Meat Mitch: BBQ Revolution by Mitch Benjamin – Hardback Cookbook

BBQ Revolution is the hardback cookbook from Kansas City pitmaster Mitch "Meat Mitch" Benjamin, founder of the Meat Mitch competition team and Char Bar Smoked Meats and Amusements, and it takes you from award-winning competition rubs, sauces and meats to boundary-pushing smoked dishes. It's built for cooks who've nailed the basics and want new tricks for the smoker.

Kansas City comp smarts, then the rule book goes in the firebox

Mitch Benjamin built Meat Mitch into one of the most decorated sauce and rub names on the American circuit, then opened Char Bar in Kansas City in 2015. This book shows both sides of him: the disciplined competition cook and the restaurateur who'll stuff smoked meat into just about anything. Getting the comp blueprint and the playful stuff under one cover is a rare double.

What's inside

Five chapters do the heavy lifting: Fundamentals of Barbeque, Char Bar Favorites, Revolutionary BBQ, Using Up Your 'Que and Amusements from the “Mitchen”. The opener walks through competition-style brisket, burnt ends, short ribs and pork butt along with the rubs and sauces behind them, before the book loosens its collar.

From Char Bar come crowd favourites like the smoked chicken nuggets and burnt heaven, plus regional dippers such as 'Bama White Sauce and Carolina Gold. The Revolutionary chapter plays with reverse smoking and sous vide and takes smoke to salmon, jackfruit and bone marrow, while the leftovers chapter turns smoked meat into steamed buns, tacos, quiche and poutine. Guest pitmasters including Jess Pryles and Meat Church's Matt Pittman drop in with recipes too.

Who it's for

Cooks who already own a smoker and want to push past the standard brisket-and-ribs rotation. Competition hopefuls will get plenty from the fundamentals chapter, and anyone who entertains will lean on the sides, pimiento cheese and smoked cocktails. Beginners can follow along, but it shines brightest once you've got a few cooks behind you.

About Mitch Benjamin

Mitch Benjamin is the founder of the Meat Mitch competition BBQ team and sauce and rub brand, whose sauces have won the American Royal BBQ Sauce World Championship and the Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Sauce contest. He opened Char Bar Smoked Meats and Amusements in Kansas City in 2015, which won Best New Restaurant in the city that year, and he has cooked for the New York Yankees and consulted on Rosie's Smokehouse in Paris.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Mitch plays both ends here: tight competition cooking up front, pure mischief for the rest of the book. Darryl's soft spot is the Char Bar smoked chicken nuggets, crunchy little things that make grown adults fight over the tray. Grab a copy and your next cook gets a whole lot more interesting. Pair it with Hardcore Carnivore, since Jess Pryles turns up as a guest in these pages, and The Little Book of KC BBQ for the Kansas City joints that shaped Mitch's style. For burnt ends, shake on Plowboys Bovine Bold, another KC rub that's run plenty of competition cargo.

Questions answered

Who wrote BBQ Revolution?

BBQ Revolution was written by Mitch "Meat Mitch" Benjamin, founder of the Meat Mitch competition BBQ team and Char Bar Smoked Meats and Amusements in Kansas City.

What's inside BBQ Revolution?

Five chapters cover competition fundamentals, Char Bar favourites, experimental techniques like reverse smoking and sous vide, ways to use leftover smoked meat, and sides and party snacks.

Is BBQ Revolution good for beginners?

It's approachable, but it suits cooks with a few smokes behind them. The fundamentals chapter covers competition basics before the recipes get adventurous.

Is BBQ Revolution a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 208-page hardback published by Harvard Common Press in 2021.

Does BBQ Revolution include competition recipes?

Yes. It shares Mitch's competition-style rubs, sauces and meats, including brisket, burnt ends, short ribs and pork butt.