Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable Recipes, Tips, and Tricks from a Barbecue Champion

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Whether it is beef ribs, chicken wings, or tofu on a stick, everything
seems to taste better after being on the barbecue. Ron Shewchuk is
captain of a competitive barbecue team known as Rockin’ Ronnie’s
Butt Shredders, and he’s won competitions all over North America. This
book is a collection of recipes created by Shewchuk himself or donated
by many of his fellow competitors.

The introduction deals with the colourful and often contradictory
history of barbecuing. In the first and second chapters, Shewchuk
relates some of his experiences as a competitor and offers tips on how
to bring home the blue ribbon. The rest of the book consists of recipes,
which are organized by ingredient. For example, in the chapter devoted
to rubs, marinades, and brines, readers will find offerings like Herbed
Wet Rub, Rockin’ Ronnie’s Grilling Rub, and Pigpen’s Secret Sauce.
In the chapter “Starters and Sides,” there are recipes for Smoked
Tomato Guacamole, Bacon Wrapped Oysters, Curried Vegetables, and Goober
Slaw. A chapter devoted just to burgers has intriguing recipes like Thai
Flavored Beef Burgers, Kid-Friendly Turkey Burgers, and Lamb Burger with
Molten Goat Cheese Core. Recipes for Classic North Carolina Pulled Pork
Sandwiches and Cowboy Steaks can be found in the general meat chapter,
and for seafood lovers, recipes include Dilled and Grilled Halibut
Steaks and Pepper Grilled Tuna with Wasabi Lime Mayo. Many recipes have
sidebars that offer valuable tips, and dozens of colour photos show
finished dishes.

Shewchuk’s knowledge is encyclopedic and his prose is always clear,
which makes this a cookbook that can be enjoyed by beginners and
advanced cooks. If you think you need only one barbecue book in your
kitchen, this is a great choice.