The South's Best Butts

Book excerpt: 2018 NBBQA Awards of Excellence Winner In The South's Best Butts, food writer and Southern gentleman, Matt Moore, waves away clouds of smoke to give barbecue-lovers a sneak peek into the kitchens and smokehouses of a handful of the Barbecue Belt's most revered pitmasters. He uncovers their tried-and-true techniques gleaned over hours, days, and years toiling by fire and spit, coaxing meltingly tender perfection from the humble pig—the foundation of Southern BBQ. More than a book of recipes, Matt explores how the marriage of meat, cooking method, and sauce varies from place to place based on history and culture, climate, available ingredients and wood, and always the closely-guarded, passed-down secrets followed like scripture. Because no meat plate is complete in the South without "all the fixin's" to round out the meal, Matt cues up patron-sanctioned recipes from every establishment he visits. One thing is for certain…this book will change the way you cook, smoke, grill, and eat, but be warned: Your own butt may suffer in the process.