In a town known for deep dish pizza and hot dogs, Chicago can seem barren of good barbecue. But chef and author Gary Wiviott, who demonstrated how to saute and grind your own chili spices at the What’s Cooking @ ALA stage today, had the crowd hungering for the closest barbecue spot for dinner. (Wiviott is the pitmaster at Barn & Company at 950 W. Wrightwood Ave. in Chicago, so there are options.)
The chef’s recommendation for good barbecue joints: “The more anthropomorphic the pic, the better the barbecue. If there are dancing pigs shooting pistols, the barbecue is fantastic,” he said.
Wiviott signed his first cookbook, “Low and Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Steps.” His second book, co-authored by Colleen Rush, “Low and Slow 2: The Art of Barbecue,” which releases in April, is also from Running Press.
The new book features recipes for brisket, chicken, lamb, duck, and turkey, as well as techniques.
Grinding your own spices is one of his suggestions. “The flavor differential, the reward is so amazing. Your food will taste better, and your house will smell good, too,” he said. And you’ll have a nice homemade chili blend “that beats the heck out of a premade spice mix,” he added.
