Big Moe's Big Book of BBQ by Moe Cason – Hardback Cookbook

Big Moe's Big Book of BBQ is the debut hardback cookbook from Iowa pitmaster Moe Cason, with 75 family-favourite recipes from Texas brisket and ribs to cornbread and his famous mac and cheese. It's competition know-how written for the backyard, not the trophy table.

A brisket king opens up the family recipe box

Moe Cason has competed in more than 250 barbecue competitions and become a familiar face on barbecue TV, but this book isn't a competition manual. It's the food he cooks for his own family, written so backyard cooks can get the same bark, tenderness and flavour at home.

What's inside

Cason starts with the gear and the basics: the different types of smokers and grills, stocking your pantry with rubs and marinades, and selecting the right cut of meat. The photography, by Austin photographer Jody Horton, runs alongside every recipe and the stories of Moe and his family.

The headliners are a fall-apart Texas brisket, sweet and spicy baby back ribs, smoked pork shoulder and bone-in tomahawk steaks, plus a 14-hour turkey brine. The sides are just as strong: a spicy mac and cheese with a secret ingredient that wowed Steve Harvey, a generations-old cornbread, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and Hawaiian burgers with pineapple, soy and feta.

Who it's for

Backyard cooks with a smoker who want brisket and ribs they can be proud of, and anyone who thinks the sides deserve as much love as the meat. It's friendly enough for beginners and still has plenty for seasoned smokers.

About Moe Cason

"Big Moe" Cason is a pitmaster from Des Moines, Iowa, who cooks competitively as Ponderosa BBQ. He has competed in more than 250 national and international barbecue competitions, scoring perfect 180s along the way, and has appeared on BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Pit Wars. This is his first cookbook.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Darryl's orders: buy it for the brisket, keep it for the mac and cheese. Moe cooks like a man who's fed a family and a judging table, and that spicy mac with its secret ingredient is the side the Smuggler would hide from the crew. Get it and your next cook-up will have the neighbours hanging over the fence. Pair it with Mastering Barbecue for more technique and BBQ Revolution for Kansas City competition flavour. Lay down Emus Rub Brisket Rub in two coats for bark that cracks.

Questions answered

Who wrote Big Moe's Big Book of BBQ?

It was written by Moe Cason, a competition pitmaster from Des Moines, Iowa, who has appeared on BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Pit Wars.

How many recipes are in Big Moe's Big Book of BBQ?

It has 75 recipes, from Texas brisket, baby back ribs and smoked pork shoulder to cornbread, collard greens and spicy mac and cheese.

Is Big Moe's Big Book of BBQ good for beginners?

Yes. It covers smokers and grills, rubs and marinades and choosing cuts before the recipes, so beginners can follow along.

Is Big Moe's Big Book of BBQ a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 240-page hardback published by National Geographic in 2024.

Is it a competition barbecue book?

Not really. Moe Cason draws on his competition experience, but the book is written for backyard cooks and family cook-ups.