The Meathead Method: A BBQ Hall of Famer's Secrets and Science on BBQ, Grilling, and Outdoor Cooking with 114 Recipes

by Meathead

Overview

“The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.” —Alton Brown

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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063272842
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/13/2025
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Meathead is the New York Times bestselling author of Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, named “One of the 100 Best Cookbooks of All Time” by Southern Living Magazine, and called an “indispensable guide” by The New Yorker. He has taken 10 years to publish this valuable companion, The Meathead Method. Meathead is the founder of AmazingRibs.com, the world’s largest and most popular barbecue and grilling website, and one of only 40 living members of the BBQ Hall of Fame. He has penned hundreds of articles about food and drink for the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, among others, and his photos have appeared in such publications as Time and Playboy. He has judged food and drink from Kansas City to Italy. The Chicago Tribune called him “as brainy as Food Network’s Alton Brown.”

Editorial Reviews

The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.” — Alton Brown

“Nobody distills the art and science of outdoor cooking down into digestible, actionable lessons and recipes like Meathead.” — J. Kenji López-Alt, New York Times

“A master’s irreverent, opinionated, deeply informed, down-to-earth treatise. Meaty all around!” — Harold McGee, food scientist and author of On Food and Cooking

“Meathead is a force. He presents tempting recipes and fail-safe outdoor cooking techniques, and backs them up with real science and secrets to success, and he took some of the best looking food photography ever.” — Chef Elizabeth Karmel, cookbook author and the OG Grill Girl

“Epic—the be-all and end-all to demystify the art and science of BBQ.” — Chef Grant Crilly, ChefSteps.com

“Packed with fire and flavor, it breaks down the science behind great BBQ and all its secrets.” — Cowboy Kent Rollins

“The Meathead Method is the perfect blend of science and sizzle. It strips away the myths and reveals the secrets behind great barbecue. A must-read for anyone serious about barbecue, from backyard enthusiasts to competition-level pitmasters.” — Chef Chris Young, food scientist and coauthor of Modernist Cuisine

“An essential read, this masterfully blends the art of cooking with the science. A must-have for the backyard BBQer and home chefs alike!” — Danielle Bennett, pitmaster and CEO of Diva Q

“A must-have. Fantastic recipes and elegant images, but myth-busting is his favorite sport, and Meathead wins the Super Bowl of cookbooks with this one.” — Jeff Tracy, BBQ Nation radio

“WOW! This is one of the most incredible books on barbecue and grilling I’ve ever read, and believe me, I have read every book on barbecue or grilling ever written!” — “Famous Dave” Anderson, America’s Rib King and a BBQ Hall of Famer

“There is so much great new information, safety talk, and myth-busting that this will become a go-to resource for all your live-fire cooking. On top of all that, there are incredible recipes.” — Greg Rempe, The BBQ Central Show

Nearly a decade after writing Meathead, the BBQ Hall of Famer is back. . .Meathead’s latest offers plenty of new information, including preparation and cooking techniques such as brinerades (combining brines and marinades), pizza making, and stir-frying on a grill with a wok. . .Writing with passion, panache, and plenty of dry wit, Meathead breaks down the art and science of grilling and barbequing, making this an indispensable guide even for collections that have other excellent grilling books. . .  — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The sequel is hardly ever as good as the original, except for The Godfather Part II, which is as good or may be better than the first one. The Meathead Method may be better than Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling. Is this your Godfather Part II?” — Leonard Aberman, cocreator of the Baseball and Barbecue podcast

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2025

Nearly a decade after writing Meathead, the BBQ Hall of Famer is back. While there is some overlap between the two books, Meathead's latest offers plenty of new information, including preparation and cooking techniques such as brinerades (combining brines and marinades), pizza making, and stir-frying on a grill with a wok. The first quarter of the book is dedicated to food science and covers everything from using one's senses in cooking to paying attention to food temperature and safety. Along the way, Meathead busts up long-held grilling myths, including the one that basting meats adds flavor. The 114 recipes that follow include everything from barbecue sauces, marinades, and spice rubs to classic grill items such as beef back ribs and the ultimate smash burger. But Meathead also throws some unexpected culinary curves into the mix, such as a chic Paris chicken, "Greekish" potato salad, and Grand Marnier garlic bread. VERDICT Writing with passion, panache, and plenty of dry wit, Meathead breaks down the art and science of grilling and barbequing, making his an indispensable guide even for collections that have other excellent grilling books, such as Tyler Florence's American Grill and Steven Raichlen's The Barbecue! Bible.—John Charles

Library Journal