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CONTENTS
1 T HE S C IE NC E O F HE AT

The Alton Brown of barbecue.

JOE MIZRAHI, SMOKIN JOES, NYC

MYTH: Plan on a 5F to 10F carryover.

2 SMO K E
MYTH: Creosote should be avoided.

Impish irreverence, along with a kettle of assertions about the

thermodynamics of outdoor grilling, have made Goldwyn a sort of
cross between Guy Fieri and BillNye the Science Guy.
BLOOMBERG.COM

[This] book will add a decidedly modernist sensibility to

this primitive cooking form, as it brings the exacting science behind
molecular gastronomy and applies it to barbecue.
JIM SHAHIN, WASHINGTON POST

Meathead is the best writer covering this part of the culinary world.
Were really lucky to have him in our community because he has
become a soothsayer. If theres a BBQ Mt. Rushmore, his face ought to
be on it. To have such muscular prose is better than we deserve.
JOHN MARKUS, PRODUCER, BBQ PITMASTERS

[Meathead] looks for real answers to serious questions.

People will argue that barbecue cooking is a magical process.
Hes brought science to it.
BARRY SORKIN, CHEF-OWNER OF SMOQUE BBQ

MYTH: A smoke ring is caused by smoke.

MYTH: It is important to match the wood to the
meat.
MYTH: Soak wood chips and chunks for the most
smoke.

3 T HE S C IE NC E O F F LAVO R
MYTH: Let meat come to room temperature before
grilling.
MYTH: Searing meat seals in the juices.
MYTH: Meat needs to rest after cooking.
MYTH: Marinades penetrate deep into meat and
make it more tender.
MYTH: The fat cap will melt and make the meat
juicier.
MYTH: Pink pork can cause trichinosis.
MYTH: Cook chicken until the juices run clear.
MYTH: Grill marks are a sign of a great steak.
MYTH: Flip meat on the grill as little as possible.

HAR DWAR E

MYTH: There is no difference between the flavor of

food cooked over charcoal and gas.
MYTH: Poking holes in your meat with a
thermometer will make your meat dry.

MYTH: You can tell doneness by cutting into the

meat to check its color.
MYTH: The best tinder is dried leaves or
newspaper.
MYTH: Lump charcoal burns hotter than briquets.
MYTH: Lump charcoal has more flavor than
briquets.
MYTH: The higher the BTU rating, the hotter the
grill.

5 SAF E T Y
6 R EC IPE S
Brines
Dry Brines
Rubs and blends of herbs and spices
Pork
Beef
Lamb
Ground meats: Burgers, hot dogs, and sausages
Chicken and turkey
Duck and goose
Fish
Clams, oysters, and mussels
Lobster, shrimp, and crab
Pizza and breads
Potatoes
Beans
Slaws, vegetables, salads, and sides
Desserts

IND E X

WHEN TO COOK LOW

AND SLOW

BUSTED! All the grocery, restaurant, and grill

ads show beautiful steaks and burgers with

he thicker the food, the lower the cooking

temperature should be. Cooking low and

slow is essential for tough cuts like beef brisket,

crosshatched grill marks. Cooking magazines and

books explain how to get the marks. But do we

pork shoulder, and ribs. These cuts are too tough

really need them?

to eat medium-rare (130F to 135F), the opti-

mum temperature for most other cuts of beef

Look at the three rib eye steaks. The grill marks

on rib eye #1 prompt a Pavlovian response and

and pork. They also have lots of tough connec-

make you salivate. But rib eye #2 will taste a lot

tive tissue. But if they are cooked to a mind-bog-

better. The grill marks on rib eye #1 are merely

and the tough connective tissue softens up like

that delivers maximal taste and texture in rib

Marshall Dillon in Miss Kittys arms. Another

eye #2. When it comes to meats and many other

benefit of cooking low and slow is that it gives

foods, the goal is a golden brown to dark brown

salt time to migrate towards the center, which

color on as much surface as possible. Thats

seasons the meat throughout.

the most flavorful part because a dark color

We took two pork loin roasts about four

means that hundreds of tasty compounds have

inches wide and three inches tall and roasted

been created through the Maillard reaction and

one at 325F and the other at 225F. By the time

caramelization.

the center of the meat hit the desired tempera-

ture of 145F, the outer layer of the one cooked

face fully browned. The diamond shapes between

at the higher temperature was a parched 170F,

the grill marks remain well-done. And if youre

while the one cooked at the lower temperature

not careful, grill marking can scar your meat with

was a still-moist 160F.

black stripes of chalky carbon that taste like burnt

Some foods, however, do call for grill marks.

