Where to Start with Meathead Goldwyn
Meathead Goldwyn is an American food writer, barbecue expert, and the founder of AmazingRibs.com, one of the most visited barbecue websites in the world. Born Craig Goldwyn, he adopted the nickname “Meathead” as his professional identity. Before turning to barbecue writing full-time, he worked as a wine critic and food journalist. He launched AmazingRibs.com to bring scientific rigor to outdoor cooking, partnering with physicist Greg Blonder to test common barbecue assumptions and separate fact from folklore. His book Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling (2016) became a New York Times bestseller and was named one of the 100 Best Cookbooks of All Time by Southern Living. His approach treats the backyard grill and smoker as a laboratory, applying controlled experiments and real data to questions that most pitmasters answer with tradition and instinct.
Start here
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
Meathead Goldwyn · 400 pages · 2016 · Moderate
Themes: barbecue science, grilling techniques, thermodynamics of cooking, equipment guides
If Franklin Barbecue teaches you to feel your way through smoking, Meathead teaches you to understand the science behind every decision. Meathead Goldwyn, the founder of AmazingRibs.com, teams up with physicist Greg Blonder to bust myths, explain thermodynamics, and give you a framework for making better barbecue through understanding rather than guesswork.
Why Start Here
This is the book for people who want to know why, not just how. Why does dry brining work better than wet brining? Why do certain woods produce better smoke? What actually happens when meat hits the stall at 150 degrees? Goldwyn and Blonder answer these questions with real science, not folklore passed down through generations of backyard cooks.
At 400 pages, it is a substantial reference. The first half covers principles: heat transfer, the physics of smoke, how salt penetrates meat, the truth about searing, and detailed equipment reviews. The second half contains 118 tested recipes. It covers both smoking and grilling, making it broader in scope than Franklin’s book.
What to Expect
A New York Times bestseller and a hefty, well-organized reference that reads like an encyclopedia of outdoor cooking. The tone is enthusiastic and occasionally irreverent. Expect to have your assumptions challenged. If you have ever repeated the phrase “searing seals in juices,” this book will set you straight.