Book Review - Startin' the Fire
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If you've been bitten by the 'que bug and are considering entering the realm of competition barbecue, there may be no better starting point than this little book penned by George Hensler of the "Who Are Those Guys?" BBQ Team.
Just to avoid any confusion or to stem off any disappointment, I must tell you that Startin' the Fire does NOT teach you how to to cook competition-style BBQ. There are not grilling and smoking equipment reviews and there are no recipes (thank God!).
What this book details is how to assemble a team of liked-minded BBQ enthusiasts, how to travel, some KCBS rules, what to expect from a cook-off and how to build your meat boxes to turn in to judges. Although I've never been involved in a competition team, I can imagine that a lot of headaches and mistakes can be avoided if you study this book and keep it at arm's length as a reference guide.
It's true that with the encyclopedic and all-encompassing nature of the internet that a large chunk of this information is already available. There are plenty of tips and tricks floating out there on BBQ blogs and forums and I'm sure their availability could darn near sink the proverbial battleship. That having been said, this book is still a goldmine filled with helpful information carried along by Hensler's experience and easy-going style. Plus it will help you save countless hours jumping from post to post and site to site collecting nuggets of indispensable knowledge.
Back to Hensler's style....the guy is obviously not a professional writer but he's proficient enough to speak clearly from from his "everyday guy" viewpoint. He sprinkles in a lot of humor and personal experience and because of that I find him genuine and endearing to read. As you plow through the book you may as I did almost hear him sitting in the same room and "reading" to you, divulging in crisp details of the trade while getting several laughs out of you.
Looking at the relative thinness of the book, you may prematurely conclude that this may be an incomplete compilation or a hastily thrown-together batch of thoughts. It's not either one of those. Startin' the Fire is packed to the rafters with info on this highly niche topic, and since competition BBQ is very specialized, let's face it, there's only so much one person can say about it.
I also think that the size of the book may encourage may people to pick up and read the whole thing from cover to cover. Think of all the thick, massive tomes you've accumulated over the years where you might have skimmed through the first few chapters but hardly crack it open any more. Startin' the Fire will NOT be that kind of book for you. You'll breeze through page after page and before you know it you'll be done. A couple of warm, sunny Summer mornings sitting by the smoker with a beer are all you'll need to complete this book.
You can pick up a copy of Startin' the Fire at Hensler's website or on Amazon for $12.99 plus shipping.
Overall score: 4.5 out of 5.
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2010-06-15 21:31:33
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