175

Cooking Temperature
225F
325F

155

145

135
115
95
75
50 70 90 110 130 150

Center Temperature (F)

zone off to the side, where warm air circulates

around the food. Experiment with your grill so
you can stabilize the indirect zone at 225F to
325F with the lid down. At 225F, you can roast
low and slow with indirect convection heat,
perfect for turning tough cuts like brisket into
tender, juicy meat. This temperature also allows
you to slowly and gently raise the interior temperature of thick steaks and roasts, maintaining
their moisture.
At 325F, you can quickly crisp chicken and
turkey skins. Practice hitting these marks in
your cooker in different weather conditions

HOW TO COOK LOW AND SLOW

toast and might contain hazardous cancer-causing chemicals as shown in rib eye#3.

195

gling 203F or so, magic happens: Fats melt

superficial branding, unlike the deep, rich sear

But rib eye #1 has only about a third of the sur-

SURFACE TO CENTER TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE

IN 3-POUND PORK LOIN ROAST
2 mm Below Surface Temperature (F)

MYTH GRILL MARKS ARE A SIGN OF A GREAT STEAK.

This method cooks food with warm convection

air instead of directly over radiant heat. To do

On skinny foods like shrimp, chops, skirt steaks,

it properly, you need to master the single most

asparagus, and bell peppers, grill marking quickly

important technique for the backyard cook: the

browns the exterior without overcooking the inte-

without food. Cold weather, rain, and wind can

significantly impact the temperature inside your
cooker. But once you nail these two target temperatures, youll be able to cook all types of food
in your grill in any weather.

two-zone setup (see page 000).

rior. But watch that they dont burn.

A quick summary: You need a hot radiant

direct zone where you can put food directly

4 T HE SCIENCE OF HE AT

above the heat and a warm convection indirect

THE SC IE NCE OF HEAT 5

THE SMOKE RING

1. Start with cold meat. Smoke is attracted to

2. Use a cooker that does not have strong air

moked meats, like ribs and the brisket

shown here, often have a pink layer called

the smoke ring directly below the surface, nestled under the crust. The smoke ring is mostly
caused by nitric oxide and/or carbon monoxide
from combustion locking in the meats natural pink color. Smoke rings have long been
emblems of great barbecue. Alas, every year
thousands of restaurant customers send back
this meat, thinking it is undercooked. It is not.
No matter what type of cooker you use, here
are four secrets to a great smoke ring, all related
to moisture:

cold meat.

currents, which might parch the meats surface.

3. Create high humidity in the cooker to keep a
moist surface on the meat. A water pan helps.
You can also add water by lightly spritzing the
meat with a spray bottle. Spritzing with apple
juice or vinegar is also popular. The water is
sticky and grabs onto nitrogen oxides and flavor
molecules.
4. Keeping a charcoal or wood fire at a steady, low
temperature of about 225F minimizes drying on
the surface and produces the best-tasting meat.

REVERSE SEAR
TO THE RESCUE

6 SMOKE

on the indirect side, toss a little hardwood on the

flames, and then close the lid so the meat will
roast slowly with smoky convection air. Roast
it gradually, flipping it once or twice, until the

f you have experience cooking, you know a

interior temperature is 10F to 15F below your

lot of recipes have you brown meat in a pan

target temperature. For this, you absolutely posi-

before finishing in the oven or in a pot. Two

tively need a good instant-read digital thermom-

steps. Two temperatures. Sear over high heat,

eter like the Thermapen. When your chicken

finish at low heat. But when you start with high

hits 150F, take it off the heat and put it on a

heat, you load up the exterior with energy, and

plate for a moment. You are done working on

by the time you are done, you have a thick band

the interior. Now go to work on the exterior.

of overcooked meat at the edge.

