Pig Beach BBQ Cookbook: Smoked, Grilled, Roasted, and Sauced

by Matt Abdoo, Shane McBride

Overview

“I love Matt and Shane and the rest of the gang at Pig Beach. It’s not Father’s Day for me and my family if I’m not chowing down on some Pig Beach BBQ. Now, with this book, every day can be a Pig Beach Father’s Day. You’re welcome, America.”-Al Roker, Weatherman/Co-Anchor on NBC’s Today Show

A delicious deep dive into the world of barbecue from the celebrated chefs behind the popular restaurants Pig Beach

Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride cut their teeth preparing three-star Italian and French cuisine, but in their spare time, what they really loved cooking (and eating) was barbecue. Eventually, they traded in their Michelin star kitchens for a smoker and opened their dream restaurant: a laid-back eatery that pays homage to the culinary traditions of American BBQ but isn’t afraid to experiment with worldly influences.

Now, you can master Matt and Shane’s smoky meats and championship-winning sauces at home. With more than 50 mouthwatering recipes, Pig Beach BBQ Cookbook includes everything from traditional favorites like buffalo wings and smoked beef brisket, to groundbreaking new dishes like Mojo-Marinated St. Louis Ribs and Secret Spice Pecan Candied Bacon.

An essential read for every at-home pitmaster, Pig Beach BBQ Cookbook is also a definitive barbecue tour of the United States. By sharing tricks of the trade from experts in every region, it explains once and for all how North Carolina ’cue differs from Texas ’cue, and teaches you how to recreate those distinct and delicious flavors no matter where you live.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358651888
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/17/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	208,968
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Matt Abdoo was the Chef de Cuisine of Del Posto and during his tenure, the restaurant received a coveted four-star review from the New York Times, and the Relais & Chateaux distinction. Prior to opening his own restaurants, Matt first earned his BBQ chops during his time working on America’s highly competitive barbecue circuit with team Salty Rinse. The team received 2nd place medal for Whole Hog in 2015 and 1st Place for Best Sauce (Mustard) at the annual Memphis in May World Championship. Today, Matt is a frequent guest chef on The Today Show and has appeared on many national cooking shows as well as DirecTV’s Fantasty Zone.
 

Shane McBride is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and one of New York’s most accomplished chefs. He began his career in the city with esteemed chef Charlie Palmer at Aureole. He then went on to work with Chef Christian Delouvier at the world-renowned Lespinasse. He subsequently partnered with Jean-Philippe Leloup to open his own star-studded restaurant, Oceo. Shane went on to be the executive chef at Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak for many years, followed by a long tenure as executive chef at the famed Soho brasserie, Balthazar. His passion for barbecue was practiced as a hobby until he left the world of haute cuisine to focus entirely on operating and expanding the Pig Beach empire.
 

Editorial Reviews

03/07/2022

Abdoo and McBride meld their “haute cuisine” chops with the techniques of a “centuries-old craft” in this scattered collection inspired by their popular Brooklyn barbecue joint. Star menu items, such as glazed ribs and pastrami brined for two weeks, are patiently explained, and a chapter salutes New York’s diverse flavors, including Lebanese-style ribs drizzled with a yogurt-based white sauce inspired by what’s served at the local “meat-and-rice food carts found all over .” But when Abdoo and McBride go beyond the grill, results are mixed. A “very involved... free-form lasagna” with smoked duck confit is puzzlingly assembled on a sheet pan and cut into individual portions that are then pan-seared and finally baked—a restaurant method that makes little sense at home. Shredding brisket to fill ravioli and scattering pastrami cubes on ramen offer delicious ways to elevate the usual, but more delicate dishes—including cod in smoked tomato water—seem out of place alongside 16-ounce pork chops and mammoth tomahawk steaks. While the many barbecue-related tips (omit wrapping the shoulder for pulled pork if you like crispy “bark”) are handy, some, including a note that yuzu juice is “available at some specialty stores and online,” read like fillers. This cookbook’s lack of focus dilutes the potency of its best recipes. (May)

Publishers Weekly

I love Matt and Shane and the rest of the gang at Pig Beach. It’s not Father’s Day for me and my family if I’m not chowing down on some Pig Beach BBQ. Now, with this book, every day can be a Pig Beach Father’s Day. You’re welcome, America.” -Al Roker, Weatherman/Co-Anchor on NBC’s Today Show “Shane McBride and Matt Abdoo have Pitmastery as their destiny. They’re not only true wizards of deliciousness, but through the wildly successful Pig Beach restaurants, we can all have a blast eating their food. I can now begin my journey as their student by diving into their long-anticipated cookbook. My coals are lit!” -John Markus, Emmy-winning writer, Co-creator BBQ Pitmasters “Pig Beach is what happens when two of the brightest culinary minds trade their starched white chefs’ coats for baggy pants and sandals. Relax and let them share their inventive and inspiring knowledge of live fire, food, and flavor with you. Welcome to their Beach!” -Chris Lilly, Pitmaster & partner Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q   “Shane McBride and Matt Abdoo are two of the best chefs I know. Their passion for cooking with fire coupled with their immense culinary talents quickly put Pig Beach on the bbq map. Pig Beach BBQ Cookbook shows how talented these two pitmasters are.” -Tuffy Stone, Chef, Pitmaster, and Author    —

From the Publisher

04/01/2022

This barbecue cookbook, from Abdoo and McBride's NYC restaurant Pig Beach, is like no other. Covering a range of recipes from a standard brine to smoked-duck lasagna to cheddar cheese gougères, the authors take barbecue far past its traditional roots and add international flavors and haute-cuisine flair. Abdoo and McBride acknowledge enslaved people's historical contributions to barbecue cuisine, but the contemporary pitmasters mentioned in the book are almost exclusively white. There's certainly no shortage of name-dropping. A section on the history of barbecue reads more like a travelogue of BBQ joints across the South, particularly Memphis and Charleston. The most useful section to home pitmasters will be "A Word About Smokers," which covers techniques, terms, and popular brands. VERDICT Libraries near a Pig Beach restaurant or with an extensive barbecue collection may want to purchase. It's too fussy to be of much use to novice barbecuers, but experienced pitmasters might be interested.—Catherine Field

Library Journal