The Meathead Method

“The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.” —Alton Brown

Meathead, the BBQ Hall of Famer and New York Times bestselling author of Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, is back with The Meathead Method—a toolbox that teaches why and how to elevate all your cooking. He busts myths, teaches science, shares new methods, tools, ingredients, and recipes. This is where barbecue goes next.

Learn. Cooking with logs, pellets, charcoal, and gas. The science of smoke and heat. How to buy a cooker. Wok cooking on a charcoal chimney. Smoking with tea, herbs, and spices. Why foods stick to metal. How enzymes work for you. The Maillard reaction, caramelization, and blackening. Improve browning and crisping with baking powder. Why salt is the magic rock. Dry brining and brinerades. Beware of the boundary layer. A handy food temperature safety guide to hang on the fridge. The inverse square law. The hockey stick. 2- and 3-zone setups. The genius of the reverse sear. Sous-vide-que. Butter basting doesn’t work the way you think it does. Neither does beer can chicken. Nor marinades. How the stall works and how to beat it. The grill is the best place to make fried chicken. The Smoking Gun. Koji, the magic mold. MSG. Umami. The five Ss of a rub. Basic injections. Ponassing and spatchcocking (get your mind out of the gutter). Much more!

 Cook. 114 inspiring and creative international flavored recipes, including the secret recipes that competition champions use. The Ultimate Prime Rib. Miso Maple Sable à la Nobu. Vichyssoise. Caponata. Smoked Brisket and Bone Broth Pho. Improved Nashville Hot Chicken. Flaming French Fish. Mussels with Smoked Fettucine. Charred Octopus. Crawfish on Dirty Rice. Red Pepper Risotto. Pineapple Foster. And out-of-the-BBQ-box ingredients like black garlic, gochujang, yuzu, miso, zhug, and tare sauce.