Coming Soon: The Meathead Method, Barbecue Science Meets Art

[Meathead]

In this channel I will be posting excerpts from our book in progress The Meathead Method, Barbecue Science Meets Art. I would love to have your feedback! Here is the promotional synopsis:

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Meathead taught us the science behind the world's most popular backyard sport and shared failproof recipes in his groundbreaking New York Times Best Seller, Meathead, The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, written in collaboration with food scientist Prof. Greg Blonder.

Now, in his forthcoming book, The Meathead Method: Barbecue Science Meets Art, he teaches more of his innovative methods and uses his master's degree in art to help you elevate your cooking with fire and smoke to culinary art by exploring the intersections between art, craft, and science.

The Meathead Method, available in Spring 2024, has special appeal to the culturally adventurous as well as professional chefs, because he continues busting myths, shares scores of hot tips, and introduces new methods, tasty crazy wonderful global ingredients, and novel combinations.

The recipes, created in collaboration with Brigit Binns, a prolific cookbook author and owner of a popular cooking school, are designed to inspire readers to break out of the traditional barbecue box and to experiment. The book even has a cocktail section that teaches readers how to use smoked and grilled ingredients and infusions, developed with mixologist Casey Biggs.

As part of the art theme, Meathead did most of the recipe photography using a difficult procedure called lightpainting where he turns out all the lights and illuminates the food with a tiny penlight during exposures that last from 10 to 30 seconds. Not many people can write, explain science, innovate cooking methods, develop recipes, and create such beautiful photographs with techniques never before used for food.

His last book was called "One of the 100 Best Cookbooks of All Time" by Southern Living Magazine, "One of 22 Essential Cookbooks" by SeriousEats.com, and "One of the 25 Favorite Cookbooks of All Time" by readers of Christopher Kimball's Milkstreet. In addition, his website, AmazingRibs.com, is by far the most popular barbecue and grilling website in the world.

[Meathead]

Wellllll, it is now official. I have decided that I don't have time, money, or the skill set to self publish the new book, so I have signed with Harper Collins and I am now on a deadline so there will be no more delays. I turn in the manuscript March 1, 2023, and the book will come out spring 2024.

[CaptainMike]

Sometimes you just can't beat someone at their own trade. For me it's drywalling and roofing. Can I do it? Sure, but the pros do it better, faster, and in most cases not much more expensive; and then it's done.

[Meathead]

This is from the introduction to the book



"Always remember, cooking for others is an act of love, and the most important part of the meal is not what's on the plate, but who's in the chairs." Meathead

This is not your typical barbecue book. As with my last book, Meathead, The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, it goes where barbecue has never gone before. Like "Science", this book, The Meathead Method, Barbecue Science Meets Art begins in a comfy chair, moves to the back yard, and ends on your dining table.

It starts by exploring the nature of culinary art, then it teaches a suite of modern concepts based on science, takes a deep dive into ingredients rarely seen in barbecue and grilling recipes, and ends with 120 all new innovative recipes sure to wow your friends and family, recipes that go beyond the realm of science and into the world art.

I am honored that the last book made a lot of best cookbook lists including "The 100 Best Cookbooks of All Time" by Southern Living (alas, I still have to take out the trash at night and shovel snow). The reason for the accolades is simple, for years I have been questioning conventional wisdom and testing what I call Old Husbands’ Tales. When the lessons I have learned are woven together they comprise a philosophy and approach to culinary arts that have become known as The Meathead Method and I am gratified to see that they have percolated out through the community and have been adopted by many pros and authors.

So with this book I have woven them all into one place for the first time, in a coherent flow that encapsulates the craft of outdoor cooking. To be an artist of any kind, one must first master one’s craft, and in the culinary arts, that means understanding the science of cooking because every time you start to cook you put in motion a series of chemistry and physics phenomena. With the counsel of my science advisor, Prof. Greg Blonder of Boston University, we will explore what food is made of, how it reacts to heat and smoke, and how our senses react to your creations.

You will not find the traditional checkered tablecloth recipes from the Southern barbecue canon in this book. I covered them pretty well in Science and on AmazingRibs.com. In this book I have enlisted the aid of Brigit Binns, author of more than 30 cookbooks and owner of Refugio, a wonderful cooking school and B&B in Paso Robles, CA. Together we spent months in some of the most exhilarating conversations of my life concocting recipe concepts that you might find in a white tablecloth restaurant.

"Greatness begins where your comfort zone ends." Meathead

The criteria in creating a recipe for this book was that it must be delicious, cooking it outdoors must make it better than cooking it indoors, it must be creative, and fun to cook. We also wanted to have good examples of each of the cooking methods and we wanted to encourage you to try new ingredients. We challenged ourselves, and we challenge you, to elevate your cooking to artistry. We have gone outside the box because we want you to see just how capable you are.

