Book Description
Winners of the World Championship BBQ Cook-Off for six years in a row and with hundreds of other contest ribbons as well, nobody does barbecue better than Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. Chris Lilly, executive chef of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q and great-grandson-in-law of Big Bob himself, now passes on the family secrets in this quintessential guide to barbecue.
From dry rubs to glazes and from sauces to slathers, Lilly gives the lowdown on Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q's award-winning seasonings and combinations. You’ll learn the unique flavors of different woods and you’ll get insider tips on creating the right heat—be it in a charcoal grill, home oven, or backyard ground pit. Then, get the scoop on pulled pork, smoked beef brisket, pit-fired poultry, and, of course, ribs. Complete the feast with sides like red-skin potato salad and black-eyed peas. And surely you’ll want to save room for Lilly’s dessert recipes, such as Big Mama’s Pound Cake. Loaded with succulent photographs, easy-to-follow instructions, and colorful stories, Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book honors the legacy of Big Bob Gibson—and of great barbeque. From Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book: White Sauce
 People raised in Decatur, Alabama, know that barbecue sauce is supposed to be white. For more than eighty years, Big Bob Gibson’s has been dunking its golden-brown birds, fifty at a time, into a vat of this tangy, peppery white sauce. The steaming, glistening chickens are then cut to order for our customers.
For years and years the restaurant’s early-morning cooks closely guarded the white sauce recipe, which was made each day before the day shift arrived. However, even without doing the math, I can tell you that hundreds of cooks have passed through the pitrooms of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, so I don’t think you can describe this recipe as "closely guarded" anymore. I do know that Big Bob’s techniques and recipes, including his white sauce, have influenced the flavors of regional barbecue in Alabama. The great thing about passing secrets is that every time they are shared they change slightly. There is now a large number of "authentic" versions of Big Bob’s original secret recipe and cooking method—all different from one another. This is one of my favorite examples.
Ingredients - 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
(Makes 4 cups) Directions In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend well. Use as a marinade, baste, or dipping sauce. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. |
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 Simply excellent |
| Review Date: June 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. Fulton, Dallas, TX United States |
This book contains a variety of recipes along with ample history of Big Bob Gibson's barbecue.
At present, I have tried from the book:
(1) the pork shoulder recipe, served with the Memphis style sauce
(2) the whole butterflied chicken, served with Bob Gibson's famous white sauce.
Both were outstanding and each was easily worth the price of the entire book, particularly the white sauce-WOW.
both followed classic barbecue techniques and did not require excessive preparation or a half dozen steps.
In addition to covering the most common types of barbecue, the book also includes side dishes, an occassional dessert, and a variety of sauces--most derived from something done at Big Bob Gibson's or by Chris Lilly in competition.
There are lots of great barbeque books out there, what this book brings is (1) recipes that have routinely won awards at barbecue competitions-lots of awards, (2) some unique Bob Gibson sauces that are terrific (3) a enjoyable history of the man and the restaurant.
I look forward to trying more recipes in the future.
NOTE: I tried these on the big green egg, which is well suited for long cooking sessions. Even though the book does not address ceramic cookers, the recipes are not equipment specific. But the obviously amazing results possible (and amply described) with a true barbecue pit and 100% hickory make it clear there is another level of barbecue out there. |
The Low `n' Slow Style of Cooking
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| Review Date: June 1, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Sacramento Book Review, Sacramento, CA |
| For more traditional BBQ, there is no better teacher than Chris Lilly, who trained at the legendary Big Bob Gibson's Bar-Be-Cue in Decatur, Alabama. Focusing on the low `n' slow style of cooking, Gibson's restaurant has been perfecting the art of BBQ for more than 80 years. Chris Lilly has been there for 15 years, and has since also married into the Gibson clan. Here, he provides many of the recipes and techniques that they've perfected, from the sides and desserts, to the meat of the matter, how to get the most out of your grill and the particular cut of meat you like, including several ways to cook entire pigs. This is BBQ at its finest, though the time frames for many of the core recipes will take hours, but the wait will be worth it. Just going through the book, reading the recipes, and looking at the pictures, not only of the food, but also the restaurant as well, makes putting a visit to Decatur on the Things to Do list. |
The Best of The Best
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| Review Date: May 27, 2009 |
| Reviewer: CT, New York, NY |
Chris Lilly is simply the best there is. The man really knows his stuff and shares his award-winning secrets in this beautifully written book. Full of historical and personal anecdotes, it reads like a memoir at times. I couldn't put it down. The recipes are easy-to-follow with readily available ingredients, and complete with suggestions on cooking method, time, and type of wood to use. This BBQ book is so much more than one might expect, going beyond your smoked meats, rubs, marinades, and glazes, and sides of beans, potatoes, and coleslaw (and those delicious recipes are all included along with the whole pig roast for the purist). Keep turning the page and you'll discover appetizers or sides like Scallops with Burnt Ends; Grilled Fruit Skewers with Spicy Maple Cumin; Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with Maple Baked Beans, too.
