Raichlen on Ribs Ribs Outragious Ribs or The Apprentice

Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outragious Ribs

Author: Steven Raichlen

It’s a marriage made in BBQ heaven: America’s foremost grilling guru takes on ribs. Baby backs and spare ribs, short ribs and long ribs, pork ribs, beef ribs, lamb ribs, and more—a passionate, single-subject celebration of meaty, smoky, sweet ’n’ spicy, crowd-pleasing, fall-off-the-bone-tender ribs.

A perfect rib is the culmination of the griller’s art, and nobody’s better at showing how to put it all together—the tastes, techniques, ingredients, recipes, tips—than Steven Raichlen, award-winning author of Barbecue! Bible, How to Grill, Beer-Can Chicken, and other BARBECUE! BIBLE® books with 3 million copies in print. Here are 75 mouth-watering, repertoire-expanding, rib-rocking recipes: Buccaneer Baby Backs with Rumbullion Barbecue Sauce. Lone Star Barrel Staves. Tandoori Ribs. Maui-Style Short Ribs. Jamaican Jerk Ribs. Thai Sweet Chili Ribs. The Original Dinosaur Ribs. Cousin Dave’s Chipotle Chocolate Ribs. But the book is also a rib clinic: It coversthe nine methods for cooking ribs, from direct grilling to spit-roasting. The essential techniques for handling ribs. Key ingredients in making homemade sauces, mops, andrubs. And boxes throughout to help take your rib cookery to the next level—even to the competition level, with tips on how to enter and how to win.

Publishers Weekly

Grillmaster Raichlen (The Barbecue Bible; etc.) believes "[t]he rib is surely the most perfect morsel of meat known to man. Most of the world's great food cultures back me on this." To wit, he points to the gastronomy of Argentina, Brazil, Italy, China, Korea and, of course, America. Yet many of the people who attend Raichlen's Barbecue University tell him the thought of cooking ribs intimidates them. While the task isn't complicated, Raichlen admits, a solid grasp of technique, tradition, lore and science can help anyone prepare "the perfect bones." In his casual, friendly manner, Raichlen takes readers through the ins and outs of ribs, with anatomy lessons explaining the difference between various cuts of ribs (like baby backs and rib tips) and instructions on trimming and peeling; seasoning or marinating; and mopping and saucing. He covers direct grilling, smoke-roasting, smoking and spit-roasting (and their variations), with advice on which kinds of ribs are best suited to each method. After an overview of tools and accessories, it's on to the 75 recipes in all their carnivorous glory. From First-Timer's Ribs ("the foolproof recipe that gives you competition-quality bones every time") to Grandpa's Barbecued Pastramied Short Ribs, Raichlen's got ribs-as well as all the necessary sides and sauces-covered. (Apr. 24) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Table of Contents:

CONTENTS

Introduction: The Popular Choice
Ribs 101 (p. 5)
An Anatomy Lesson: Know Your Ribs(p. 6)
Eight Essential Techniques for Prepping & Cooking Ribs (p. 17)
How to Cook Ribs: Six Great Live-Fire Techniques(p. 21)
How to Make Grill-Quality Ribs Indoors (p. 26)
How to Set Up a Grill (p. 29)
What to Cook Your Ribs On: A Quick Guide to Grills and Smokers (p. 39)
Tools and Accessories for Cooking Ribs (p. 48)
Pork Baby Backs (p. 53)
Hands down, this is America’s favorite rib, here cooked to glorious perfection. From the deliciously simple First-Timer’s Ribs to the Maple-Glazed Ribs of Quebec to Chinatown Ribs, Buccaneer Baby Backs, Peanut Butter Ribs, and Porkosaurus Memphis in May Championship Ribs—these are ribs at their finest. Beyond Baby Backs: Pork Spareribs, Country-Style Ribs, and Rib Tips (p. 143)
There’s much more to pork ribs than baby backs. Fire up the grill and test out Jamaican Jerk Spareribs, Milk and Honey Spareribs, BB’s Rib Tips, and Country-Style Ribs with Chilean Pepper Sauce. Beef Ribs (p. 173)
Short ribs, long ribs, veal ribs, bison ribs—they’re all here. Feast on Lone Star Beef Ribs, Rabbi’s Ribs, Grandpa’s Barbecued Pastramied Short Ribs, Rotisserie Veal Ribs with Herbes de Provence, and Bison Ribs with Cabernet Sauvignon Barbecue Sauce. All delectable. Lamb Ribs (p. 221)
Lamb ribs turn up often on the world’s barbecue trail. For a Mediterranean touch, grill Lamb Ribs with Garlic and Mint. And wait untilyou try them tandoori style with Indian spices, or with ginger, rum, and pineapple as they do in Australia. To really heat things up, serve the North African “Méchoui” of Lamb Ribs with a spicy Harissa, then turn to the Drinks chapter to cool things off. Side Dishes (p. 241)
Some may wish to feast on ribs alone, but that would mean missing out on Grilled Corn with Barbecue Butter, Smoke-Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Molasses Mustard Baked Beans, and Fennel Slaw—and that would be too much to sacrifice. Drinks and Desserts (p. 263)
Ribs and beer—what could be better? How about a Dark and Stormy or a Guadeloupean Rum Punch or a glass of White Sangria? Want something a little less high-test? Try Minted Lemonade or Half-and-Halfs. And for dessert, there are Molasses and Spice Grilled Bananas, a Grilled Peach Caramel Sundae, or Grilled Fruit-and-Pound-Cake Kebabs. Perfect!

