill different things, but I feel that he somewhat losses his way in trying to please too many tastes. He should have made some basic assumptions at the beginning and stuck with those throughout. Additionally, in restating so much broad information so often, he loses some very important specific information in the process. A great example of this is how actually control temperature precisely on your grill, which is a direct function of his not picking a certain type of grill to teach on. Being an experienced griller and barbecuer I've learned, but if the function of a book is to teach do it! Don't force the reader to learn from their own mistakes, that's why the author is expert, he's already made the mistakes so you don't have to.
As for the recipes and information presented, Raichlen often refers to his experiences abroad and in gourmet kitchens. The problem is that the majority of the people that by this book just want to learn how to use their grills more properly. As stated above, rather than teach people how to use their grills, Raichlen specifically (in a very general way oddly enough) teaches the reader some very specific meals. I understand that the idea is to use those experiences and then apply them to other meals, but seriously, who would ever think of grilling some of the dishes in the manner that he purposes? Instead, he should have done it like Gary Wiviott does in "Low and Slow" and shown people exactly how to use the grill for a certain type of food, but given the reader the option of what rubs, spices, marinades, etc to use. My tastes might be pedestrian compared to Raichlen's, but then again I feel that most people want something a little more simple than the snobby meals that Raichlen proposes for the grill. It's a grill, not a French Cuisine!
Lastly, and this is purely method, but it drives me nuts that he always says to use soaked wood chips and chunks! That is seriously disgusting and will only lead to bad tasting food! By soaking the wood one introduces water into the fire (I use charcoal, people who use gas grills need not apply, they don't count anyway) which causes smoldering. Smoldering charcoal and wood produces creosol, which Raichen actually talks about! Unfortunately, for all the snobby tastes that he presents his tastebuds must not pick up this musty and bitter taste.
All in all, while this book is decent at presenting methods and ways to produce some relatively specific meals, I feel that it does a so-so job at best in teaching the reader to actually grill. the methods, while sound, aren't present very well, and don't expound into better ways to create the dishes shown. Lastly, while I do have a somewhat poor opinion of this book, for the seasoned griller and barbecuer this book can be interpreted and used to make some pretty good food if you know how to make up for Raichlen's short comings in his recipes and grill tactics.
My suggestion to Mr. Raichlen is that he spend more time on teach process, less on specific recipes, and completely stop mass producing sub standard books on grilling. |
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 "Awesome Grilling" | 2009-09-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1HKLSF92J6WSG |
| This is a great book for all aspects of grilling. Good details and illustrations. |
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| "An Awesome Cook Book" | 2009-08-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: AD09L85DF2J4E |
| HOW TO GRILL is a wonderful cook and barbecue book. I love it for its grilling, smoking, and barbecuing techniques it teaches. In other words, upon reading the book, the reader learns about how to control the elements of barbecuing, from lighting the fire to the differences of direct and indirect grilling and when to use either one. Since I read the book, every recipe I have prepared came out on target. My hamburgers no longer comes out as hard as baseballs, my steaks are no longer burnt or tough. And it just so happens that the book includes wonderful recipes and catagorizes them into fowl, fish, meat, and shell fish. And the recipes are so easy to follow. If you really like barbecuing, this book will not let you down! |
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 "fancy schmancy ingredients required" | 2009-08-17 |
| - Reviewed By joniwells2 |
I was MOST disappointed. Nearly every recipe I read required ingredients that were out of the norm...horseradish root? Huh? I find it hard to find *any* version of horseradish (that ain't chock full of chemicals) at my local market.
He's the Martha Stewart of BBQ.
I'm gonna go back and buy Weber's book |
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| "the best barbecue around for the beginer" | 2009-08-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A29616ULJ7CP8D |
| This book is great for the beginer as well as the pro. It gives many interesting tips that will make your grilling experence much more enjoyable. The directions are very clear and walk you through the recipie step by step. There are recipes in this book that will please everyone in your household. |
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