Weber's Ultimate Grilling: New Flagship Grilling Cookbook

Weber's Ultimate Grilling by Jamie Purviance

I was excited to hear that Weber was putting out a new rather comprehensive grilling cookbook for 2019. It's been about nine years since the company has showcased a flagship cookbook.

I've been writing about grilling and smoking for around fifteen years now and have the good fortune to see a ton of outdoor cooking books. Some of my favorite cookbooks have been under the Weber umbrella, and the newest grilling book is no exception.

Weber's Ultimate Grilling: A Step-by-Step Guide to Barbecue Genius by Jamie Purviance is a very solid book with coverage of almost anything you might want to try on the grill. This includes help sections as well as recipes. For instance, you will find photos and detailed directions on how to pat out good grill burgers (yes - there are better ways to make beef patties) and a section also with photos that help in mastering grilled pizza which is a challenge for many home grillers.

There are charts for various meats with cooking times over heat methods such as direct and indirect which are also covered. All types of dishes are included from starters to desserts with over 100 recipes which are easy to follow.

The organization on the cookbook is good, and the cookbook includes an index

This would an excellent grilling cookbook for any home barbecue beginner or even a seasoned griller. It would also make a great gift which is what I look for. It's fun to find a stand out cookbook to give to family and friends for special occasions or "just because."

*I reviewed an uncorrected, advance copy which is not complete and is not printed in color.

"All Fired Up" by Southern Living and Troy Black - Excellent BBQ & Grilling Book

All Fired Up: Smokin' Hot BBQ Secrets from the South's Best Pitmasters

I was really excited when Aimee emailed to see if I'd like a copy of the brand new barbecue book All Fired Up to review. First of all, my Mom has always subscribed to Southern Living, so I've been reading and loving the magazine for years. Then, I saw that Troy Black worked on the project, and he's one of my FaceBook friends.

I try not to make up my mind before I actually see something, but I couldn't imagine that this outdoor cookbook would be anything other than great, and I was not disappointed. It's a big, beautiful cookbook with amazing photos, lots of help and barbecue grilling tips, and the recipes are sure to impress no matter what you want to do on the grill or smoker.

Understanding Grilling and Smoking

All Fired Up starts out with some really great help guides. Often people fail at grilling or barbecue, because they don't understand the concepts behind the art. Troy is spot on with his guides, and I'd strongly recommend sitting down and reading the front sections before moving on to the recipes.

The Secret is in the Barbecue Sauce

Another often overlooked aspect of barbecue is the sauces. The sauce can really make or break the grilled dish, so I'm glad Troy gives a nod to sauces and the variety across the country. I'm a fan of all the various sauces, and learning how to make a mustard or mayonnaise based sauce means that you can use the same meats and have a totally different tasting product.

 Yum! I Love the Grilled Shrimp Recipe.

Of course, most people buy a cookbook for the recipes, and these are great. Maybe it's our Southern roots, but Troy grills many of the same dishes I've been doing that I don't see very often. He even has grilled nachos which are a family favorite here. And he does seafood which many people are afraid to tackle on the grill, but it's actually easier and quicker to do seafood than most other grilled favorites. The shrimp you see above are my favorite from the entire book, although I've not tried any recipes that disappointed in any way.

 Grilled Meals - From Start to Finish

I really love that All Fired Up has a range of dishes from appetizers to desserts. I'm waiting on the peaches to come in here, so I can try out Troy's grilled peaches you see above. My mouth starts watering just looking at the picture and thinking about peaches with a hint of smoke. That would have to be some good eatin'.

What Did Barbecue Master Think of This Barbecue Cookbook?

It's probably pretty obvious that I was impressed with this grilling smoking book. It's the kind of outdoor cookbook I'd put together if I was looking at writing a barbecue book. It covers the critical information needed to be successful and has easy to make recipes that are absolutely mouthwatering.

All Fired Up is definitely a thumbs up. It would be great to have on your shelf or to give as a gift. It is one of the best outdoor cookbooks I've reviewed.

The Whole Hog Cookbook by Libbie Summers - All You Need to Know to Cook Pork

The Whole Hog Cookbook

I've been checking out The Whole Hog Cookbook: Chops, Loin, Shoulder, Bacon, and All that Good Stuff by Libbie Summers. Jessica from Rizzoli had emailed to ask if I'd be interested in a sample copy, and I know that a lot of my barbecue/grilling readers enjoy grilling and smoking pork.

The Whole Hog is NOT a grilling/barbecue cookbook. It's not about smoking whole hogs. I'd say to pick up Peace, Love & Barbecue if that is what you have in mind. This is a cookbook that teaches you how to cook all the parts of the hog or pig. So, let's say you've been wanting to make Chitterlings which are better known as chintlins around here. You won't be finding that recipe in many cookbooks, but here it is in The Whole Hog Cookbook:

Yes. This Cookbook Includes a Recipe for Chitterlings.

Perhaps chitterlings are not up your alley. I can't say myself. I've not tried them, but I've not turned them down. With my mountain background, I'm not sure how I've missed them, but I have. Now I can make them with this recipe, but I'll have to think about that. I'm not so sure I can sell the boys on them, since they refused to eat pork butt when they were little. I got around that by calling pork butt shoulder instead of butt. Sometimes, it's all about the spin.

Gyros with Pork Belly

Now, this gyro recipe is a keeper. Before you get freaky about pork belly, do know that it's the bacon section of the pig - so more fat. Summers got this recipe from a guy in Greece, and that's where you get really great gyros. Most sold as such in the United States are not very good. I know, because I lived in Greece for a couple of years. These gyros aren't exactly like the ones in the neighborhood where I lived, but the gyros vary around the country in Greece. If you want authentic gyros, then here you go . . . and the tzatziki sauce recipe to boot.

These are a couple of the more unusual recipes in the cookbook. You get all the standards as well. And, some of them are designed for the grill or can be easily adapted. Try out the kebabs. Yum!

Parts of the Pig

If you're not very familiar with pork, then you get a lot of basic information but not in a "talking down" kind of way. The cookbook is chock full of beautiful photos like the spread above which helps you understand the cuts and also means you know what you're looking for when you go to the grocery store or meat market.

How to Make Breakfast Sausage

For more complicated recipes or processes, there are additional photos which, again, make it easier to visualize what you need to do to make your pork happen. Making sausage, for instance, sounds pretty labor intensive (and does take work and effort), but you can see in the photos, that it's done in steps and is do-able.

Fashion for the Farm?

The guys did want to know why the author is watering the pigs in her church clothes. Hum. Well, those are more like business casual. But WHITE! This is a cookbook, and quite a few of the photos are girly. That can be kind of cool I guess, but I would not suggest white clothing when in the pig pen (even if you are a fashionista). But, if you can put together a cookbook this good and with this many great recipes for pork, then I guess you can wear whatever you want.

All in all, I have to say this is an excellent cookbook for anyone who loves pork or wants to expand beyond pork chops and bacon. There are loads of ways to cook pig from one end to the other, so you're missing out if you only do pork a couple of ways. With The Whole Hog Cookbook, you're set. You could stay busy a long time mastering the art of cooking pork, and you can do it with The Whole Hog Cookbook.