Barbecue may not have been invented in the American South, but Southerners have certainly worked hard to perfect it. In Daniel Schumacher’s cookbook, Southern Barbecue & Grilling, you will find more than 125 recipes, including all of the fixin’s, desserts, and tools to get the job done. Whether charcoal, gas, or wood burning, fire up the grill, gather the family, and get ready for some of the best barbecue you have ever had!
Q&A with Daniel Schumacher, the author of Southern Barbecue & Grilling
What inspired you to write a book about barbecue and grilling? One of my earliest food memories is of a North Carolina pig pickin’. I was four or five at the time so some of the particulars are hazy, but it was one of my formative food memories. Everybody had a great time as the pig was slowly roasting over the coals all day, and then folks would walk up and cut off pieces as they wanted once it was ready. There are so many regional barbecuing and grilling traditions like that throughout the South, and I wanted to honor them.
You say that barbecue may not have been invented in the South, but Southerners perfected it? Open-fire wood grilling has been around for centuries, and it has been an alive and evolving art in the South as long as people have been here. As we know it here, the practice seems to have come up through the Caribbean, and has, over time, become an interesting part of our food culture. As you flip through the book, you see that the recipes run the whole gamut, from things like Alabama chicken and white barbecue sauce to a grilled amberjack po’boy. There is such depth and breadth to Southern barbecue and grilling, and the practice is such a cultural phenomenon.
Of all the barbecue books out there, what makes this one special? I think it’s a great guide because it has a little bit for everyone—for folks who are barbecuing and grilling pros and for folks starting out. It even has a way to include the whole family—you might have one person working the grill, but others can be putting together the chow chow and cornmeal-crusted fried pickles. And while I have a number of recipes for barbecue sauce and spice rubs, I hope that readers will look at these and find inspiration to work with their own traditions. If they have their own favorite barbecue sauce, they should feel free to substitute that in the recipes.
This weekend only, you will receive free shipping when you order a copy of Southern Barbecue and Grilling using the code: BBQ
- 7 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1⁄2 cup shredded carrot
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onion
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Garnish: chopped fresh dill
- In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, and green onion. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, dill, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over cabbage mixture; toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Garnish with dill, if desired.
Do you and your family grill?
