Viewers of the popular television
program “BBQ Pitmasters” are familiar with brash, cocky celebrity judge Myron
Mixon, who always is introduced as the “Winningest Man in Barbecue.”
But Melissa Cookston, a frequent contestant
and judge on the show and a three-time whole hog
champion at Memphis in May, easily can say she’s put out a new cookbook that is
superior in content, detail and flavor to Mixon’s and many other "good old boys."
“Smokin’ in the Boys' Room
(Andrews McMeel Publishing)” not only provides information that instills confidence to the novice and
experienced barbecuers alike, but it also shares excellent insights about
replicating Mississippi Delta delicacies and deserts, including Meyer Lemon Pie
(Yum!).
Cookston doesn’t need to
bill herself as the “Winningest Woman in Barbecue;” but her female perspective doesn’t
hurt. In the book’s 180 pages, she comes across as warm and encouraging. She
never assumes that you know too much and never dumbs down the text either.
The co-owner of MemphisBarbecue Company restaurants in Horn Lake, Miss., and Fayetteville, N.C.,
Cookston has been serving up barbecue since 1996, when she entered her first
barbecue competition with her husband Pete.
From the first chapter, Cookston offers
details missing from testosterone-fueled tomes, such as information about what
to stock in your pantry, the tools she’d rather not do without and several
practical tips.
Before getting to the meats,
“Smokin’ in the Boys' Room” provides recipes for rubs and seasoning blends for
grilling, marinades and sauces and the tools you'll need.
“My barbecue and cooking are
about building layered tastes that unite on the palate to create a wonderful
full-flavored effect,” she suggests. “I tell every judge to put a little sauce
on his or her finger, then on the front of the tongue. The flavor should travel
all across the palate – a little sweet, a little acid, a little salt and kick
at the back to tell you it was there!”
It’s the kind of practical
advice anyone can use.
