Despite the erratic weather, we are now well and truly into Summer and that means one thing… it’s time to get barbecue-ing!
The problem with barbecues however, is that they can sometimes end up being pretty mediocre; shop bought burgers and bland coleslaw just don’t cut it so we’ve put together this list of The 10 Best BBQ Cookbooks to banish the average sausages and make sure your Summer taste as good as it should.
1. Slow Fire: The Beginner’s Guide to Lip-Smacking Barbecue
by Ray ‘Dr BBQ’ Lampe. £14.99.
Where better to start than with a beginner’s guide? This BBQ cookbook will help you achieve succulent, fall off the bone meat and give you some great ideas for BBQ side dishes – whiskey onions anyone?? There’s also a really handy guide all about which tools and techniques will help you achieve the best barbecue possible.
2. How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques
by Steven Raichlen. £14.99.
This comprehensive technical cookbook features step-by-step photos of each stage of preparation to help you barbecue in the best way. It features some great recipes to demonstrate each of the techniques and even gives you the secret to ‘The Perfect Burger’ – a must for any serious barbecue student.
3. The Great Barbecue Companion: Mops, Sops, Sauces, and Rubs
by Bruce Bjorkman. £13.52.
This is a bit of a golden oldie but it’s a goodie. Bjorkman takes us around the world with his flavour inspiration and highlights the 4 main barbecue flavours and how to mix and match them to get full flavour results. The perfect companion to your everyday barbecue with the family.
4. Good Food – Barbecues and Grills: Triple-tested Recipes
by Sarah Cook. £4.99.
With an aptly named author, this BBQ cookbook can’t fail to give you great results. There’s plenty of veggie-friendly recipes in this cookbook making it an ideal starting place when hosting for a few friends. Complete with nutritional breakdowns and a tried and tested guarantee, this cookbook is great for mastering the basics.
5. Peace, Love, & Barbecue: Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies
by Mills Mike. £14.15.
This cookbook offers a more anthropological insight into the world of American barbecue contests offering up 100 prize-winning recipes as well as some family favourites from the author.
Dirty American BBQ at it’s finest!
6. Gastro Grilling: Fired-Up Recipes to Grill Great Everyday Meals
by Ted Reader. £14.75.
This is the foodie’s BBQ cookbook – creative recipes that pair the familiar with the unusual makes for an interesting gastronomic experience while the tips Reader gives will enhance your barbeque-ing efforts to legendary status among your friends. It’s great for inviting friends over for a bog-standard barbecue and then surprising them with interesting flavours and exciting dishes.
7. Wicked Good Barbecue: Fearless Recipes from Two Damn Yankees Who Have Won The Biggest, Baddest BBQ Competitions in the World
by Andy Husbands & Chris Hart. £14.99.
These two ‘damn yankees’ take classic BBQ dishes and re-invent them with flavour twists and unusual techniques. Some of the recipes are quite involved so need lots of time for preparation but you won’t be sorry. With the tagline ‘It’s your guide to fun, fearless and fantastic cooking’, this is the cookbook you want to take your BBQ to the next level.
8. The Barbecue Book: Burgers to Banquets
by Jim Marks. £20.44.
This is another cookbook that has stood the test of time with recipes that have outlasted the technology on which to cook them. There’s recipes that you’d never expect to find in a BBQ cookbook (like Barbequed bread and butter pudding!) as well as the simple, tasty basics. This is a great all-rounder that will have you tinkering with your barbecue all Summer long – or at least when the weather’s nice enough.
9. Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book: Recipes and Secrets from a Legendary Barbecue Joint
by Chris Lilly. £14.74.
The last of the Americans in this list, this cookbook is on nearly all of the best-seller lists. Chris Lilly is a world champion and highly revered ‘pitmaster’ and doesn’t disappoint in this bible of American BBQ cooking.
Great for indulgent, hosting recipes.
10. Huey’s Best Ever Barbecue Recipes
by Iain Hewitson. £8.26.
This cookbook is from Australian TV chef ‘Huey’ and is the classic ‘barbie’ cookbook. There’s some light seafood recipes that just scream of the Goldcoast as well as some brilliant fusion recipes that take inspiration from all over the world and translate into delicious crowd-pleasers that are perfect for a relaxed barbecue with family and friends.
So there you have it, the 10 best BBQ Cookbooks – let us know how you get on with your favourites and we’ll try to convince the sky to stay dry!
Also read: