Celebrating 25 Years of The Barbecue Bible with Steven Raichlen

In the barbecue world, author and TV host Steven Raichlen continues to play an important role in educating and spreading the gospel of live-fire cooking. About 25 years ago, he made a huge impact on grilling and smoking culture with the release of The Barbecue! Bible, which has more than a million copies in print to date.

We spoke with Raichlen in 2021 when he released his last book, and we were thrilled to have the chance to catch up with him this week. We spoke about the anniversary of his influential book, hot topics in the barbecue world, his take on using artificial intelligence apps in writing, and more.

The conversation below has been lightly edited for clarity.

Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue! Bible, has made a huge impact in the barbecue world.

The Smoke Sheet: What are some of the biggest changes in the barbecue world in the 25 years since you wrote The Barbecue! Bible?
SR: There are so many. First of all, barbecuing has gone from being a special occasion or weekend occasion to an every night phenomenon. The grill has become an extension of our kitchens. Simultaneously, when I started, people thought of barbecue as the hunk of protein at the center of the plate. Now we grill everything from appetizers to desserts to breakfast. Vegetables and seafood have assumed a huge role in contemporary grilling as well. Third, another big change is the notion of global grilling, which is really the subject of The Barbecue! Bible. Today, we think globally when we grill, but we certainly didn't 25 years ago. The fourth big change is the increase of sophistication of our own knowledge and practice. I remember going on tour for The Barbecue! Bible. Back when the book first came out, I had to explain to people what the difference between grilling and barbecue was and having to explain what indirect grilling was. Our technical prowess and abilities have skyrocketed along with our knowledge. In the 25 years since The Barbecue! Bible came out, we've gone from kindergarten to grad school.

TSS: The Barbecue! Bible includes recipes derived from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and more. What are some of the underrated regions and countries when it comes to BBQ and grilling?
SR: For starters, Africa. In the last few years, Africa has started to get its due. South African and West African recipes are great. For example, yassa from Senegal uses a mustard-based marinade that's used on grilled chicken and grilled fish. Or there's something called stick meat that you find in Nigeria, which features kabobs that are marinated with fiery chilies and ground-up bouillon cubes. In South America, Uruguay is sometimes forgotten in the rush to celebrate Argentina, but the grilling is every bit as sophisticated in Uruguay and possibly even more so. Turkey has an incredible diversity of kebabs, with ground meats and grilled breads in the country being phenomenal. Ditto for Indonesia. I don't think people realize that there are probably 200 different kinds of satay in Indonesia.

TSS: Social media also seems like a big change in how people learn about BBQ now too.
SR: Yes. Obviously, it didn't exist when I wrote The Barbecue! Bible. The internet barely existed when I wrote the first edition of the book. But there's tremendous creativity on social media, and I get lots of ideas there. It has spread and colonized ideas. I'm a sort of an old-school book, newspaper, and magazine guy because that was how I learned and disseminated information. But social media has become hugely important for barbecue knowledge.

It’s really a whole new media that has changed how quickly you can produce something. I've been doing TV for 25 years, and I have a new show coming out in two weeks called Planet Barbecue. For my shows, it's a crew of 20, and there’s three-to-six months of preparation. It's two weeks of shooting. And then when I look at some stuff on social media, this one guy armed with an iPhone can make an incredibly professional video, and post it and capture the content that gets me a 30-minute show, and they can do it in one minute. It's absolutely phenomenal.

The Barbecue! Bible has more than a million copies in print and is one of the most influential BBQ books of all time.

TSS: Is there any recipe from The Barbecue! Bible that is a particular favorite?
SR: It's a very difficult question. I call that the ‘favorite child question,’ and on any given day, you might like one better than the other. But I'll pick a recipe that actually Food and Wine magazine included in their list of the 40 best recipes of the last century. It’s a stupid, simple recipe and does not include steak or brisket or pork shoulder or anything. It's called Catalan Grilled Tomato Bread. You take pieces of gorgeous country-style bread, you grill it, and then you give it to your guests. And each guest gets half a garlic clove with which they rub the bread and then half of a juicy tomato and they rub those juices into the bread. Then they drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a twist of sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. That's a dish I still make when people come over. It's a great icebreaker because when you fire up your grill, everybody gathers around it. You probably have the ingredients at home. And it never fails to delight.

