cover image Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings

Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings

Ray Lampe, . . Chronicle, $19.95 (132pp) ISBN 978-0-8118-6826-6

Lampe is nothing if not media savvy. Under his nom de flame , Dr. BBQ, he shows up regularly on the Food Network, runs his own Web site, judges cook-offs, serves as spokesman for the National Pork Board, and has now written his sixth cookbook. If his offerings do not quite get the salivary juices flowing, they are at least a straightforward affair, 44 handy recipes to turn to when wanting to stray a bit from traditional tailgate grill grub. Fruits and sweet sauces are the good doctor's two favorite prescriptions. Ribs are treated with apricot glaze or pineapple teriyaki. Pork chops are dosed with maple syrup or peach salsa. Steaks are marinated in citrus and soy sauce, and chicken wings are served with raspberry-honey mustard. Dry rubs are what the doctor orders for Memphis ribs, coffee-rubbed pork chops, chili-rubbed rib eyes, and dry-rubbed wings. And while his peanut butter and jelly chicken wings could use a second opinion, there's no doubting the benefits of a filet mignon stuffed with blue cheese or the curing powers of pork chops marinated overnight in bourbon. (June)