The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue

This is an amazing book. I really couldn't it down, sitting with a map on my computer screen so I could follow the details of Vaughn and photographer McWhirter's marathon road eating trip. Here is a book that gives details that others leave out; it goes to out-of-the-way joints as well as to the famous places in the state that have lines out the door. Assessments of the barbecue seem fair and there is a lot of good detail to back up the opinions; even when the conclusions aren't positive, the tone is not mean spirited. I really enjoyed Vaughn's personalized and congenial style. The photographs are done with a very practiced eye and contribute greatly to the book. Looking at other reviews of this book, it strikes me that many of those who didn't rate it well seemed to be expecting a different book -- some didn't like the fact that the journey was limited to Texas barbecue; others were expecting a cookbook. For me, the book promised exactly what the last part of the title says: "A Journey Through Texas Barbecue." It may not in fact be for the casual reader -- but that's fine. By the way, the map "Texas BBQ by the Cord" showing what kinds of woods are being used in each place visited alone is worth the cost of the book. Thanks to Anthony Bourdain for making this part of his new food book series.

This is an amazing book. I got it from the library and started reading it. It was driving me nuts that I couldn't highlight in it, and take notes in the margins. It's the Texas BBQ answer to Zagat. I thought his reactions to all of the places I'd tried were spot on. Two chapters in, I ordered my own copy. It's an amazing resource for Texas roadtrips, and would be useful if you're even just taking a quick vacation in this state. If you live in Texas, you really need it. Totally recommend!His writing style is really fun. His essays sometimes branch into stories, and provide some glimpses of non-barbecue stuff like landscapes, hikes, attractions, and history. I live with an onion ring head, so all the onion ring notes are going to come in handy in the panhandle.I'll start filling in some pics as I visit the places in the book:1) My birthday - Franklin BBQ down in Austin. You have to get there between 8-9 am for the 11 am opening. Bring lawnchairs and games. :)2) Pecan Lodge in Dallas. Awesome smoke haunting. It's dark in there, so my pic doesn't do it justice.

I learned some valuable lessons: stay away from east Texas hot links; understand the difference between direct heat cooking and indirect heat cooking; respect the elegance of a salt and cracked pepper dry rub; and keep that cooker closed!Texas barbecue is an art. This is a fine introduction to that art, and to the artists who create it. My favorite part of the book is the pit master profiles at the end: great portraits and wonderful insights on their process! The photographs are beautiful; with the exception of the chapter focusing on Houston and Dallas, there simply aren't enough of them. I would have enjoyed a little less "I'm from Ohio, but I love Texas Barbecue!" (Dude, you've just described eating at 30 BBQ joints in 36 hours - you don't need to tell us you like 'cue) and more of those lovely photos.I'm still trying to figure out how these guys don't weigh 450 pounds, have dodged diabetes, hypertension, and gout, and remain married.A very entertaining trip through the heart of Brisket, Rib, and Sausage Shangri-la.

I have been anticipating this book for months and I was very excited to find it a few days ago in the mail. Daniel Vaughn tells the great story of his BBQ travels across the Lone Star State. He is doing what most diehard Texans would love to do......go on a roadtrip hunting for the "best BBQ in Texas". He does a great job of explaining the different BBQ regions in Texas and what makes them unique. I was born and raised in Texas and I have visited a handful of these spots over the years. This will now become my official guide book on my travels through Texas. The photographs in the book are great and the way the pages look like old butcher paper adds a great effect! I think the thing I like most about the book is the honesty. Daniel doesn't beat around the bush with his short reviews of the BBQ joints. He'll tell you what is good and what is not so good. If nothing else, this book will set the standard for what exceptional Texas BBQ should taste like.

I bought this book via amazon.com after reading a review in the Wall street Journal, so I knew a bit about it before it arrived. I was thinking it would be more in the travel section than the cooking section of my library, and so it is. What did surprise me is the amount of poorly rated smoked meats the author encountered, or perhaps how high his scale his grading is. Anyway, be prepared for descriptions to visits to a lot of disappointing places.I did learn a fair bit about how the author examines BBQ in order to grade it. I expect he would be disappointed with what I get in Southern California on a routine basis. The pictures help to understand.I used to hunt with a group of construction guys, and we did a fair amount of pit cooking in actual pits that we dug, prepared and cooked in overnight with our deer, turkey and javelina. Our technique would have been graded favorably by the author I expect.