Rating: 
Summary: For the BBQ enthusiast
Review: I very rarely read cookbooks from cover to cover, especially those the size of BBQ USA, but this is one I couldn't put down. A thorough mix of recipes, restaurants and BBQ lore this is more than a cookbook, it is a culinary history of America.
You may be wondering why you should buy this book, especially if you already own some of Raichlen's other books. (Barbecue Bible, How To Grill, etc.) This book has two advantages over his previous books.
First, this book is about barbecuing as much as it is about grilling. In his typical manner the author does cover techniques for how to grill just about any food that can hit the plate. This is interesting but I am just not sure that I need that many grilled dishes. Instead I like to work on the art form that is American BBQ - taking a worthless hunk of meat and through the judicious application of smoke and fire turning it into a scrumptious meal that will draw friends and neighbors to you backyard. This book finally has a good coverage of traditional American BBQ. For example, this book has five recipes for pulled pork. Each one is a regional variation with different ingredients and cooking methods. There is good discussion on the benefits of each of these variations leaving the home cook with information that he can use to create his own recipe. You will find the same thorough treatment given to ribs, brisket, etc.
Second, this book is about the USA. Now I don't mean to be ameri-centric but BBQ is one of those things that is part of our national personality. Our BBQ shacks and backyard pit masters are a part of our heritage, a heritage that should be appreciated and passed on. BBQ USA is a storehouse of the history, importance and meaning of BBQ to those who make it and those who eat it. It is a call to get together with friends and share time over good food and good conversation.
By the way, this book is not an introduction to grilling. If that is what you are looking for try How To Grill.
Rating:
Summary: Authority on Regional Barbecue, and why Barbecue is Great
Review: It is a little intimidating to take on the task of reviewing a 774 page book by the generally accepted foremost expert on grilling and barbecue in the country, especially since Steve Raichlens does such a good job of looking the part of barbecue expert. The job is doubly intimidating since I am among those poor 15% of all Americans who own no grill whatsoever. I don't even have the excuse of living in a cramped city apartment or, having once been a rather accomplished Boy Scout, having no expertise around an open fire. All of these in the face of Raichlen's claim that barbecue / grilling is the very best way to cook. Thus, in the face of the increased cost, skill levels, and inconvenience imposed by barbecue / grilling, I embarked on justifying to myself the accuracy of Raichlen's claim.Before I do this, it is important to characterize exactly what barbecue is. As any more than casual viewer of Bobby Flay and other Food Network shows, it should be clear that the meaning of barbecue is very different depending on the traditions of different regions in the country. Regionality is so strong that barbecue even has two very different meanings in the North Carolina low country versus barbecue in the western hills. One thing is certain. Even though cooking over an open flame is about as old as the taming of fire, the technique called barbecue, and the word 'barbecue', did originate in the New World, first discovered by an early Spanish conquistador and published in Spain in 1526. From this simple American origin, the meaning of barbecue has expanded to the point where it is almost impossible to pin down with a simple definition. Some sources would say that it is not barbecue if there is no smoke coming in contact with the food. Others may connect barbecue with the use of rubs, marinades, or mop sauces, but by the author's including both baked goods, soups, and salads in a book on barbecue, I'm certain he does not limit the sense of the technique to any of these techniques. So, how can one characterize barbecue in a way which demonstrates why one may claim that it is the most desirable way to cook. The first element one needs to barbecue is an open fire that may be fueled by wood, charcoal, or hydrocarbon gases. The second element is that the barbecue grill places the food above the fire on a grill in such a way that the food may be covered and that the heat may be applied to the food with cover in place or cover removed. The third element is that the grill is capable of creating smoke with different flavors by either adding aromatic wood directly to the fuel or to a stage where it can be heated by the gas flames. Barbecue involves hot smoking. Cold smoking used to create bacon is not part of the barbecue lexicon. The fourth element is that the grill is capable of creating cooking zones with low, medium, and high heat, and one can move the food from one area to the other very easily. Sauces, rubs, and marinades may characterize meat cookery, but they are not relevant to applying the barbecue techniques to baking, soups, or some vegetables. So, why is the barbecue technique so great, if, as some like me may be inclined to view it as a pain in the neck? First, one can achieve cooking temperatures that may cause a meltdown in your kitchen Hotpoint oven. Second, with skillful maintenance of fuel, these high temperatures can be maintained consistently. They will not cycle as the oven's thermostat turns the heat source off and on