See also: Cooking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America or Everything Wild Game Cookbook

The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen

Author: Jacques Pepin

From the moment of its publication, The Apprentice established itself as an "instant classic" (Anthony Bourdain). With sparkling wit and occasional pathos, the man whom Julia Child has called "the best chef in America" tells the captivating story of his rise from a terrified thirteen-year-old toiling in an Old World French kitchen to an American superstar who ad-libbed and demonstrated culinary wizardry as the cameras rolled — and changed American tastes.

The Apprentice is an engrossing tale of the modern cooking scene and how it came to be, told from an engaging personal perspective. The story begins in prewar France, with young Jacques cutting his teeth in his mother's small restaurants. Moving to Paris, it offers tantalizing glimpses of Sartre and Genet. In his role as Charles de Gaulle's personal chef, Jacques witnesses history being made from behind the swinging door of the kitchen.
In America, he rejects an offer to be chef in the Kennedy White House, choosing instead to work at Howard Johnson's. He then proceeds to make some history of his own, creating a revolution with a band of fellow food lovers: Julia Child, James Beard, and Craig Claiborne. Culinary high jinks and revealing portraits ensue. The Apprentice also includes well-loved recipes, from Maman's Cheese Soufflé to Chicken Salad à la Danny Kaye.

The New York Times

[Pepin] made his way late to the written word, having been a chef before he was a scholar, and a teacher and a restaurateur before he published. But first -- the good luck is ours -- he was a hungry child, in a country in which food was religion, and in which history imprinted itself culinarily. — Stacy Shiff

The Washington Post

Lest any reader think this is another saga of sex and drugs in the kitchen, it definitely is not. Instead, it's the story of just what it takes to turn a talented young Frenchman into one of the most admired figures in the culinary world. And anyone who thinks that all you need to do to be called "chef" is to survive a few months -- or even a few years -- in culinary school would do well to read it. — Judith Weinraub

The New Yorker

In this beguiling memoir, the celebrated French chef and cooking-show host recounts his start as a scrappy thirteen-year-old country boy who arrived at his first restaurant apprenticeship still wearing short pants. An incorrigible prankster (he once coated a colleague's eyeglasses in aspic), Pépin never fully submitted to the strict regimen of the French kitchen, and, after a stint as a cook for Charles de Gaulle, he headed for New York, where he ended up working for the chain-restaurant entrepreneur Howard Johnson. Making clam chowder by the gallon was a quirky turn for a classically trained chef, but it enabled Pépin to revolutionize mass-produced food. With appealing modesty, he sees himself as essentially a blue-collar worker, whose "vantage point to history-in-the-making was the crack between two swinging kitchen doors."

Publishers Weekly

In this fast-moving and often touching memoir, Pepin recounts his journey from the kitchen of his mother's humble restaurant in rural France after World War II to his current position as author of 21 cookbooks, star of 13 PBS cooking shows and dean of special programs at the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Along the way he describes everything from the tough French apprenticeship system that saw him dropping out of school at 13 to work in Lyon to the beginnings of the Howard Johnson's chain. Pepin accepted a job in the Howard Johnson's test kitchen over a stint at the White House cooking for John F. Kennedy , but shows no signs of regret. In fact, if there's a flaw here, it's that Pepin's eternally upbeat attitude is sometimes a little hard to buy-although he does seem to have been born under a lucky star. Pepin came to the U.S. just when a culinary culture was building and fell into friendships with Craig Claiborne, then food editor of the New York Times, and Julia Child. Even a bad car accident when he was 39 turned out to be a godsend, as it got him out of the restaurant kitchen and into the teaching profession. Pepin mines a lot of humor from the differences between French and American attitudes toward food, as when he recounts how he and a French friend once stopped by a farmsomewhere in the U.S. with a sign reading "Ducks for Sale" and wrung the neck of the duck they'd just bought in front of the horrified proprietress. Each chapter concludes with one or two recipes, many of them surprisingly earthy, such as Oatmeal Breakfast Soup with leeks and bacon. (Apr.) Forecast: Pepin's is a strongly branded name, and fans of his books, television shows and classes are bound to be curious as to how he got to where he is. This charming memoir will not disappoint, and the tireless Pepin's 12-city tour is sure to attract plenty of readers. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Janet Julian - KLIATT

