How To Grill

By Steven Raichlen; Greg Schneider, photographer

It's the bible behind the Bible. From Steven Raichlen, author of the bestselling "The Barbecue! Bible," comes "How to Grill," a lively, fully illustrated introduction to the techniques of cooking over to live fire. Whether throwing a few burgers and dogs on the grill for the kids or barbecuing a whole pig for a neighborhood block party, How to Grill shows exactly how it's done -- and done best -- in more than 1,000 full-color photographs matched to the author's expert, detailed instructions.

- Choosing the right grill

- Choosing the right fuel

- Stocking the essential tools

- Setting up a work area

- Building the best fire

- Picking the correct method: direct grilling, indirect grilling, barbecuing, split roasting, roasting in the embers

- Managing the cookout

You can treat it as a primer or as a refresher -- the fundamentals set the stage for all grilling heroics to come. The very first technique in the book elevates backyard barbecuing to a new level: Hickory Smoked Prime Rib. It covers the fine points of indirect grilling a large piece of meat along with the technique for using wood chips to create a smoke flavor, and it shows how to French the ribs for a jaw-dropping presentation.

Technique by technique, recipe by recipe, the book runs the gamut of grilling skills: How to jerk pork. How to spatchcock a chicken. How to grill an asparagus "raft," a pizza, oysters, tofu, pears, lettuces, delicate mushrooms, scallops, even a whole lamb.

Says the author, "If it tastes good cooked, it'll taste even better grilled."