Buxton Hall Barbecue’s Book of Smoke

Moss, the chef at Asheville, N.C.’s Buxton Hall Barbecue, shares his considerable knowledge on the craft of Carolina pit smoking, known for its delicate flavors and the use of freshly charcoaled wood rather than live fire. This book has instructions for constructing large and small versions of backyard pits made of cinder block, and Moss also shows how to convert aluminum hotel pans, or even a Girl Scout mess kits, into portable smokers. Next, bring on the pig, or the chicken, or the smoky tofu with mushrooms. Ribs, wings, pulled pork, and, of course, a whole hog are offered up in the first half of the book. Going low and slow, baby backs reach perfection in five to six hours, and a lamb shoulder takes about four before its ready to be sauced. The book’s second half is filled with side dishes such as sour cream potato salad with freezer peas and basil, desserts such as buttermilk pie, and a chapter titled “Buxton Favorites,” featuring treats from the restaurant such as catfish stew and a fried chicken sandwich. Art director Cindy Samargia Laun employs some 150 color photos to make sure that smoke gets in your eyes in pleasing ways, with close-ups of nearly all the eats. (Oct.)