Publisher's Weekly Review
Chef Briggs, an admired instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, passed away in May 2012 at the age of 57. He leaves behind this concise and workmanlike volume of lessons and recipes culled from his Low and Slow adult education course. Three cooking methods are covered: braising, which involves searing the meat before introducing the moist heat of a sauce or stock; barbecuing, with all of its regional variations, from Memphis dry ribs to Kansas City wet spareribs; and slow roasting, which calls for low heat, and high patience, with up to a four-hour wait for the perfect slow-roasted pork belly. Just when one thinks that the collection is weighed down with standards like osso buco or braised oxtails, Briggs will pull a rabbit out of the hat, or more likely, a duck, smoke-roasted, with dried cranberry sauce, or a smoked trout, served with apple-horseradish cream, or even a plate of ravioli, stuffed with barbecued pork butt. Also surprising, and perhaps a disappointment to the eager carnivore, is that about a quarter of the recipes are for salads and side dishes, ranging from classic mac & cheese to a roasted corn and jicama salad. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Oh, so quietly, the Culinary Institute of America, probably one of the premier chef-education domains, is placing entries on the cookbook shelf. Under the institute's auspices, longtime professor Briggs introduces fans and cooks to the art of braising, barbecuing, and slow roasting, using broad, step-by-step photographs of master techniques to illustrate his explanations. Charts and sidebars proliferate, giving home chefs the education and information needed, whether on brining times, the varieties of regional BBQ, or the vital importance of using a thermometer. All three techniques share a common universal definition: Make tougher, underused, deeply flavored cuts of meat tender and exceptionally flavorful by employing low levels of heat and long cooking times. Recipes appear in each section, totaling more than 90 and including almost every dish found on a BBQ table, except drinks and desserts. Most entrees, like BBQ pork-butt ravioli and New England Yankee pot roast, tend to cover more than one page of instructions. Yet for true aficionados, the author's insistence on thorough explanations will be much appreciated.--Jacobs, Barbara Copyright 2014 Booklist