TSS: Chapters 13 and 14 of The Barbecue! Bible are focused on pizza and vegetables. That feels very ahead of the curve, given this was 25 years ago. Do you think we will see even more backyard barbecue masters add vegetables to their grilling sessions?
SR: First, the big vegetable chapter in The Barbecue! Bible was a matter of self-defense. My daughter and cousin were vegetarians. My wife has strong vegetarian leanings. So even back then, it was a matter of pleasing the homefront. But many places around the world use a lot of vegetables. In Azerbaijan, the Republic of Georgia, Japan, and India, vegetables are a big part of what people grill. That's one reason that vegetables are so important. I can't say that 25 years ago, I was anticipating the boom now. But three years ago, I did write my last book on how to grill vegetables.

TSS: And how about all the pizza we’re seeing in the barbecue world now?
SR: With regards to pizza. I used to be the restaurant critic for Boston Magazine. And one of the restaurants that I remember the most from that period was a restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island, called Al Forno. And they did a grilled pizza, and it’s not cooked on a pizza stone. They actually drape the dough right on the grill grate, getting blistered and charred. And then, they turn it over and assemble the pizza in the reverse order. The cheese goes on last because you want that top heat to melt the cheese. It was great. And nowadays, grilled pizza is widely recognized and known in the barbecue world. I like to think maybe that I was the first one to write about that.

BBQ staples like brisket were propelled into popularity with help from books like The Barbecue! Bible.

TSS: You’ve written over 30 books and countless recipes over the years. Do you ever find yourself forgetting recipes or refreshing on things you haven’t looked at in years?
SR: I have a pretty good memory for recipes. When I'm sent to do an errand, I usually forget three things on the to-do list or shopping list. And I can't remember people's names or faces to save my life. But food, I do. I've been thumbing through The Barbecue! Bible a lot because of the 25th anniversary, and some of the more complicated Asian recipes require me to look back. For example, one recipe is Vietnamese beef rolls that are marinated. They’re flavored with fish sauce and lemongrass and then wrapped in fresh basil leaves and grilled.

TSS: The Barbecue! Bible is dedicated to your grandfather. Was food and cooking a big part of your family life growing up?
SR: The book actually came out shortly after he passed away, which is the timeliness of the dedication. My grandfather was a huge influence in my life. He was a bigger-than-life character and full of personality. He was fiercely proud of our family and our traditions. He also loved food, although I doubt that he ever tasted barbecue. My grandfather did have a few specialties. He made fried matzah during Passover, and he loved something called lox wings, which are basically the fins of smoked salmon. And I suspect he loved them because they were cheap. And when he was growing up, that was the only smoked salmon they could afford. But his passion for food certainly comes through.

TSS: Were there other family members that inspired your barbecue writing?
SR: The person who was the biggest griller in my family was my mother. My mother was a ballet dancer and a terrible cook who hated cooking. She had complicated issues about food being a ballet dancer. But man, could she grill. She would light our charcoal grill with gasoline and once almost scorched the paint off the side of our house. She would cook a steak we call the ‘Pittsburgh rare’ back then. It was jet black on the outside and the heart was still beating on the inside. And I can still remember that.

Steven Raichlen continues to explore the boundaries of barbecue.

TSS: Any thoughts on how artificial intelligence apps like ChatGPT will change the world of BBQ recipes and books?
SR: I don't have a lot of experience with it. But for the TV show, we come up with written descriptions of each episode. And they wanted one version that was 400 characters, which is about the normal length of a description. Then they wanted a version that was 120 characters and another one that was 60 characters. So I enlisted the help of artificial intelligence, and it did an okay job with that. We had to tweak and improve the writing a little bit. But that's the extent of my experience with it. However, I'm sure that you know it will impact food writing and impact barbecue the way it is impacting everything else.

