Great recipes, surefire techniques, and tall tales from “the premier barbecue teacher in the country today” (Fast Eddy Maurin, Fast Eddy’s/Cookshack).

Delicious slow-smoked barbecue is a star-spangled American specialty, and there’s nobody who knows how to put a barbecue smile on people’s faces like Ray Lampe, the barbecue chef better known as Dr. BBQ. In Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook, Ray shows every backyard chef how to bring the slow-smoked goodness of real barbecue to the table with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of finger-lickin’ goodness. In chapters devoted to equipment, tools, and fuel, he shows readers how easy it is to prepare authentic barbecue with the best rubs, marinades, and mops this side of Arthur Bryant’s. Dr. BBQ parts with some of his most treasured recipes so that your picnic table can groan with the likes of:

Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Competition BrisketDirty Dick’s Cajun Ribeye RoastMeat Loaf for Lisa MarieKansas City-Style Pork ButtBackyard Championship RibsChicago-Style Rib TipsCured and Pecan-Smoked King SalmonDr. BBQ’s Sweet and Spicy Pork LoinParadise Ridge Stuffed LobsterSherry Butter TurkeyPork Chops Rancheros

“The former truck driver from the Chicago area writes just as he speaks, friendly, unassuming, and with an understated wit. Nothing snobby about Dr. BBQ. His tips on technique and tools are scattered throughout the book.” —The Huffington Post