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year, The Apprentice is an earthy, honest, well-written autobiography by one of the century's best-known chefs. During WW II, Jacques' mother worked as a waitress to feed her three young sons. In 1947 Jacques' mother opened a restaurant, Chez Pepin, in a working class neighborhood in Lyon. Bigger restaurants followed and Jacques quit school at 13, determined to become a chef. In 1949 he began a three-year apprenticeship, learning to cook on a temperamental wood stove. Afterward he worked in a succession of hotels and then served in the navy during the Algerian War. He even served as chef to France's prime minister, a job that ended when the government collapsed in 1958. Soon, however, he was cooking for Charles de Gaulle. In 1959 Pepin came to the US and landed a job at the prestigious Le Pavillon in New York City. Eight months later this job ended and Pepin went to work for Howard Deering Johnson, improving the food served by his restaurant chain. Pepin also received a tempting offer—to become the White House chef, should John Kennedy be elected. But he had found a second father in Mr. Johnson, with whom he remained during the 1960s. He married, bought a house in the Catskills, fathered Claudine, and opened a soup restaurant in 1970. La Potagerie was a great success, but tragedy struck when Pepin was seriously injured in an auto accident in 1974. After this he became a teacher and TV personality. Pepin's charming memoir is enlivened with anecdotes, photos and 24 easy-to-follow recipes. KLIATT Codes: JSA—Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2003, Houghton Mifflin, 318p. illus.index., Ages 12 to adult.

Library Journal

How does one become a chef? Aside from having a love for food, modern cooks are born from diverse experiences, talents, and training. Pepin, who has given us numerous cookbooks and memorable television programs, now shares his story. Throughout his early years in the kitchens of family restaurants and highly structured apprenticeships throughout France to his move to the United States, years as a product development chef for Howard Johnson, and friendships with such famous foodies as Craig Claiborne, Pepin relates how his interest in food and culinary techniques developed into passions for cooking and teaching. He does this deftly, neatly capturing personalities and events with clear, concise writing. As a tantalizing bonus, each chapter concludes with a favorite recipe. Pepin's book is an essential counterpoint to Anthony Bourdain's cynical Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. Also available in CD and audiocassette formats, this entertaining and informative memoir is recommended for public libraries and culinary collections. (Photos not seen.)-Andrea R. Dietze, Orange Cty. P.L., Santa Ana, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

From chef, author, and cooking-show veteran Pйpin (The Short-Cut Cook, 1990, etc.), an easygoing but proud memoir of his journey through the stations of the kitchen and the food world. Pйpin doesn't gloss over the difficulties involved in scaling the French culinary ladder, but there is never any question that it was exactly what he wanted to be doing. His mother ran a series of comfortable, small-scale, well-received restaurants outside Lyon, and young Jacques took to "the hurly-burly noise of the kitchen. The heat. The sweat. The bumping of bodies. The raised voices. The constant rush of adrenaline." His apprenticeship, feudal in duration and circumstances, wasn't easy, but he reveled in the learning process of observation and imitation, a "visual osmosis" that he conveys in warm, willowy prose. Cooking in a restaurant, we realize, is a calling, not a job. Gradually introduced to a variety of French regional foods, Pйpin learned thoroughly and from the ground up the responsibilities and techniques of each kitchen position. He landed a succession of jobs at great restaurants in Paris and as a private chef before moving to New York and immersing himself in the revolution overtaking American cooking. Hungry for work, he was also gratifyingly unpretentious; he took a job at Howard Johnson's rather than the Kennedy White House because he liked his life in New York. At Ho Jo's, he worked with chefs (many of them blacks from the American South) who lacked formal training but had "natural grace and gut-felt understanding." After a horrific car accident shattered too many bones to count and forced him to leave the kitchen, he turned to writing, teaching, and fostering the growing Americanawareness of good food. Pйpin offers a worm's-eye view of culinary personalities and approaches, and there's no doubt he has earned every ounce of bounty he has received from the kitchen Prose as joyful and rich as the author's food. (Photos, not seen) Author tour. Agent: Doe Coover/Doe Coover Agency