Take the lid off, and crank up the heat on the

If you reverse the order and start the food at a

other side as hot as you can get it.

lower temperature, you warm up the meat until

Pat one side dry with a paper towel so when

it is close to uniform doneness on the inside.

you put it on the grill it doesnt cool the surface and

Then you can hit it with high heat at the end

steam the meat. Then put the meat dry side down

and get both the interior and exterior more prop-

on the hot side and leave the lid off. You want all

erly cooked. Thats reverse sear, and it is the best

the heat focused on one surface near the coals or

approach for many foods. Master it.

flames so the moisture steams off and the crust

Start by setting up your grill for two-zone

turns deep and dark bourbon brown. You want

cooking. Try to get the indirect zone as close to

to take it just shy of burnt because at that edge,

225F as you can with the lid on. Put the meat

dazzling things happen.

THE SC IE N CE OF F L AVOR 7

SIMON & GARFUNKEL

RUB

minute or two to make sure it is not burning. When

the white meat is 160F and the dark meat 170F to
175F, youre ready for your luau.

MAKES: About 1/2 cup, enough for about 8 large whole

chickens
TAKES: 10 minutes

HAWAIIAN HULI-HULI
TERIYAKI SAUCE AND
MARINADE

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons dried sage
1 tablespoon dried crushed rosemary

MEATHEADS MEMPHIS
DUST

lthough it is formulated for pork, Ive used

this recipe with success in sausage blends,

on smoked salmon, on celery stuffed with cream

cheese, on the rim of Bloody Marys, and even
on popcorn. It is designed to flavor, color, and
form the proper crust when cooked at low temperatures. Dont skip the sugar, which is important for formation of the flavorful bark. I typically

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried basil

MAKES: About 3 cups

TAKES: 15 minutes
cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
cup granulated white sugar
cup paprika
cup garlic powder

become a signature dish beloved throughout

1 tablespoon sugar

Hawaii. Morgados recipe is a secret, and every

turn it off, and run it again. Continue pulsing about

1. Make the sauce.

until you have a coarse powder. Dump the whole

2. Pour it in a large bowl, or better still, into a large

thing in a jar and label it. It will keep for 6 months.

zipper bag. Add the chicken. Marinate, refrigerated,

for at least 3 and up to 24 hours. The Huli-Huli sauce

HAWAIIAN HULI-HULI
TERIYAKI CHICKEN

s popular as this is in Hawaii, it is surprising that the dish hasnt become more pop-

ular on the mainland. Lets change that!

TAKES: Making the marinade takes about 30minutes;
marinating takes 3 to 24 hours; cooking takes about
30minutes

zipper bag or a glass jar with a tight lid.

8 RUBS AND BLEN DS

tion on the theme. Use this whenever a recipe

the lid on and blend on medium for a few seconds,

2 tablespoons ground ginger

Mix all the ingredients together. Store the extra in a

vendor on the islands has his or her own varia-

Measure everything and dump it into a blender. Put

MAKES: 1 whole chicken, enough for 2to 4people

2 teaspoons ground rosemary

batch of chicken for a group of farmers. It

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons ground black pepper

2 tablespoons onion powder

n 1955 Ernest Morgado cooked up a big

was such a hit that, by the time he died, it had

1 tablespoon dried crushed bay leaf

use about one tablespoon per side of a slab of St.

Louis-cut ribs, and a bit less for baby backs.

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 cup Huli-Huli Sauce (recipe follows)

1 (2-pound) chicken, cut into parts

calls for teriyaki sauce.

MAKES: About 3 cups, enough for 2 whole chickens,
cut into quarters
TAKES: 30 minutes

contains a lot of soy sauce, which is salty. So some

1 cup pineapple juice

of it will penetrate, like a brine. It also makes a nice

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water

glaze when basted on during cooking.

