Evan LeRoy & Paula Forbes

Eater, 15 Spring Cookbooks We’re Excited About This Year

Michelin-starred pitmaster Evan LeRoy breaks down his secrets to the best barbecue in the nation, sharing nearly 100 innovative techniques and recipes that have made LeRoy and Lewis one of Austin's most popular barbecue joints.

This barbecue bible is essential reading for any griller who wants to learn from the best. LeRoy shares the tenets of barbecue with illustrations, step-by-step photography, and nearly 100 delicious recipes for mains, sides, and desserts that run the gamut from bacon ribs to smoked banana pudding.

Barbecue is not a set menu; it’s a cooking method—and nobody knows this better than Austin-based chef Evan LeRoy. As the co-owner, pitmaster, and mastermind chef at LeRoy and Lewis, one of the most popular and acclaimed BBQ joints in Texas—not an easy feat—LeRoy has reinvigorated the old style and staked his claim as a modern master of the barbecue game.

In New School Barbecue, LeRoy encourages home cooks to think differently about the barbecue they’re already familiar with, going beyond the “classic” dishes everyone serves. The methods he outlines can be applied to any cut of any meat (including lamb, chicken, beef, goat, and pork), any type of produce (avocados, cauliflower, squash, and more), and almost any cuisine.

And LeRoy’s techniques work on all kinds of outdoor cookers: offset smoker, pellet smoker, a kamado grill, or an old-fashioned Weber kettle grill, so anyone will be able to apply his recipes and recommendations to their setup.

This book is perfect for fans of Franklin Barbecue who want to take their dishes one step further with new flavors, techniques, and ingredients.