[rad291]

Sounds tantalizing!

[MrRiskPerson]

"...the most important part of the meal is not what's on the plate, but who's in the chairs."
This^^^ is a corollary to something breathtaking. I realized many years ago that it is not the destination but who's there with you. Applies to internal as well as external destinations; Archimedes ran from bath to street shouting, "Eureka!" Now I know why I hate cooking for myself. Bring it, sir!

[boilerman]

Meathead,Looking forward to this book . Your making our outdoor cooking even more fun. Keep up your good work my friend.

[JoeSousa]

Can't wait to check it out! And that lightpainting technique looks very interesting. Much different than most food photography I see.

While I love brisket, pork butt, and the standard barbecue fare it will be great to have some other go-to recipes as well. Really looking forward to this one.

[Meathead]

You are exactly who this book is aimed at. You encourage me!

[klflowers]

Man, I can't wait to get my hands on this one. I used to want to retire to travel, now I want to retire to travel and cook.

[JGo37]

I think you mean 'to travel TO cook'!!

[klflowers]

I like that description too.

[Skip]

Meathead this book sounds fun and interesting. I can't wait to get a copy as soon as it's available!

[Dr ROK]

Sounds like a great book! Looking forward to it.

[Steve B]

I'm no writer for sure. But from what you are showing us it seems to me that you have all of your I's dotted and T's crossed. also looking forward to the finished product.
Oh and can you please hurry up. The rest of are waiting patiently for a "Meat Up".

[Meathead]

Yeah. We are still working on a plan for a Meat-Up but the numbers are killer. We just can't make it inexpensive and break-even. Still looking at some options.

[Steve B]

I'm sure you guys will get something together at some point.

[EdF]

One step at a time, as they say!

[panteracfh3]

Another book by Meathead? I'm still digesting the information in the first one!

In all seriousness though, I'm looking forward to its release. Keep up the great work

[Meathead]

Thanks!

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Spell check won't catch this error because of the italics, but there's a space missing after Science

"I covered them pretty well in Scienceand on AmazingRibs.com."



Looking forward to the book, the use of tested science to explain a recipe or technique just makes so much more sense to me than the typical cook book or recipe explanation or non-reasoning.

[Meathead]

Got it! Thanks.

[FireMan]

One thing you have taught us is to expect nothing less than groundbreaking. Waiting with great anticipation. 👍

[Meathead]

You are setting my bar high. I hope I do not disappoint.

[EdF]

Judging from what you've written so far and shared, it won't be that high a bar for you. It's the organization of all those topics that's going to be challenging.

[bardsleyque]

Thanks Meathead,can"t wait to get your new book!

[tbob4]

Im looking forward to the book but I know it will depress me. I bought the Iphone 7 just so that my photos could come close to fuzzydaddy 's. Not a chance. Then I started looking at the posts and it seems as though everyone who was already a good chef is now an artist. I kept my head high and just kept trying not to think about my photographic deficiencies. If this book teaches me how to capture my food in a photo I am looking forward to it. If it doesn't, I'm still buying it and looking forward to the recipes. However, some of the pages may have tears on them.

[Meathead]

I am afraid the methods used for this book are too weird. Have you seen this https://amazingribs.com/ratings-revi...od-photography

[minnbrewer]

The phone camera helps for sure. Composition and technique can help a lot too. Practice practice. Here's a phone picture (iPhone X) that I took of a pizza I made on the grill a couple of weeks back. https://www.instagram.com/p/BpfhxH9F...on_share_sheet
My pictures range in quality if you scan through others.

[tbob4]

minnbrewer - that is a phenomenal photo! Thanks a ton.

[Mosca]

2020, I hope I live that long!

[Mosca]

(Knock on wood emoji)

[Huskee]

This comment aged humorously- now it's 2024!!

[Mosca]

Huskee On the other hand, I’m a lot more optimistic about making it two more years than I was then.

[tbob4]

Mosca Unfortunately it’s right around the corner. The year, that is, not the book.

[JGo37]

Just bask in my awestruck admiration - this is a lesson on how everyone should approach something that appeals to them at least once in their lives. You're a de facto standard already with a permanent place on my microwave - not just as a reference but as a reminder to always do my best - and I anticipate that this book will become a persistent memory for me about what I want to do, convey, and have my loved ones and friends feel when they share in the meals I make - not for myself - but for them. I applaud you.

And I'm just slayed by the photography. 'Tip o' the Prongs' to ya' Meathead

(can I just pay for it now and get the first copy?)

[Meathead]

I am blushing.