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I received an advance reading copy of Chris Lilly’s Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book, and I’ve read most of it. Chris is an acquaintance of mine, and I watched him demonstrate his technique for pulled pork at Kingsford University in Arizona a few years ago (article is here). I expected his book to be good–after all, he is a 10-time world champion–but the book is more than just good, it’s utterly fascinating. Chris tells the story of Bib Bob Gibson and his famous BBQ joint in Decatur, Alabama from the 1920s to the present, interspersing the history with Southern BBQ tips, recipes, and lore. The chapter "Racks of Ribs" is possibly the best single chapter in any book on ‘cue, so it’s appropriate that ribs are on the cover. Interestingly, pork ribs were not served at Big Bob Gibson’s until the late ’70s. I took a look at Chris’s recommended reading and was pleased to see Rick Browne’s The Best Barbecue on Earth, Ray (Dr. BBQ) Lampe’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook and Dr. BBQ’s Barbecue Road Trip (which I helped on–see article, here). And I was flattered that he also selected Barbecue Inferno, which I wrote with Nancy Gerlach. Chris’s book will be released May 12, 2009, and it should be a part of every barbecue aficionado’s library.
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