to maintain a certain temperature. Third, it is (or at least should be) easy to move cooking food from one temperature to another. Fourth, the cooking method may add the flavor of smoke and cook at the same time, unlike indoor stovetop smokers or cold smokers. Varying the wood providing the smoke may vary this flavor. Fifth, a grill and supplementary equipment adds techniques for applying indirect heat, modified direct heat, and rotisserie cooking. The last thing I can think of is that the technique can be used for really large jobs such as a whole pig, deer, lamb, or other large animal carcass. The other side of the coin is that in order to achieve this advantage; you need some cooking skills that you do not need on your trusty Hotpoint. That is where Steven Raichlen's book comes to the rescue. The book leaves no subject untouched. Chapters cover Salads, Breads and Pizzas, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Picnic Fare (burgers, hot dogs, and sausages), Poultry, Fin Fish, Shellfish, Vegetables for Vegetarians, Vegetables for the Rest of Us, Side Dishes, Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Desserts. The best part of this galaxy of recipes and techniques is that virtually all of them are traditional American recipes, for which Raichlen gives the source along with lots of sidebars and tips. The very best part of this lineup is that it pretty much covers all the different senses of 'barbecue' in America. While there are several expert sources on barbecue and grilling technique such as Bobby Flay and Chris Schlesinger, both of whom are credited in the book, I simply cannot see anyone choosing any other book as a starting point to take up barbecue. The information you need to get started at a low initial cost is complete and, need I say it, authoritative. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Making a good grillmaster great
Review: It is obvious from reading some of the reviews that this book goes beyond most peoples comfort level with a grill. And thats the point. If your idea of grilling is tossing a burger or chicken breast on the coals for dinner, then this book will overwhelm you. If however, you are already a fairly accomplished grill jockey, and are truly interested in the sport, then it is an outstanding encyclopedia of recipes, techniques and history, to educate and expand your horizons. I highly recommend that you first read "How to Grill", which goes into great detail on all of the nuances of advanced grilling techniques, and is perfect to introduce the reader to mops, sauces, wood chips etc. BBQ USA is not for the beginner, but for the intermediate grill jockey. It blew me away!!. I have cooked several recipes, and in true Raichlen fashion, they are showstoppers!.
Rating:
Summary: How do you top The BBQ Bible?
Review: Just write BBQ USA! Raichlen traveled the WORLD in search of BBQ recipes (over 500!) in The Barbecue Bible. I graduated from burgers, steaks and grilled chicken breasts to Tandoori Chicken, Thai, and how to grill a whole fish ifrom the 556 pages!
So, again, how do you top the definitive work on open fire cooking? BBQ USA! 774 PAGES of over 425 recipes from all over the US, INCLUDING THE comprehensive history of BBQ in the US thanks to KC Masterpiece originator, Dr. Rich Davis. There are pages and pages of biographical info on BBQ icons and institutions in the United States and even one recipe from Canada! And more pictures.
I personally feel that even as a novice, you actually could pick up this huge volume and begin almost anywhere, any recipe and be successful. The book covers the basics in the beginning chapter. Choosing and using grills and accessories and even includes basic and more advanced techniques to grilling. You'll probably see someone disagree with that statement. I defy the naysayers to name a better bbq book WRITER. Raichlen may not be in front of PBS, or Food network cameras as much as Hirsch, Flay, et al. Steven Raichlen just writes the most comprehensive books on BBQ anywhere!
I must also mention a trend I've noticed in some other cookbook writers (some very well known) that are releasing cookbooks that rearrange recipes from their previous books and call them new and sell them based on their well known names. I looked through the indexes of BBQ Bible and compared it to BBQ USA. There are no or none that I could find repeats that appear in both books.
One other thing we as Americans can be proud of is our BBQ!
God Bless our Troops
I enjoyed this book, not only for the great food recipes but the great stories and history presented. If I were stuck on a deserted island with just my Weber and Raichlen's books on BBQ, I wouldn't want to be rescued.
John Row
Rating:
Summary: A complete-in-one-volume resource for grillers
Review: Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA is a 774-page compendium which provides the kitchen chef or outdoor barbecuer with 425 barbecue recipes drawn from across the length and breadth of America. From Grilled Shrimp Cocktail; Lamb Burgers; and Liquid Fire Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce; to Iowa Pork Chops with Maytag Blue; Huli Huli Chicken from Paradise; and Grilled Artichokes, Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA focuses especially on succulent meats, delicious dressings, and even offers barbecue delectables for the vegetarian. Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA is a first-rate, enthusiastically recommended, complete-in-one-volume resource for grillers eager to make the most of the summer season.
