The One True Barbecue: Fire, Smoke, and the Pitmasters Who Cook the Whole Hog

In the spirit of the oral historians who tracked down and told the stories of America's original bluesmen, this is a journey into the southern heartland to discover the last of the great roadside whole-hog pitmasters who hold on to the heritage and the secrets of America's traditional barbecue.

In The One True Barbecue, Rien Fertel finds the gatekeepers of real southern barbecue - including those who tend the fire at legendary spots like Bum's, Wilber's, Sweatman's, Grady's, the Skylight Inn, and three different places named Scott's - to tell their stories and pay homage to the diversity and beauty of this culinary tradition. These pitmasters are now influencing a new breed of chefs and barbecue enthusiasts from Nashville to Brooklyn.