Kansas City Barbeque Cookbook is Comprehensive and Essential
by Larry Cox on Oct. 26, 2010, under UncategorizedKansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook compiled by Ardie A. Davis, Chef Paul Kirk and Carolyn Wells (Andrews McMeel, $24.99)
Being born and raised in the South, barbeque is implanted in my DNA. A new cookbook celebrates the 25th anniversary of the world’s largest barbeque organization, The Kansas City Barbeque Society. The 200 all-new recipes contained in this collection are superb.
The Kansas City Barbeque Society began in 1986 when Carolyn Wells and her husband, Gary, met with their friend Rick Welch. Even though Gary and Carolyn had competed in almost every barbeque contest in the Kansas City area, there was no club that met on a regular basis. Following that meeting, they decided to start a club for cookers and so began the Kansas City Barbeque Society. What began with three people has expanded to include more than 11,000.
The Society’s cookbook is divided into nine basic chapters: Appetizers; Sides; Anything Butt; Seasonings, Marinades, Brines, Rubs, Pastes, and Sauces; Desserts; The Boneyard; Barbequing and Grilling Terms, A to Z; Barbeque Tips from the KCBS; and Basic Barbeque Contest Gear, the Bare Essentials to Take to the Contest. There is also a brief history of the KCBS, metric conversions and equivalents, and helpful charts and tables.
The KCBS-sanctioned contests feature the organization’s four basic food groups, namely chicken, pork shoulder, beef brisket, and pork ribs. Professional and amateur barbeque enthusiasts will enjoy the book’s traditional recipes as well as those that are more inventive and innovative.
Several of the more interesting recipes include a tasty Country Ham Pie, a surprisingly good East BBQ Pizza, a bracing Bourbon Street Potato Pie, and a zesty Grilled Pork Roast with Pepper Jelly Glaze. The chapter devoted to Seasonings, Marinades, Brines, Rubs, Pastes, and sauces is almost in itself worth the price of this cookbook.
The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook is comprehensive and essential. It is user-friendly and highly recommended. Two recipes were tested, BBQ Spaghetti Pie, a Memphis favorite, and Vegetarian Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice. Both were successful and tasty.
BBQ Spaghetti Pie
Serves 6 to 8
1 10-oz package dried spaghetti
1 ½ lbs chopped barbeque pork butt
1 (16 oz) can or jar of traditional spaghetti sauce
1 (18 oz) bottle Memphis-style barbeque sauce
Dash of kosher salt
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
½ lb mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
2 Tb Rendezvous Famous Seasonings or mild chili powder (I used Santa Cruz chili powder)
6 to 8 deep-fried battered onion rings
Preheat the oven or your pit to 350F. Grease a 9×13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
Break the spaghetti in half and boil in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Combine the meat, spaghetti sauce, barbeque sauce, and salt in a large saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
Combine the cooked spaghetti, eggs, and Parmesan cheese and mix well. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce mixture on top of the Spaghetti mixture and spread it evenly. Cover the dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top, followed by the dry seasonings. Bake for another five minutes, uncovered, until the cheese melts. Garnish each serving with an onion ring and serve.
