I have a lot of barbecue books. It's sort of a problem. I try to collect as many as I can because there is always a gem recipe or two(or maybe a dozen if I'm lucky) in them that I'll utilize in my day to day cooking.
Ray Sheehan's 'Award-Winning BBQ Sauces & How To Use' did not disappoint AND actually blew me away by how useful it actually is. I would HIGHLY recommend because it will not only look pretty on your shelf. I have found myself going back to it again and again and really appreciate the fact that a lot of thought went into organizing the recipes and book itself. It's easy to use when a lot of BBQ books are a huge mash of unconnected recipes.
ALSO a great bonus is that all of the photos within were taken by Ken Goodman. He has a fantastic way of showcasing great BBQ and food along with putting the personality of the cook into his images.
Some backstory on Ray; he is the founder and owner of BBQ Buddha and the pitmaster for the BBQ Buddha competition team as well as a certified Kansas City Barbeque Society Judge. His sauces have been named “Best BBQ Sauce in the World” and have won awards including the Scovie Awards, The National Barbecue & Grilling Association’s Awards of Excellence, The International Artisan Flavor Awards and more.
By name alone you might assume that it's merely a collection of just BBQ sauce recipes and perhaps some proteins that work well with them, but it's actually a guide on how to use ten(yes ten) different BBQ sauces with detailed recipes for dishes to create with each of them. There is also a great guide in the beginning on how to build your perfect BBQ sauce so that you can branch out on your own beyond these great sauces within.
They include the sauce that won 'Best BBQ Sauce in the World, a Sweet and Tangy North Carolina BBQ Sauce, a Honey BBQ Sauce, a Sweet and Smokey Kansas City BBQ Sauce, a Bold Texas BBQ Sauce, a South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce, a Tangy Peach BBQ Sauce, a Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce, an Asian BBQ Sauce, and an Alabama White BBQ Sauce. Ray explains that in this book "you will find the recipes for my most awarded sauce, BBQ Buddha’s Memphis Mop BBQ Sauce, as well as my Kansas City BBQ Sauce. In fact, all the sauces shared within these pages have helped me earn numerous awards in barbecue and grilling competitions throughout the Northeast and beyond."
So far I've made all of the sauces, but my current favorites are the Kansas City sauce, the Cherry Bourbon(so incredible), and the Alabama White Sauce and the recipes that I have so far made twice are the brisket burnt ends, the smoked deviled eggs with shredded pork, the smoked chicken halves, the Moink Balls, and the bacon wrapped Brussel sprouts.
Here are some more of the great photos within.
Purchase Ray Sheehan’s ‘Award-Winning BBQ Sauces & How to Use’ book HERE
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