From Publishers Weekly
Kirk, a chef who has been barbecuing since the early 1980s, is unabashedly proud of his ability to make up a recipe in his head, never test it and win a contest with it. In this guide to outdoor cooking, he attempts to instill his own confidence in readers, through a series of lessons on "what to bring to a barbecue cook-off," "controlling your fire" and "developing a grand champion mindset." Of course, if readers are just looking to host a casual backyard barbecue, they’ll find plenty of tips here, too. After covering the fundamentals of competitive barbecuing, Kirk shares recipes for marinades, slathers, rubs, sauces; he then delves into dishes such as Sweet Smoked Pork Loin, Spicy Texas Ranch Burger, Lemon-Ginger Lamb Chops, Chicken and Apple Sausage, Honey-Raspberry Chicken Breasts and other carnivore’s delights. Kirk’s thorough treatment of barbecuing will enlighten aspiring barbecue champions and backyard gourmets alike. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Prizewinning barbecue chef Kirk shares his successful recipes culled from years of experience sweating through worldwide barbecue competitions. Kirk holds that the secret to good barbecue lies in the basics: the best ingredients and the proper equipment. Not content with everyday bottled and canned sauces, he recommends that serious, caring barbecuers make their own, even Worcestershire sauce. He inventories the whole territory of marinades, mops, sops, and rubs, those flavor imparters that most barbecue competitors guard jealously. In addition to the expected red meats, Kirk lists recipes for lamb and goat and expounds on sausage making. Smoking fish, as well as uncommon poultry such as dove, give this volume a universal appeal. Noting that he has won competitions on the basis of generally ignored vegetable dishes, he gives his recipes for potato salads, slaws, and bean dishes. For those eager to test their barbecue prowess in public, Kirk and coauthor offer advice based on Kirk's own experiences of how to win barbecue contests. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
Chef Paul explains it all: the differences between barbecuing and grilling; how to build different kinds of fires and what kind of fuel to use; setting up the pit or grill; what tools are needed to how to prepare the food.

FROM THE PUBLISHER