TSS: It sounds like you're open to using the tools of artificial intelligence to improve or streamline work you're already doing, but not necessarily into it writing a book for you or anything like that.
SR: Not for a book, but there could be other applications. There is another I just thought of. I've written 32 books, and that's a lot of recipes. Sometimes I think, ‘Wouldn't it be amazing if there was some way to index all of those recipes by category?’ Right now, I have to remember what book the recipe is in and what all it entails. I don't know what kind of setup I would need to do that, but that might be a project for the future.

–

Thank you to Steven for the great conversation. We will share the second part of this interview, emphasizing his upcoming TV show Planet Barbecue, his Barbecue University classes, and a few other topics, in two weeks.

Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ) and Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Shee

—The Memphis in May World Championship Cooking Contest returns to Tom Lee Park in Memphis this week. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

This week, the 45th edition of the Memphis in May World Championship Cooking Contest will take place with 150 teams vying for the title of World Champion. The competition will return to its riverfront home at Tom Lee Park in downtown Memphis. Contest categories include Whole Hog, Pork Shoulder, and Ribs. Some of the top names in competition barbecue will participate. The Memphis Commercial Appeal previewed 10 top contenders to keep your eye on, including “barbecue royalty” with multiple championship wins, such as The Shed, Peg Leg Porker, and last year’s champion Blues Hog. READ MORE.

The 2023 class of Preserve the Pit Fellows was announced by Kingsford this week. The program continues Kingsford’s commitment to preserving and investing in the future of Black barbecue culture. The third-year cohort of the program includes pitmasters, restaurant owners, and for the first time, digital storytellers. The fellowship class includes Ronald Payne of Payne’s Bar-B-Q; Caleb and Sabrina Henley of Yearby's Barbecue & Waterice; Darren W. Carter of Carter’s BBQ; Tay Nelson of Bobby’s BBQ; Nate Figaro of 8020 Creole BBQ & Rub; and historian and food writer Deah Berry Mitchell. READ MORE.

Chef Roman Raya, his brother Philip, and Madeline Buechter are co-owners of the newly-opened restaurant Barbacoa in Kansas City. The restaurant menu takes inspiration from the Mexican flavors the Raya brothers enjoyed at gatherings while growing up. “Barbecue means a lot of things to a lot of people, especially in Kansas City,” Roman Raya says. “Our dishes are inspired by the flavors of traditional Mexican food, told through the cooking style of barbecue. You’re going to get a lot of smoky, tender meats. You’re going to get a huge depth of flavor. There are a lot of spices and a lot of big, bold tastes. This is the type of food I remember from my childhood, but elevated and adapted for a new audience.” READ MORE.

Tennessee Home & Farm recently profiled Blake Stoker, the West Tennessee native who is the owner of Blake’s at Southern Milling. As he finished his education at Mississippi State University, Stoker started serving barbecue out of a trailer, honing his skills as a pitmaster and building his brand. “Instead of taking trips to the beach or mountains, I was traveling to Texas to visit barbecue places I was reading and hearing about,” Stoker says. Last spring, he opened the doors of his beautiful brick-and-mortar restaurant located inside the old Southern Milling building in the heart of downtown Martin, Tennessee. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams,” Stoker says. READ MORE.

Sean Ludwig of The Smoke Sheet and NYC BBQ offers a preview of the upcoming Rib King NYC event, which will take place in Industry City in Brooklyn on Saturday, May 27th. READ MORE.

ADDITIONAL READS

Lately, Kansas City barbecue is in the news with a big renovation at Jack Stack BBQ’s Freight House location, while Q39 and Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que received big national shoutouts.

The Lexington Pit Stop event held on May 26th will combine NASCAR with the celebrated Lexington, North Carolina style of pit-cooked barbecue.

