The Meathead Method

“The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.” —Alton Brown

National BBQ and Grilling Association BBQ Book of the Year 2026
Amazon May 2025 Best of the Month Pick

The Meathead Method is where barbecue goes next. In the follow-up to his New York Times bestseller Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, BBQ Hall of Famer and founder of AmazingRibs.com, Meathead presents a guide to new methods for great outdoor cooking with 114 creative and inspiring recipes. The Meathead Method is a toolbox to elevate all your cooking, outdoors and indoors.

Learn the basics of great barbecue, grilling, and griddling plus new methods and science not covered in his first book (or any other): brinerades; sous vide que; koji; wok cooking on a charcoal chimney; smoking with tea, herbs, and spices; building your own rubs and sauces; why foods stick to metal; how to safely deep fry on a gas grill; how enzymes work; dry brining; the inverse square law; the hockey stick; 2- and 3-zone setups; the reverse sear; how to beat the stall; the Smoking Gun; injections; why butter basting doesn’t work the way you think it does; neither does beer can chicken; nor do marinades; ponassing and spatchcocking (get your mind out of the gutter); and much more!

You’ll also learn how to use out-of-the-BBQ-box ingredients like black garlic, gochujang, yuzu, miso, zhug, and tare sauce, and recipes showcasing Meathead’s methods, including:
The secret recipes of competition championsThe Ultimate Prime RibPho with Leftover Brisket and Smoked Bone BrothMussels on Smoked FettucineMiso Maple Black Cod à la NobuVichyssoiseImproved Nashville Hot ChickenRed Pepper RisottoPineapple Foster