Synopses & Reviews
Review
Praise for the first edition:
From Publishers Weekly
Lang is serious about being serious, and that starts with his credentials. His career began at Le Cirque; he then moved on to Daniel, Carnevino in Las Vegas, and a stint as a private chef. Along the way, he opened Daisy May's BBQ, one of Manhattan's best barbecue shacks. Thus, with four-star knowledge, he brings pork, beef, lamb and the lowly chicken to the open flame with a mix of science, anecdote and a wide array of seasonings. The chapter on pork begins not only with a look at the importance of fat but also the importance of collagen and the differences between commodity and heirloom pork. There's an interview with Dave Arnold of the French Culinary Institute that explores the relation between heat and meat and why foods stick to hot surfaces. His recipe for a marinated wet-aged rib eye explains that the wonders of Worcestershire sauce have to do with the flavor-enhancing qualities of anchovies and tamarind. Nearly every entry is composed of several brief preparation recipes, since each meat is uniquely paired with a seasoning combination for specific reasons. Before cooking the spit-roasted spring lamb, for instance, one must make a basting butter, seasoning blend, herb bundle and glaze. Even something that looks simple, like the delicious classic, burnt ends (a take on barbecued brisket), involves a mustard paste, a seasoning blend, a wrapping mixture and a finishing sauce. Seriously. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist In his introduction, Lang immediately lays out some confrontational assertions: “Barbecue does not just mean the slow-cooked, smoke perfumed meats of the South. It also means the charred, juicy direct-grilled meats . . . what Ill call ‘Yankee barbecue.” He applies himself just as rigorously to this high-heat, backyard grilling as he does the indirect, leisurely methods of traditional barbecue, which leads to a nicely balanced book that may offend some purists but could well become the go-to resource for those who only care about the divine marriage of meat and fire, no matter the form. He goes on to outline the fundamentals in a remarkably thorough manner, covering grill types, differences in smoking woods, and blueprints for marinades, brines, and sauces. Each subsequent chapters focuses on a certain meat, including a discussion of their barbecue-friendly characteristics, tips on selecting the best cuts, and a wealth of recipes that should be comfortable for most dabblers in outdoor cooking. An enlightened guide that cares more about killer food than long-held beliefs.
--Ian Chipman
Synopsis
Adam Perry Lang trained with the world's best chefs before giving up four-star kitchens for the thrill of cooking with just meat and fire. Now he's on a mission to turn everyone into an expert.In Serious Barbecue, Adam Perry Lang has translated his intimate understanding of culinary technique into easy-to-follow advice to help a nation of backyard cooks unleash the raw power of one of the most flavor-packed cuisines around: American barbecue.Perry Lang begins by breaking down the fundamentals of barbecue--what tools you'll need to begin, how to master cooking with charcoal and wood, how to choose the perfect grill, and more. Then he takes readers on a trip through the butcher's case, describing exactly what makes each kind of meat special, explaining how to select with the skill of a master, and providing his favorite recipes for almost every available cut of pork, beef, veal, lamb, chicken, and turkey.These original, mouthwatering recipes, which include step-by-step seasoning instructions and a flip-by-flip grilling or smoking guide, will have amateur and expert cooks firing up their barbecues and enjoying perfect results every time--whether they're impressing a group of friends with Perry Lang's insanely delicious Salt and Pepper Dry-Aged Cowboy-Cut Rib Eye or wowing half the neighborhood with his massive, slow-cooking, succulent ""Get a Book"" Whole Pork Shoulder. Whatever the recipe, his goal is for everyone to achieve the holy grail of barbecuing: bragging rights.
About the Author
Of barbecue and grilling expert Adam Perry Lang,
Food and Wine magazine wrote, “What do you get when you put a French-trained chef from New York City in charge of the barbecue pit on a Wild West ranch? Some of the best baby back ribs and pulled pork the locals have ever tasted.” Baby back ribs and pulled pork are just a taste of Adam Perry Langs repertoire, though. Adams experience and expertise extends to barbecue and grilling in both the professional and home kitchens. After graduating with distinction from the Culinary Institute of America and working his way through the kitchens of top-rated French restaurants including Le Cirque and Daniel in New York City; and Restaurant Guy Savoy in France, Adam left his pursuit of reviewers stars to follow his passion for barbecue. Realizing that New York City lacked a great rib shack, Adam opened his first restaurant Daisy Mays BBQ and became a pioneer in urban barbecue. Knowing that credibility in the barbecue world only comes from winning competitions, Adam set off to make his mark. In his first year on the national barbecue circuit, Adam won Grand Champion honors at the World Pork Expo and first place for his Pork Shoulder at the Kansas City American Royal, a.k.a. “The World Series of BBQ.”
While working in barbecue, Adam began avid study of beef and animal husbandry. His learnings led him to add “meat maestro” to his resume. He is a consulting partner in Mario Batalis Carnevino in Las Vegas, where he is responsible for sourcing all the beef and training the staff on proper cooking techniques. His latest restaurant project takes him across the pond where he is creating a completely unique grilling concept in London with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver called Barbecoa and opening in October 2010.
Desiring to make barbecue and grilling as accessible for the home cook as he had for the customers in his restaurant, Adams first book, Serious Barbecue: Smoke, Char, Baste and Brush Your Way to Great Outdoor Cooking, was a New York Times bestseller. Adam was also featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Early Show, Fox and Friends, Power Lunch; The Food Networks Iron Chef America, Whats Hot, Whats Cool and BBQ with Bobby Flay.