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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10894 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-12
• Released on: 2009-05-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780307408112
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Book Description
Winners of the World Championship BBQ Cook-Off for six years in a row and with hundreds of other contest ribbons as well, nobody does barbecue better than Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. Chris Lilly, executive chef of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q and great-grandson-in-law of Big Bob himself, now passes on the family secrets in this quintessential guide to barbecue.

From dry rubs to glazes and from sauces to slathers, Lilly gives the lowdown on Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q's award-winning seasonings and combinations. You’ll learn the unique flavors of different woods and you’ll get insider tips on creating the right heat—be it in a charcoal grill, home oven, or backyard ground pit. Then, get the scoop on pulled pork, smoked beef brisket, pit-fired poultry, and, of course, ribs.

Complete the feast with sides like red-skin potato salad and black-eyed peas. And surely you’ll want to save room for Lilly’s dessert recipes, such as Big Mama’s Pound Cake. Loaded with succulent photographs, easy-to-follow instructions, and colorful stories, Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book honors the legacy of Big Bob Gibson—and of great barbeque.

From Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book: White Sauce

People raised in Decatur, Alabama, know that barbecue sauce is supposed to be white. For more than eighty years, Big Bob Gibson’s has been dunking its golden-brown birds, fifty at a time, into a vat of this tangy, peppery white sauce. The steaming, glistening chickens are then cut to order for our customers.

For years and years the restaurant’s early-morning cooks closely guarded the white sauce recipe, which was made each day before the day shift arrived. However, even without doing the math, I can tell you that hundreds of cooks have passed through the pitrooms of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, so I don’t think you can describe this recipe as "closely guarded" anymore.

I do know that Big Bob’s techniques and recipes, including his white sauce, have influenced the flavors of regional barbecue in Alabama. The great thing about passing secrets is that every time they are shared they change slightly. There is now a large number of "authentic" versions of Big Bob’s original secret recipe and cooking method—all different from one another. This is one of my favorite examples.

Ingredients

• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

(Makes 4 cups)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend well. Use as a marinade, baste, or dipping sauce. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

From Publishers Weekly
Lilly, a world-champion pit master and executive chef of Alabama's Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q, shares long-held family secrets from the restaurant's founder in this homage to pure barbecue tradition. Lilly covers the process from beginning to end, starting with the setup, varieties of grills and cookers, wood selection and seasoning. Throughout, he provides valuable tips on everything from temperature gauges to positioning chicken on the grill. As acknowledgment that flavor is important but the true measure of barbecue is the tenderness and moistness of the meat, many of Lilly's recipes focus on slow cooking and include more than meat. Bell pepper bundles, big mama's pound cake, honey-garlic tomato sauce and grilled marinated mushrooms show the breadth of his expertise. Beef, pork and chicken are, as expected and deserved, the focus of much of his attention. Mushroom-crusted beef tenderloin, pork shoulder and barbecue ribs are among the gems he includes. 75 full-color photos. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
“Now anyone can accomplish the terrific BBQ of Big Bob Gibson’s. Chris Lilly demystifies the downright mouthwatering art of low-and-slow cooking.”
—Bobby Flay

“If barbecue is your religion, then Chris Lilly is your High Priest. Say Amen and Hallelujah. And pass the Wet-Naps.”
—Al Roker

“This is the reaffirmation of why Chris is a world champion ten times over. Great recipes, great book.”
—Ozzie Smith, hall-of-fame shortstop, St. Louis Cardinals
 
“Chris Lilly is the latter-day Big Bob Gibson and the present-day sultan of smoke. With this book, he’s given barbecue lovers a remarkable gift–generously sharing every single secret, tip, and hard-earned lesson he’s learned while shouldering his way to the top of the pit!”
—Danny Meyer, co-owner, Blue Smoke

“Fourth generation pitmaster Chris Lilly talks the talk, walks the walk, and shows you how to smoke the competition–not to mention make perfect ribs, pork butts, whole hogs, and of course Big Bob's iconic barbecued chicken with white barbecue sauce.”
—Steven Raichlen

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Customer Reviews

Simply excellent
This book contains a variety of recipes along with ample history of Big Bob Gibson's barbecue.

At present, I have tried from the book:
(1) the pork shoulder recipe, served with the Memphis style sauce
(2) the whole butterflied chicken, served with Bob Gibson's famous white sauce.

Both were outstanding and each was easily worth the price of the entire book, particularly the white sauce-WOW.

both followed classic barbecue techniques and did not require excessive preparation or a half dozen steps.

In addition to covering the most common types of barbecue, the book also includes side dishes, an occassional dessert, and a variety of sauces--most derived from something done at Big Bob Gibson's or by Chris Lilly in competition.

There are lots of great barbeque books out there, what this book brings is (1) recipes that have routinely won awards at barbecue competitions-lots of awards, (2) some unique Bob Gibson sauces that are terrific (3) a enjoyable history of the man and the restaurant.

I look forward to trying more recipes in the future.

NOTE: I tried these on the big green egg, which is well suited for long cooking sessions. Even though the book does not address ceramic cookers, the recipes are not equipment specific. But the obviously amazing results possible (and amply described) with a true barbecue pit and 100% hickory make it clear there is another level of barbecue out there.

The Low `n' Slow Style of Cooking
For more traditional BBQ, there is no better teacher than Chris Lilly, who trained at the legendary Big Bob Gibson's Bar-Be-Cue in Decatur, Alabama. Focusing on the low `n' slow style of cooking, Gibson's restaurant has been perfecting the art of BBQ for more than 80 years. Chris Lilly has been there for 15 years, and has since also married into the Gibson clan. Here, he provides many of the recipes and techniques that they've perfected, from the sides and desserts, to the meat of the matter, how to get the most out of your grill and the particular cut of meat you like, including several ways to cook entire pigs. This is BBQ at its finest, though the time frames for many of the core recipes will take hours, but the wait will be worth it. Just going through the book, reading the recipes, and looking at the pictures, not only of the food, but also the restaurant as well, makes putting a visit to Decatur on the Things to Do list.

The Best of The Best
Chris Lilly is simply the best there is. The man really knows his stuff and shares his award-winning secrets in this beautifully written book. Full of historical and personal anecdotes, it reads like a memoir at times. I couldn't put it down. The recipes are easy-to-follow with readily available ingredients, and complete with suggestions on cooking method, time, and type of wood to use. This BBQ book is so much more than one might expect, going beyond your smoked meats, rubs, marinades, and glazes, and sides of beans, potatoes, and coleslaw (and those delicious recipes are all included along with the whole pig roast for the purist). Keep turning the page and you'll discover appetizers or sides like Scallops with Burnt Ends; Grilled Fruit Skewers with Spicy Maple Cumin; Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with Maple Baked Beans, too.

Once a "rookie Q'er" who may have sat on a stump staring at a pit a few more times than he may care to count to learn the ropes, Chris Lilly now commands that very pit, pushing the envelope, and keeping it fresh and interesting at every turn. Buy the book...then buy it again for your friends. Y'all be glad you did!