1/4 cup soy sauce

3. Set up the grill for two-zone cooking and preheat

1/4 cup ketchup or red barbecue sauce

it so the indirect side is about 325F. Pour the mari-

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

nade into a saucepan and bring to a boil to pasteur-

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

ize it so it can be used for basting. Keep cooking until

4 tablespoons peeled grated fresh ginger

it reduces by about a quarter.

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4. Roast the chicken with the lid down on the indirect

side of the grill. Turn it frequently so the sugar in the
sauce doesnt blacken. After turning, paint the upper
surface with a layer of the sauce.

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
4 medium garlic cloves, pressed or finely
minced

5. As the chicken approaches 150F, stop basting.

Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan and

Discard the sauce. Move the meat over the direct

simmer gently for about 10 minutes. You can refriger-

heat, skin side down to crisp the skin. Flip it every

ate it for months.

C HIC K E N AND T URKEY 9

to dunk the celery into. The boys dipped both

enough that they often fall through the grates or burn

cheese dip, and an international rage was born.

2 minced or pressed garlic cloves

to a crisp. You can cook them if you wish, but I freeze

1/2 cup Franks Original RedHot Sauce

them for use in making soup. Separate the V-shaped

they have their roots in Europe. Buffalo Chicken

Wings, however, were born in the USA, made
from a part of the chicken that once upon a time
was used for soup stock. The popular dish was
invented in Buffalo, New York, at the now fabled
Anchor Bar, still at the original location, 1047
Main Street, although ownership has changed.
The exact origin fable has become clouded a
bit through time, but the new owners and survivors of the memorable night tell this tale: Late
on a Friday night in 1964, Dom Bellissimo, son
of owners Frank and Teressa, was working at
the Anchor when some of his buddies showed
up with the munchies. Theresa was shutting
down the kitchen, so she looked for something
quick and easy. She had a box of wings to use in
making soup, so thinking on her feet, she tossed

and there is even a huge National Buffalo Wing

Salt and ground black pepper

4. You can start them on a smoker if you wish, but I

Festival in The Queen City over the Labor Day

6 celery stalks, cleaned, and cut into 4-inch

usually grill them. Set up the grill for two-zone cook-

the flavor and convenience of cooking them

on the grill, and even smoking them first. And
there is much less mess. Blasphemy, I know.
But mmmmm, tasty blasphemy, to paraphrase
Homer Simpson.
The problem is getting the skin crispy. So I
tried everything. I painted them with oil. I took
a tip from Chinese restaurants and the way they
make Peking Duck and dunked them in boiling water for a bit, and then let them dry in the

ing with the indirect side at about 325F to help crisp

sections

the skin and melt the fat. If you wish, add wood to the
1. Take the cream cheese and the blue cheese out

direct side to create smoke. Use a lot of smoke. Grill

of the fridge and let them come to room temp. Then

with the lid closed in the indirect zone until the skins

smush them together with the spices in a bowl. Mix

are golden. That will probably take 7 to 10 minutes

in the sour cream and half-and-half. Refrigerate.

per side. By then they are pretty close to done.

You can do this a day ahead. Cut up the celery and

5. Now move them onto the direct heat side of your

refrigerate.

grill, high heat, lid open, and stand there, turning

2. You can also make the hot sauce days ahead. Melt

frequently until the skin is dark golden to brown but

the butter in a pan over a low heat and then add the

not burnt, keeping a close eye on the skinnier pieces,

garlic. Let it simmer for about a minute but dont let

moving them to the indirect zone when they are

the garlic brown. Then add the Franks. Let them get

done.

to know each other for at least 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Put the sauce in a big bowl or pot and put it on

fridge. I dunked them in salted boiling water.

I steamed them. I sprinkled them with baking
powder. I poked holes in the skin so they would

ANATOMY OF A CHICKEN WING

Drumette
Tip
Wingette

So Ive chosen the simplest path: reverse sear.

the grill and get it warm. Stir or whisk well. Keep

warm. When the wings are done you can serve them
with the sauce on the side for dipping, or just dump

drain better. I even combined techniques.

them in with the sauce and toss or stir until they are
coated. Then slide them onto a serving platter. Put

I start the wings on the indirect side to cook the

the celery sticks next to them, and serve with a bowl

meat, add smoke, and finish on the hot side to

of the dip. People can scoop some blue cheese sauce

crisp the skin.

on their plates, and dip in the celery and wings.

