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 champions The Ultimate Prime Rib Pho with Leftover Brisket and Smoked Bone Broth Mussels on Smoked Fettucine Miso Maple Black Cod à la Nobu Vichyssoise Improved Nashville Hot Chicken Red Pepper Risotto Pineapple Foster And he follows it all up with more than 110 tested creative recipes to inspire you to break out of the traditional barbecue box—experiment with new ingredients, techniques, and impressive recipes not covered in other barbecue books, with dishes like Championship Pork Ribs, Pho with Leftover Brisket and Smoked Bone Broth, Real Fried Chicken on a Gas Grill (It’s Safe!), The Ultimate Smash Burger, Mussels with Smoked Fettucine, Crawfish on Dirty Rice, Squash Bisque, and Drunken Peaches and Cream.