Michael Symon's Playing with Fire
BBQ and More from the Grill, Smoker, and Fireplace: A Cookbook
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
Cohost of The Chew and celebrated Iron Chef and restaurateur Michael Symon returns to a favorite subject, meat, with his first cookbook focused on barbecue and live-fire grilling, with over 70 recipes inspired by his newest restaurant, Mabel's BBQ, in his hometown of Cleveland.
In preparing to open his barbecue restaurant, Mabel's BBQ, Michael Symon enthusiastically sampled smoked meat from across America. The 72 finger-licking, lip-smacking recipes here draw inspiration from his favorites, including dry ribs from Memphis, wet ribs from Nashville, brisket from Texas, pork steak from St. Louis, and burnt ends from Kansas City--to name just a few--as well as the unique and now signature Cleveland-style barbecue he developed to showcase the flavors of his hometown. Michael offers expert guidance on working with different styles of grills and smokers, choosing aromatic woods for smoking, cooking various cuts of meat, and successfully pairing proteins with rubs, sauces, and sides. If you are looking for a new guide to classic American barbecue with the volume turned to high, look no further.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The Chew cohost Symon, via his restaurant Mabel's BBQ and this, his first live-fire cookbook, lays claim to ownership of Cleveland-style barbecue. Hallmarks include smoke from the wood of fruit trees that are abundant in northeast Ohio, specifically apple and cherry, as well as spices and meats that reflect the city's Eastern European heritage. Also, there is the crucial ingredient of time: Pastrami is brined for four days and smoked for 12 hours. Pork belly is cured for a week and smoked for about three hours before being sliced into slabs of bacon. Poultry is faster but requires additional props: Symon's chickens are hung from a string in a fireplace, spatchcocked and weighed down with bricks, covered in hay, or mounted on a partially full beer can atop a grill. Seafood options range from smoked sturgeon to grilled walleye wrapped in corn husks. With just 42 main-dish recipes spread across the first 167 pages, the gaps are filled with an overabundance of "pitmaster profiles," in which barbecue chefs from across the country are briefly interviewed and their own eateries promoted. Meanwhile, Ed Anderson's color photography of savory cuts encrusted with dry rub or slathered with sauce is nearly enough to make Cleveland synonymous with mouthwatering. This is an excellent guide to live-fire cooking.
