Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses by Robb Walsh
Chronicle Books, 2002, 269 pages, paperback, plenty of traditional recipes, scores of B&W photos, but not of the recipes.
This book is a wonderful piece of scholarly research that is also a great read. Walsh has delved into the history and lore of Texas barbecue, its origins, its ingredients, its personalities, and its tall tales. He recommends the best places to eat when in the Lone Star State, what to eat, and recipes from pitmasters to help you replicate the real thing at home. Even the photos are fascinating.
A quote: “The majority of Texas barbecue joints now serve a little bit of everything. You’ll always find some kind of beef offered, and usually German-style sausage along with Southern-style pork with barbecue sauce, Mexican tortillas, West Texas beans, and sides from all over the place. Not to mention banana pudding, coconut cake, and sweet potato pie. Some places try to maintain a degree of stylistic purity, but few succeed. That’s why when you say “Texas barbecue,” no one can ever be sure about what you are talking about… The best way to preserve our tradition is to constantly disagree about what Texas barbecue really is.”
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