Rating:
Summary: Making a good grillmaster great
Review: This book contains all the standard bbq and grilling tips and instructions you find in any fire cooking book. It is at least as comprehensive as any other. It also includes tons of recipes. The good thing about these recipes is that all come from the good ole USA. I also own Raichlen's bbq bible. It also has good instruction, but too many of the recipes are exotic foreign dishes. If you want to master grilling and bbq techniques, this is the best book I've found. If you want tons of variations on steak, ribs, chicken, and pork, this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: The best of the many grill/bbq books I own
Review: This book contains all the standard bbq and grilling tips and instructions you find in any fire cooking book. It is at least as comprehensive as any other. It also includes tons of recipes. The good thing about these recipes is that all come from the good ole USA. I also own Raichlen's bbq bible. It also has good instruction, but too many of the recipes are exotic foreign dishes. If you want to master grilling and bbq techniques, this is the best book I've found. If you want tons of variations on steak, ribs, chicken, and pork, this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: What A BBQ Guide Should Be
Review: Want more out of BBQ? This is surefire one stop source! 774 pages of BBQ source that is, with info and recipes and techniques and history, with all the regional tricks and traditions covered, explained and recipes provided. There is grillin under bricks, on a rotisserie, in a pit, smoked, and rubbed and pulled and flamed seared, with hog or beef or oysters,corn, beans, even meatloaf. Then there's brats and burgers and every fixin that goes so well with these.
They're all here. This is truly a source for them all. One doesn't have to travel all over to discover them, just pick and choose on a BBQ journey around the country cooking through this one. Or if you desire to visit a site or region, this even provides the places and addresses to find personally. I like to try different stuff that I've never had before, so for me thus far I've tried: "Alabam BBQ Chickens with White BBQ Sauce." Who has ever heard of WhiteBBQ? But this is soo good! The horseradish, vinegar sauce is a hit, a triple at least! Also into the ribs, so a marinated in apple cider, with a "Magic Dust" rub really caught my eye and mouth, and you've just got to try the "Apple City Championship Ribs". And finally, a Tuna "London Broil" with Wasabi Cream Sauce. This is fantastic dish with a dry rub, and the contrasty taste of seared tuna with cream sauce is rich and superb, even for squeamish sushi avoiders. And what BBQ is there without dessert, say "Smoked Alaska." This is a treat, not as hard as one would think. This is such a thorough book it will take many years of grilling to explore all its varieties and offerings, but many of us will and should! There is outstanding bibliography and sources. Join in the fun!
Rating:
Summary: What A BBQ Guide Should Be
Review: Want more out of BBQ? This is surefire one stop source! 774 pages of BBQ source that is, with info and recipes and techniques and history, with all the regional tricks and traditions covered, explained and recipes provided. There is grillin under bricks, on a rotisserie, in a pit, smoked, and rubbed and pulled and flamed seared, with hog or beef or oysters,corn, beans, even meatloaf. Then there's brats and burgers and every fixin that goes so well with these.
They're all here. This is truly a source for them all. One doesn't have to travel all over to discover them, just pick and choose on a BBQ journey around the country cooking through this one. Or if you desire to visit a site or region, this even provides the places and addresses to find personally. I like to try different stuff that I've never had before, so for me thus far I've tried: "Alabam BBQ Chickens with White BBQ Sauce." Who has ever heard of WhiteBBQ? But this is soo good! The horseradish, vinegar sauce is a hit, a triple at least! Also into the ribs, so a marinated in apple cider, with a "Magic Dust" rub really caught my eye and mouth, and you've just got to try the "Apple City Championship Ribs". And finally, a Tuna "London Broil" with Wasabi Cream Sauce. This is fantastic dish with a dry rub, and the contrasty taste of seared tuna with cream sauce is rich and superb, even for squeamish sushi avoiders. And what BBQ is there without dessert, say "Smoked Alaska." This is a treat, not as hard as one would think. This is such a thorough book it will take many years of grilling to explore all its varieties and offerings, but many of us will and should! There is outstanding bibliography and sources. Join in the fun!
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