Pitmaster – Andy Husbands & Chris Hart

Pitmaster: Recipes, Techniques, and Barbecue Wisdom by Andy Husbands and Chris Hart is the definitive guide to becoming a barbecue aficionado and top-shelf cook, whether you’re new to the grill or a seasoned vet.

Recipes begin with basics, like cooking Memphis-style ribs, and expand to smoking whole hogs North Carolina style. Barbecue lovers are equally inspired by restaurants with a commitment to regional traditions, competition barbecue champions, families with a multi-generational tradition of roasting whole hogs, and even amateur backyard fanatics.

This definitive collection of barbecue expertise will leave you in no doubt why expert chefs and backyard cooks alike eat, live, and breathe barbecue sharing essays by the masters such as Steven Raichlen, Elizabeth Karmel and more.

Not only are there recipes for delicious proteins, sides and condiments – but tempting desserts such as the Old-Fashioned Southern Caramel Cake, Meat @ Slim’s Tiramisu, and Gingerbread Butter Cake. The book is full of photographs of the dishes and the people behind great barbecue and also some recipes I’ve never come across – Pig Skin Sandwich anyone? Andy Husbands has a few classes scheduled and we have shared them on our calendar.

Today unofficially marks the beginning of the summer and grilling season for the northern hemisphere, all this week I’ll be posting promotions for great barbecue and grilling cookbooks so be sure to check back. 

Special thanks to Fair Winds and the authors for sharing the recipe for that perfectly charred rib on the cover. Be sure to head over to our contest page to enter our giveaway for three copies of this book.



Central Texas Beef Ribs
Prep time: 30 minutes 

Cook time: 8 hours 
Serves: 2-6

There is nowhere to hide with this recipe. There are no 15-ingredient dry rubs or aluminum foil here to save you. The simple ingredients allow the pitmaster’s fire management skills to shine. A smoldering or choked fire will come right to the forefront of flavor on these ribs. Burn a clean oak, pecan, or hickory fire, and you will be justly rewarded by the barbecue gods.

INGREDIENTS

1 three-bone rack of beef plate short ribs (about 5 pounds, or 2.3 kg) 
¼ cup (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce 
3 tablespoons (42 g) kosher salt 
3 tablespoons (18 g) medium grind black pepper

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

This recipe is best suited to an offset-style barbecue pit using a blend of well-seasoned oak, hickory, and pecan splits. If using a water smoker or cabinet smoker, leave the water pan dry to best reproduce an offset pit-type environment.
METHOD

Trim excess fat and silver skin from the beef ribs. Drizzle the Worcestershire sauce over the meat side of the ribs and massage it in with your hand. Sprinkle the ribs with kosher salt and then sprin-kle with the pepper. Press the rub into the meat with the palm of your hand. Let the ribs sit at room temperature while you fire up your pit.

Prepare your barbecue pit for a 275°F (140°C) 8 hour cook.

Once the pit is settled in, stable, and burning a very clean fire (almost no smoke should be visible coming out of the stack), put the ribs on the smoker, meat side up.

Cook for 7 to 8 hours until a meat thermometer probe will slide into the thickest part of the rib with no resis-tance. We find the internal temperature of the meat ranges in the 200 to 205°F (approximately 95°C) range when done. Optionally, after 4 or 5 hours, place a bit of aluminum foil on the now exposed bones to keep them from burning.

Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them sit on your cutting board for 15 minutes. Flip the ribs meat side down and remove the center bone. Cut the rack in half and serve these bronto-sized ribs immediately. We choose to forgo any garnish or side dish and simply bask in the glory of one of the best barbecue dishes we know.

This recipe serves two very hungry carnivores, or up to six people if they are sampling.

STORAGE:  Wrap any leftover meat in butcher paper and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

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22 Comments

  • lgroom  on  May 29, 2017

    I love to make my mother's cowboy beans for a picnic or barbecue.

  • Teruska  on  May 29, 2017

    These recipes are positively intriguing! Can't wait to try some.

  • Teruska  on  May 29, 2017

    We love to make smoked deviled eggs, baked beans, and for me ~ pork!

  • PennyG  on  May 29, 2017

    Oh my … we have a huge smoker and three grills – let's see, I think I would have to say I'm a sucker for great long-smoked beef short ribs.

  • lhudson  on  May 30, 2017

    I am in search or a really good chicken BBQ, so I would try those recipes first.

  • RSW  on  May 30, 2017

    My mom's HamBBQ

  • sgump  on  May 30, 2017

    I'm a sucker for barbecue baked beans, as well!

  • Siegal  on  May 30, 2017

    I love vinegar based BBQ recipes

  • fiarose  on  May 31, 2017

    picking a favorite barbecue recipe is so hard, i love grilling…but i'd have to say a beautiful miso-marinated grilled eggplant my mom makes in the summer!

  • FireRunner2379  on  June 1, 2017

    I like BBQ shredded pork sandwiches topped with slaw!

  • mph993  on  June 8, 2017

    Butterfly Pork Butt Burnt Ends sound Yum

  • kitchenclimbers  on  June 8, 2017

    the hot mess from Pecan Lodge in Dallas

  • lebarron2001  on  June 8, 2017

    It is difficult to choose one but my favorite recipe is my barbecued chicken cooked low and slow.

  • t.t  on  June 10, 2017

    I don't know if I can pick one…

  • tarae1204  on  June 16, 2017

    I need to improve my grilling skills. I love Moroccan kefta kabobs, those I know how to make.

  • cocecitycook  on  June 23, 2017

    My favorite is ribs. Any kind, beef or pork, short or baby. Love what smoke does to meat on a bone, yum!

  • mrmoas  on  June 24, 2017

    Competition-style beef rib eye sounds good

  • meggan  on  June 26, 2017

    I don't barbeque much but I do like some short ribs with a chocolate based sauce.

  • abihamm  on  June 27, 2017

    Is there anything better than a perfectly grilled steak?!

  • orchidlady01  on  June 28, 2017

    My favorite BBQ recipe is a good smoked brisket.

  • monique.potel  on  June 28, 2017

    i love spare ribs and roasted vegetables

  • Mrs.Soule  on  July 1, 2017

    Smoked chicken and pulled pork sandwiches are my favorites.

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