Food for thought: Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook

If you are going to get just one book on Texas barbecue, Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook is a good choice. Robb Walsh is an active but impartial reviewer of the turbulent smokehouse scene who has commented on this blog from time to time. He describes the basics of how to do it, organizes the content along logical story lines (pork is completely separate from beef, for example, as it should be) and doesn’t shirk from controversy (he explains the origins of the Kreutz/Schmidt family feud in Lockhart, for example).

And recipes! In addition to original guidance for cooking basic dishes, Walsh shares a number of recipes he has picked up in his many days on the Texas barbecue trail. Laura Novostad’s Confetti Slaw, which we modified to produce this version, is one good example. (The current edition has been updated with 32 new recipes… including Aaron Franklin’s Expresso Barbecue Sauce.) Like on Burnt My Fingers, he tries to keep the preparation straightforward so you get a lot of good taste for a reasonable amount of effort. Check it out.