Here’s the best way to smoke mushrooms, according to Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn.

Acclaimed pitmaster Aaron Franklin explains the best way to build and maintain a fire while barbecuing.

Here’s the rich history of brisket in Texas barbecue, as told by Houston Chronicle correspondent J.C. Reid.

While we are on the subject of barbecue history, this is the unexpectedly recent history of barbecue ribs in America, according to Jacob Smith of The Daily Meal.

Texas now has a fully halal barbecue joint with Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice in Pilot Point, where beef is the star of the show.

An El Paso lawyer-turned pitmaster behind Halellujah! BBQ is serving up brisket, ribs, and jobs for the unhoused in El Paso.

Grady's BBQ announces it is immediately closing all 3 San Antonio locations after 70 years.

—Jeremy Yoder of Mad Scientist BBQ recently took a Ted Lasso-inspired barbecue tour of Kansas City.—

WATCH

Kansas City’s Ted Lasso BBQ Tour — Mad Scientist BBQ
Jeremy Yoder of the Mad Scientist BBQ YouTube Channel and friends recently took a trip to Kansas City. While there, they did a tour of four BBQ joints inspired by the hit show Ted Lasso, starring Kansas City native Jason Sudeikis. The BBQ crawl included visits to some of Kansas City’s most legendary spots: Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue, Gates Bar-B-Q, and Jack Stack BBQ. Jeremy and pitmaster Joe Yim share their thoughts about each restaurant and give recommendations on what to order. WATCH HERE.
 

LISTEN

Sterling Ball of Big Poppa Smokers — MEAT+POULTRY
Sterling “Big Poppa” Ball always wants to push the level of barbecue flavors and tastes for people. The hall-of-fame pitmaster, who runs Big Poppa Smokers in California, recently chatted with MEAT+POULTRY to discuss what he’s seen on the barbecue landscape over the last few years and how his company teaches and promotes the art of low and slow cooking. The conversation starts with Ball explaining how his first business, Ernie Ball, a well-known guitar and strings company, helped inform what he tries to do with barbecue daily. Ball then describes what he enjoys about the process of grilling. Later on, he discusses his partnerships with food service companies and working with Tyson Foods’ Chairman’s Reserve Meats brand when coming up with new recipes and items. Ball also conveys what he looks for when shopping for meat at the grocery store or at the butcher counter. LISTEN HERE.
 

READ

The Barbecue! Bible — Steven Raichlen
A 500-recipe celebration of sizzle and smoke, Steven Raichlen’s award-winning The Barbecue! Bible unlocks the secrets of live-fire cooking with top dishes, the tastiest sauces, and insider techniques and tips. It’s got everything: how to grill the perfect T-bone. Succulent chicken from around the world: Jamaica, Senegal, Brazil, India, Thailand, Uruguay. A perfect meeting of fire and ice: Fire-Roasted Banana Splits. Includes FAQs, problem-solving tips, and comprehensive notes on equipment, ingredients, marinades, rubs—even a chapter on thirst quenchers to serve while you’re busy fanning the coals. ORDER HERE.

—You definitely need to try this recipe for Sweet & Garlicky Pork Chops from Steven Raichlen’s award-winning book, The Barbecue! Bible.—

Sweet & Garlicky Pork Chops

By Steven Raichlen

One of the constants in the world of barbecue is the pairing of grilled meats with garlic. Another is using a sugar- or honey-based marinade to counterpoint the richness of a meat like pork. Put them together, and you get this Thai-style barbecue, which is made here with pork chops but could also be used for pork tenderloin or loin. I like to use one-inch-thick loin chops for this recipe, but you can also use twice as many of the more widely available thin chops. Jasmine Rice would make a good accompaniment.

Excerpted from The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen. Workman Publishing © 2008.