MAKES: 4 to 6 appetizer servings

TAKES: 2 hours prep and 30 minutes to cook
BLUE CHEESE DIP

3. So here are the problems with wings. There are

three distinct pieces of different thickness and skin
to meat ratio: (1) The tips, (2) the wingettes or flats
in the center, and (3) the drumettes on the end that

them into the deep fryer, which was still hot.

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

attach to the shoulders. The thickness differences

When they came out she sprinkled them with

3 ounces good-quality blue cheese, crumbled

means they cook at different speeds and finish at

hot sauce, some melted margarine, and to make

1/2 cup half-and-half

different times. The best thing to do is separate them

sure the boys had a well-rounded meal, she

1/4 cup sour cream

into three parts with kitchen shears, a sturdy knife, or

added a side of celery and blue cheese dressing

1/2 teaspoon Simon & Garfunkel Rub (page 8)

a Chinese cleaver.

10 CHICKEN AND TU R KEY

and drumette. You will cook both these parts.

24 whole chicken wings (about 4 pounds)

True Buffalo wings are deep fried, but I love

foods are hot dogs and hamburgers, but

piece remaining at the joint between the wingette

THE REST

is a national chain named Buffalo Wild Wings,

weekend.

The tips are almost all skin, really thin, and small

the celery and the saucy wings in the blue

they are standard fare across the nation, there

ome will say the quintessential American

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted

Nowadays every bar in Buffalo serves wings,

BUFFALO WINGS

CLASSIC BUFFALO HOT SAUCE

C HIC K E N AND T URKEY 1 1

An amazing compendium of barbecue knowledge.

AARON FRANKLIN, CHEF, FRANKLIN BARBECUE, AUSTIN

FOR SUCCULENT RESULTS EVERY TIME, nothing is more crucial than understanding the science behind the interaction of fire and food. In this definitive guide
to the concepts, methods, and equipment of barbecuing and grilling, Meathead
Goldwyn shatters the myths that stand in the way of perfection. Busted misconceptions include:
 MYTH MEAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE COOKING.

BUSTED! Cold meat attracts smoke better.

 MYTH HARDWOOD CHARCOAL IS BETTER THAN BRIQUETS.

BUSTED! Theres no difference in flavor, and briquets last longer.

 MYTH MEAT NEEDS TO REST AFTER GRILLING TO REABSORB ITS JUICES.

BUSTED! Tests show it does not take up juices but can become cold and overcooked.
Meathead reveals everything backyard heroes need to know, including how to decide
when to use a dry rub or a brine and a detailed roundup of equipmentfrom grills
and grates to the best thermometers. Lavishly illustrated with full-color photos and illustrations, this
book contains all the sure-fire recipes for traditional
American favorites: Tennessee Hollerin Sauce, Last
Meal Ribs, Baltimore Pit Beef, Simon and Garfunkel
Chicken, Schmancy Smoked Salmon, Roman-Style
No-Knead Pizza, and Ultimate Corn on the Cob.

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ISBN 978-0-544-01846-4
$35.00
8 x 10
512pages
Full-color throughout

PUBLICATION DATE
May 24, 2016

PUBLICITY CONTACT
Brittany Edwards
brittany.edwards@hmhco.com
(212) 592-1112
A Rux Martin Book

MEATHEAD GOLDWYN is the president and founder

of amazingribs.com, one of the most popular online
barbecuing sites. He has written hundreds of articles
for the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Huffington
Post, AOL, Wine Spectator, and may others. He has
taught at Cornell Universitys Hotel School and Le
Cordon Bleu in Chicago. He has judged food and drink
from Italy to New York to Kansas City to California. He
lives outside Chicago.

www.hmhco.com/cooking

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Photographs by Meathead Goldwyn
Author photo John R. Boehm