{"id":5010,"date":"2016-05-15T06:55:59","date_gmt":"2016-05-15T12:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cooking.pfeist.net\/?p=5010"},"modified":"2025-09-20T11:35:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T17:35:58","slug":"250-cookbooks-best-in-the-west-barbecue-recipes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cooking.pfeist.net\/?p=5010","title":{"rendered":"250 Cookbooks: Best in the West Barbecue Recipes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cookbook #159:<\/strong> Best in the West Barbecue Recipes,<\/em> Western Family, Inc., August 1958.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Best<\/p>\n

What or who is or was “Western Family” \u2013 the publisher of this book? Searching the web, I find that it was a 1950s magazine about life in the western US. A few vintage issues of this magazine are available through eBay and Amazon and other sources. If you google “Western Family Magazine 1958” you will be rewarded with the cover art of several issues \u2013 I’d copy some in here but don’t feel comfortable because of copyright issues.<\/p>\n

Best in the West Barbecue Recipes<\/em> is a small stapled-together booklet that must have been associated with the August 1958 magazine issue. And I think<\/em> it was my grandmother’s, because there is a smidgeon of writing in it that looks like hers:<\/p>\n

\"note<\/p>\n

I like the introduction page:<\/p>\n

\"introduction\"I am surprised how much I like the recipes in this dated booklet! Many of them sound good, albeit the instructions are often quite brief: “Pour the marinade over the ribs and marinate for at least one hour. Grill ribs over charcoal for 45-60 minutes, or until done, turning frequently and brushing with sauce.” Each recipe includes the name of the contributor, usually a “Mrs.” from a western state.<\/p>\n

Note the barbecue grill in the photo of the cover of this cookbook (top of this page). That’s the kind of barbecue I grew up with. It was fairly flat and you spread the charcoal in a single layer and cooked on the grill right above the charcoal. I’m not even sure it had a cover. Simple but functional.<\/p>\n

This all certainly brings back the sunny times in California in the 1950s: sitting on the wooden table and benches in the tree-shaded patio right off our kitchen, charcoal fire started, family friends gathering for a meal together, adults laughing with their cocktails, us kids being kids. It was a great place to grow up.<\/p>\n

I decide to make Just-Right Barbecued Chicken:<\/p>\n

\"Just\"Just I haven’t cooked bone-in chicken pieces on a grill in ages. Below are the instructions given in this booklet for an old-style charcoal grill.<\/p>\n

\"grilling<\/p>\n

What I like about the recipe for Just Right Barbecue Chicken is the included barbecue sauce. I made a few minor changes in the sauce recipe (more spices, less salt, chile sauce for “chili pepper catsup”). I adapted the grilling instructions from charcoal to my covered gas grill by consulting my Weber Real Grilling cookbook. All changes are incorporated below.<\/p>\n

Just-Right Barbecued Chicken<\/strong><\/a>
\nserves 2 \u2013 with leftovers!<\/em><\/p>\n