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J. R.'s Cookbook: True Ringside Tales, BBQ, and Down-Home Recipes
An entertaining barbecue cookbook from the legendary RAW announcer encompasses a host of recipes that range from meat basics to garden essentials and includes a host of regional barbecue specialties and a section on healthy grilling. Reprint. 60,000 first printing.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 13, 2020
My boss has challenged me to complete every monthly reading challenge at our library with only books by or about pro wrestlers. September is food memoir/narrative, and JR has delivered.
This book is very much a product of its time - 2003. I have no idea who the women on the front are and they're never mentioned in the book. There are some super cringey passages in here about Gold Dust, the Junkyard Dog, and how much Jerry Lawlor likes boobs. Chris Benoit even gets a shoutout. Oof. But there are also a lot of nice stories in this book about Owen Hart, JR's friendship with Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the general nature of teamwork that JR applies to both wrestling and cooking. Many of the recipes within are passed down from his family, attributed to wrestlers or family members of wrestlers, his wife Jan's creations, or something he and Jan created together. Knowing that Jan unexpectedly died in a car accident in 2017 made this book bittersweet.
I don't claim to know JR, and kayfabe is a reality, but between this, Slobberknocker, and interviews I've seen with him (during and after his time with WWE), I think Good Ol' JR is at least a little bit of the real deal. At the very least, he understands the intersection between cooking and his likely audience. The stories are fun, there are listicles throughout, and the recipes are simple but solid. I even flagged a few I want to try despite not being a fan of bbq (like Jan's spaghetti sauce). Oh!! Speaking of, I learned the basics of grilling meat from this book and I do like a good steak. My cooking repertoire is mostly sauces, soups, pasta, casseroles, and desserts. But I'm willing to try a new skillset. There's even a recipe for squirrel.
This book is very much a product of its time - 2003. I have no idea who the women on the front are and they're never mentioned in the book. There are some super cringey passages in here about Gold Dust, the Junkyard Dog, and how much Jerry Lawlor likes boobs. Chris Benoit even gets a shoutout. Oof. But there are also a lot of nice stories in this book about Owen Hart, JR's friendship with Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the general nature of teamwork that JR applies to both wrestling and cooking. Many of the recipes within are passed down from his family, attributed to wrestlers or family members of wrestlers, his wife Jan's creations, or something he and Jan created together. Knowing that Jan unexpectedly died in a car accident in 2017 made this book bittersweet.
I don't claim to know JR, and kayfabe is a reality, but between this, Slobberknocker, and interviews I've seen with him (during and after his time with WWE), I think Good Ol' JR is at least a little bit of the real deal. At the very least, he understands the intersection between cooking and his likely audience. The stories are fun, there are listicles throughout, and the recipes are simple but solid. I even flagged a few I want to try despite not being a fan of bbq (like Jan's spaghetti sauce). Oh!! Speaking of, I learned the basics of grilling meat from this book and I do like a good steak. My cooking repertoire is mostly sauces, soups, pasta, casseroles, and desserts. But I'm willing to try a new skillset. There's even a recipe for squirrel.
June 9, 2021
Last week, Memorial Day ushered in the unofficial start of summer. Though summer won’t officially begin until June 20th, the weather is getting warmer and it’s time to fire up the old backyard grill. If you’re in need of inspiration as to what to cook on that grill, look no further than the book the Literary Squared Circle is reviewing this week, J.R.’s Cookbook: True Ringside Tales, BBQ, and Down Home Recipes by Jim “J.R.” Ross (World Wrestling Entertainment, 2003).
To date, the WWE has released three cookbooks: Can You Take The Heat? (2000), J.R.’s Cookbook (2003), and WWE: The Official Cookbook (2019). J.R.’s Cookbook is, by far, my favorite of the three. It is not as gimmicky as Can You Take The Heat? which contains recipes like Sgt. Slaughter’s Mess Hall Dip, Jerry Lawler’s Chicken à la King, Michael Hayes’s “P.S.” Potato Skins, Billy Gunn’s Grilled Badd Ass-paragus, and Mark Henry’s “Sexual Chocolate” Cake.
Nor is it as pun loving as The Official Cookbook which includes recipes for NWOatmeal, Nacho Man Randy Savage, Mick Foley Guacamole, Braun Stroganoff, and Coffee Kingston. What you’ll find in J.R.’s Cookbook are actual family recipes which were passed down to Good Ol’ J.R. and his late wife, Jan. Examples of the down-home recipes you will find are: J.R.’s Famous Fried Potatoes, Grandad’s Moonshine BBQ Sauce, Mama’s Strawberry Bread, Jan’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce, and Granny’s Lemonade.
J.R.’s Cookbook features over 100 recipes, in eight distinct categories. The recipes are broken down as follows: “There’s the Bell” (breakfast fare), “Sandwiches and Burgers”, “Fixin’s” (condiments and sauces), “Breads”, “Salads and Sides”, “The Main Event!” (main dishes and entrées), “Who Wants Dessert?”, and “Libations and Drinks”.