—Rib King NYC is coming up in Brooklyn on May 27.—

May 17-20, 2023: Memphis in May — Memphis, Tennessee
Recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious barbecue contests, the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is a four-day competition held in Memphis, TN. Teams representing the best of barbecue that have been honing their craft for years compete for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $145,000 in prize money. The Contest features championship pork categories of Ribs, Shoulder, and Whole Hog, as well as the ancillary competitions of Hot Wings, Sauce, and “Anything But Pork.” The event will be held again at Tom’s River Park after a hiatus. However, based on the reduction in space in the new Tom Lee Park the event organizers expect the contest will be limited to 150 teams. MORE INFO HERE.

May 27, 2023: Rib King NYC — Brooklyn, New York
Food Karma Projects – the producers of Pig Island NYC and Brisket King NYC – are bringing you the ultimate memorial day barbecue and picnic with Rib King NYC. The event will feature amazing ribs from joints all over the NYC metro area, a Sauce King NYC showcase, Hard Cider Alley, plus many other food products, spirits, and drinks. It’s all happening at Industry City in Brooklyn. BUY TICKETS HERE.

May 27-28, 2023: Denver BBQ Festival — Denver, Colorado
The Denver BBQ Fest, held at Empower Field at Mile High (where the Broncos play), is a huge event that brings barbecue fans together to get a taste of great local and national barbecue bites. On top of the top-notch food, there’s also live music and great drinks to enjoy. To get a taste of this event, be sure to read writer Ed Reilly’s recap of the 2022 Denver BBQ Festival. If you’re near Denver, don’t miss this. MORE INFO HERE.

June 16-17, 2023: Discovery Fire at Settlers Creek — Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
The Discovery Fire event (formerly From the Ashes Idaho) returns June 16-17, 2023, with the big food, flavors and fun that you've come to expect from this annual summer Smoked and Fired Foods Adventure. It will include a Light the Fires Dinner on Friday night and a Pitmaster Showcase Event on Saturday. MORE INFO HERE.

June 23-24, 2023: Q BBQ Fest — Kansas City, Missouri
Arrowhead Events, the special events arm of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Eximius Productions have announced that the third-annual Q BBQ Fest – Kansas City will return to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for a two-day event on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24. This year's elevated barbecue festival format will be held inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time, giving guests the chance to sample the best barbecue from local, regional and national pitmasters inside the home of the Chiefs. MORE INFO HERE.

July 13-16, 2023: Windy City Smokeout — Chicago, Illinois
Get ready for beer, BBQ, and country tunes, because the Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival is returning to Chicago. The Windy City Smokeout is one of the largest barbecue festivals in the U.S. and typically features the world’s best pitmasters and more than 15 musical acts. MORE INFO HERE.

Sept 1-3, 2023: Pinehurst Barbecue Festival — Pinehurst, North Carolina
The Pinehurst Barbecue Festival is a celebration of taste and tradition, featuring award-winning pitmasters from across North Carolina in one of the most picturesque settings in the entire state. Presented by Pinehurst Resort, US Foods, and Our State Magazine, the three-day festival, staged in the Village of Pinehurst, offers a unique culinary experience of various barbecue meats, seafood, and traditional sides, plus bourbon tasting and BBQ classes. MORE INFO HERE.

September 4-7, 2023: Barbecue University 2023 — Solvang, California
BBQ master Steven Raichlen will once again be hosting Barbecue University this year. This time, it will be held at Alisal Ranch in Solvang, California. You'll get a chance to experience Steven’s inimitable teaching style designed to help you take your grilling to the next level and much more. Get ready for Steven’s spontaneous improvisations, the Instagram-worthy presentation table, the final exam, and of course, the coveted Barbecue University diploma. MORE INFO HERE.

Sept 27 - Oct 1, 2023: American Royal World Series of Barbecue — Kansas City, Kansas
The American Royal World Series of barbecue is the largest BBQ competition in the country. On top of a massive KCBS competition with roughly 500 teams, this signature Kansas City event includes public-facing activities, including live music, delicious BBQ and local food, a lineup of kids activities, and a vendor fair authentic to Kansas City and BBQ enthusiasts. MORE INFO HERE.

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