Once a "rookie Q'er" who may have sat on a stump staring at a pit a few more times than he may care to count to learn the ropes, Chris Lilly now commands that very pit, pushing the envelope, and keeping it fresh and interesting at every turn. Buy the book...then buy it again for your friends. Y'all be glad you did! |
Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book
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| Review Date: May 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Teresa D. Dehope, Tuscaloosa, AL |
| This is an all-around great book, no matter who you are. It is filled with recipes from from Big Bob Gibson's itself. Plus as a bonus, the recipes for their award-winning saces! |
Excellent Recipes for BBQ and Grilling
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| Review Date: June 22, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Gary L. Varner, Alabama Gulf Coast / Elsanor |
I did not grow up in northern Alabama, but in southern Alabama, and so I was not familiar with the Big Bob Gibson's BBQ legacy. I read about the book in "Garden and Gun" magazine and knew I had to see what the fuss was about. If you love to barbecue this book is worth the money and time to read it. Not only will it give you a new approach to outdoor cooking, it will inform you as to the cultural heritage of southern barbecue.
First of all the book is well written, interesting and informative. Secondly, the recipes are the best I have EVER reproduced from a book. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about "white sauce" on barbecued chicken (or anything else cooked outdoors) but when I followed the recipe the result was absolutely astounding. The longer the white sauce soaks in the chicken, the better it gets - like magic. My wife followed the recipe for a rub and bourbon sauce for pork loin and the result was the best tasting pork I have ever eaten. The sauce was fantastic, the rub gave the pork a delicious flavor that anyone could be proud of, but the step-by-step instructions regarding the cooking process resulted in a properly "barbecued" ("low and slow") pork loin - and smoked...on a propane gas grill! My wife is an excellent cook, but previously her "grill skill" was somewhat underdeveloped. Now she is becoming quite accomplished in the sacred art of barbecue.
This author's attention to detail in the instruction of the most closely guarded secrets of the "Southern old guard" grill masters is what sets this book apart from any other out there. Recipes range from meats to veggies to deserts. Big Bob's methodology has changed the way that we cook outdoors and it has given us a skills set that we can use to pamper family and friends and proudly pass to our grandchildren. If you are from the foothills of northern Alabama and have ever visited Big Bob's (in the 80 years of its existence) then this book is a "must have." For the rest of us uninitiated flatlanders I most highly recommend this book. |
Great BBQ
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| Review Date: June 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: D. Gerber, NC |
| This is a great book on the basics of BBQ and also the history of BBQ. Good information on spice combinations and what spices and rubs work best for pork, beef, seafood, and chicken etc. Great launching pad for creating your own special sauces and rubs from the basic to the flamboyant. |
Great Book!!!
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| Review Date: July 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. Santiago, Houston, TX |
| I enjoyed this book a lot. I cooked Big Bob's famous chicken recipe with the white sauce...Awesome! I just started cooking bbq and this book is a great read for history, tips, and above all recipes. I also just finished cooking one of the pork shoulder recipes for the 4th of July and all I have to say is there were no left overs. I will definitely be busy for the next year trying all these recipes. Low and Slow is the way to go and Chris Lilly is the master. |
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