Myron Mixon is a straight talking barbecue man. He believes in the mantra of keeping it simple. If you believe him, and try out his recipes in Everyday Barbecue (Ballantine 2013), you might just end up barbecuing every day this summer and long into the rest of the year. This is a beginners’ book, starting with simple instructions on how to use different cooking methods from a charcoal grill to a smoker to an oven.

Now I don’t want to confuse you with too much information up front. So what I’m going to do is offer up a general primer right here, right now, and give you all the steps you need to adapt just about any recipe in this book to whichever your preferred cooking method may be. (p. 8)

This means walking you through how to light your coals, use a chimney starter, and clean your grill. Myron has only thirteen essential recipes in the next chapter – that means one marinade, The Only Marinade You Need (p. 21) made out of apple juice, white vinegar, sugar and salt. That’s followed by The Only Barbecue Rub and The Only Other Barbecue Rub You Need (pp. 22-23). One is for red meat and the other is for chicken, fish, or vegetables. There are also two sauces, one basic recipe for pork butt, pork shoulder, whole chicken, and ribs that contain only meat and the sauces, rubs, or marinades. Finally, there is one recipe for coleslaw, another for cornbread, and one dessert: fruit crisp.

Should you stop there? No, because the rest of the book is full of easy recipes for other meats – burgers, sandwiches, lamb, and other ways to use the barbecue for smoking, barbecue-frying, swimmers (fish), and drunken recipes with plenty of whiskey. Myron goes so far as to make Chocolate Cake on the Grill (p. 265) and Fried Peach Pies (p. 271) though it is hard to think how anyone could eat a cake after all the meat and side dishes (including a handful for salads and veggies).

Every summer deserves a new barbecue book. Everyday Barbecue is fun to read and easy to follow – and you don’t need the latest BBQ technology or super-duper grill. Just have fun and pass the napkins.