The Tex-Mex Grill and Backyard Barbacoa Cookbook

By Robb Walsh

“The Tex-Mex Grill and Backyard Barbacoa Cookbook is pure Robb Walsh – as delicious to read as it is to cook from.”  

—Rick Bayless, chef-owner of Frontera Grill, Chicago, host of PBS’s Mexico—One Plate at a Time

From the mesquite fires of the Spanish vaqueros to the taco trucks of modern taqueros, no American regional cuisine has contributed more to the nation’s grilling style than Tex-Mex. Thanks to a revival sparked by frozen margaritas and mesquite-grilled fajitas, modern Tex-Mex has become an eye-popping spectacle of grilled meats and seafood seasoned with bold chili- powder rubs and served with fresh salsas. And nobody knows Tex-Mex like award-winning, Texas-based food writer Robb Walsh. Writing straight from the heart of Texas, Walsh shows us that grilling doesn’t get any better in his new cookbook, THE TEX-MEX GRILL AND BACKYARD BARBOCOA COOKBOOK (Broadway Books; On Sale May 11, 2010; Trade Paperback Original $18.99). 

In a handbook of techniques, step-by-step illustrations and photos, and interviews with legendary Tex-Mex chefs, Walsh introduces the full spectrum of outdoor cooking in Texas and northern Mexico and introduces the bold flavors to our backyards. 

Whether its on a flat top griddle, the most high-tech grill, or a simple open flame barbecue—Tex-Mex grilling creates flavors that are hard to match. Walsh offers recipes that use any or all of these surfaces, showcasing a delicious blend of the traditional and the modern.

Walsh gives hints, tips, and secrets to grilling success for everyone from the expert to the novice. From the tools you’ll need to the different grills and fuel choices available, Walsh walks you through the process from starting a fire to knowing when your meat is done. Even if you’ve never used a grill before, you can still whip up delicious Tex-Mex. Can’t figure out what went wrong?  Walsh expands on the four most common mistakes to avoid when grilling—too hot, too fast, too close, or too black. And he shows the experts how to carve a top blade roast into flatiron steaks and how to cut up a whole tenderloin. 

And in his trademark style, using old menus and graphics and archival photos, Walsh takes you through the history behind the movement. You’ll meet Mariano Martinez, father of the frozen margarita; Matt Martinez, the King of Tex-Mex; and proprietors, cooks, and tailgaters who bring their individuality and creativity to the grill.  There are restaurants, cook-offs, and get-togethers—from competitions where grilling steak is elevated to an art form to the purest form of culinary competition—the tailgating scene.

THE TEX-MEX GRILL AND BACKYARD BARBOCOA COOKBOOK spotlights sizzling fajitas. There’s the Fajita King, Juan Antonio “Sunny” Falcon, who claims to have given the tasty meal its name. And there’s Mama Ninfa Laurenzo, who popularized fajitas in modern-day Tex-Mex, and many more with recipes for the dish that’s the heart of modern Tex-Mex. Learn how the dish we call “fajitas” has changed to include newly popular cuts of meat such as sirloin flap, Texas sizzler, hanger, and flatiron steak.

Delicious Tex-Mex combinations like mesquite-kissed T-bones with grilled corn on the cob slathered in ancho chile butter and grilled jumbo Gulf shrimp with pineapple kebabs are just the beginning. Slow-roasted lamb, Dorado BLT Tacos, and all of the easy-to-make side dishes, condiments, and punchy cocktails that match can be found in the 85 tempting, easy-to-follow recipes in THE TEX-MEX GRILL AND BACKYARD BARBACOA COOKBOOK.

Walsh traces the spread of Tex-Mex grilling by taking us on a journey to visit the very best taco trucks and street food stalls on both sides of the border. He offers taqueria and taco truck recipes for salsas, tortas, tacos, hamburguesas, and Sonoran hot dogs and lists some of his favorites places to eat them.

A tempting package of Mexican-American recipes and spicy trivia tidbits, illustrated with more than 100 archival and new photographs, THE TEX-MEX GRILL AND BACKYARD BARBACOA COOKBOOK brings the world’s most popular American regional cuisine to your home grill. Its the perfect cookbook for tailgaters, taco truck devotees, Tex-Mex home cooks, and backyard barbecuers.

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About the Author:

Robb Walsh, the former food critic for the Houston Press,  is the author of five cookbooks, including The Texas Cowboy Cookbook and The Tex-Mex Cookbook, and winner of two James Beard Awards. He lives in Houston, Texas.  Visit him at www.robbwalsh.com.

About the Book:

 For more information or to schedule an interview with Robb Walsh, please contact Tammy Blake, Broadway Books Publicity, 212-572-2542 or tblake@randomhouse.com or Emily Lyman, Broadway Books Publicity, 212-782-8351 or elyman@randomhouse.com.