So, what are the best options offered up in the cookbook for summertime grilling? A few suggestions would be the WrestleMania Burger!, J.R.’s BBQ Chicken, J.R.’s Baby Back Ribs, Piledriver Pork Chops, Slobberknocker Salmon, and Grilled Harvest Corn. In addition to the delicious recipes, Ross also provides grilling tips, recommendations on the proper grilling utensils, and convenient charts featuring suggested grilling times and temperatures.
The thing that sets J.R.’s Cookbook apart from the other two WWE cookbooks, and made it my favorite, is that interspersed amongst the recipes are top ten lists (“ten things to never say to Vince McMahon”, “top ten arenas for best catering”, etc.) and short stories from Jim Ross’ career (how he got into the business, the origins of his iconic black hat, etc.) and personal life (his battle with Bell’s Palsy, his obsession with Oklahoma football, etc.). The inclusion of these stories made the book more than just a collection of recipes. His personal stories give readers the opportunity to get to know Ross as more than just an announcer on TV. J.R.’s insights and opinions concerning the wrestling business enlighten readers to the behind-the-scenes workings of professional wrestling. This was just a taste of what was to come. He would expound upon many of the topics years later in his two bestselling memoirs, Slobberknocker (2017) and Under the Black Hat (2020).
What are you waiting for? Pick a recipe from J.R.’s Cookbook. Fire up the grill and get your grub on! Don’t forget to pick up a bottle (or two) of J.R.’s BBQ sauce!
4 Stars out of 5
To date, the WWE has released three cookbooks: Can You Take The Heat? (2000), J.R.’s Cookbook (2003), and WWE: The Official Cookbook (2019). J.R.’s Cookbook is, by far, my favorite of the three. It is not as gimmicky as Can You Take The Heat? which contains recipes like Sgt. Slaughter’s Mess Hall Dip, Jerry Lawler’s Chicken à la King, Michael Hayes’s “P.S.” Potato Skins, Billy Gunn’s Grilled Badd Ass-paragus, and Mark Henry’s “Sexual Chocolate” Cake.
Nor is it as pun loving as The Official Cookbook which includes recipes for NWOatmeal, Nacho Man Randy Savage, Mick Foley Guacamole, Braun Stroganoff, and Coffee Kingston. What you’ll find in J.R.’s Cookbook are actual family recipes which were passed down to Good Ol’ J.R. and his late wife, Jan. Examples of the down-home recipes you will find are: J.R.’s Famous Fried Potatoes, Grandad’s Moonshine BBQ Sauce, Mama’s Strawberry Bread, Jan’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce, and Granny’s Lemonade.
J.R.’s Cookbook features over 100 recipes, in eight distinct categories. The recipes are broken down as follows: “There’s the Bell” (breakfast fare), “Sandwiches and Burgers”, “Fixin’s” (condiments and sauces), “Breads”, “Salads and Sides”, “The Main Event!” (main dishes and entrées), “Who Wants Dessert?”, and “Libations and Drinks”.
So, what are the best options offered up in the cookbook for summertime grilling? A few suggestions would be the WrestleMania Burger!, J.R.’s BBQ Chicken, J.R.’s Baby Back Ribs, Piledriver Pork Chops, Slobberknocker Salmon, and Grilled Harvest Corn. In addition to the delicious recipes, Ross also provides grilling tips, recommendations on the proper grilling utensils, and convenient charts featuring suggested grilling times and temperatures.
The thing that sets J.R.’s Cookbook apart from the other two WWE cookbooks, and made it my favorite, is that interspersed amongst the recipes are top ten lists (“ten things to never say to Vince McMahon”, “top ten arenas for best catering”, etc.) and short stories from Jim Ross’ career (how he got into the business, the origins of his iconic black hat, etc.) and personal life (his battle with Bell’s Palsy, his obsession with Oklahoma football, etc.). The inclusion of these stories made the book more than just a collection of recipes. His personal stories give readers the opportunity to get to know Ross as more than just an announcer on TV. J.R.’s insights and opinions concerning the wrestling business enlighten readers to the behind-the-scenes workings of professional wrestling. This was just a taste of what was to come. He would expound upon many of the topics years later in his two bestselling memoirs, Slobberknocker (2017) and Under the Black Hat (2020).
What are you waiting for? Pick a recipe from J.R.’s Cookbook. Fire up the grill and get your grub on! Don’t forget to pick up a bottle (or two) of J.R.’s BBQ sauce!
4 Stars out of 5
November 25, 2008
Jim Ross was the greatest play-by-play commertaor in National Wrestling Alllince, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment, look back in his years in NWA, WCW and WWE while you cooking a perfect food in the world.
May 2, 2008
this is totally not as good as the first cookbook. bit of a letdown. which is weird that i would even have great expectations for a wrestling cookbook in the first place.....
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March 11, 2010Signed!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews