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Pitmaster Matt Horn is a self-taught craftsman. On most days, the California native is busy smoking and perfecting a unique culinary art — West Coast-style barbecue. As a leading authority on this unique barbecue region, Horn’s accolades are many, ranging from his acclaimed Horn Barbecue restaurant (awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand) in Oakland, California, to being named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in America.

Now, Horn has authored a new cookbook, Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ" data-cta="Horn Barbecue: Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ" data-pid="" >Horn Barbecue: Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ , documenting every glorious detail of his distinctive style. The book is a testament to Horn’s passion for the art of barbecue, a craft that represents a greater life purpose beyond the accolades.

“I just wanted to do something for once that wasn’t driven by money, but something that touched my soul, something that really moved me,” said Horn.

While Texas and the South are dominant regions of American barbecue, the West Coast is often overlooked as a barbecue location. Although the West Coast doesn’t have the same historic lineage of Southern American barbecue, it does feature its own distinctive style. One item that’s unique to Californian barbecue is tri-tip, a cut of beef from the bottom “tip” of the sirloin. Cooked whole before its sliced thin, this distinctive cut is extremely rare outside California.

Another factor to West Coast barbecue is the immense cultural diversity, particularly in the Bay Area, where Horn centers his barbecue operations. Growing up in California’s Central Valley and operating a restaurant in multi-cultural Oakland, Horn takes notes from the countless cuisines and cultures of California. While much of his barbecue is an homage to the American South, Horn’s barbecue techniques often feature spices and flavors outside the standard lexicon, capturing the essence of Northern California.

But in Horn’s opinion, what truly makes West Coast barbecue unique is its flexibility. Unburdened by the boundaries of regions and styles, West Coast barbecue is free to experiment. This means that Horn can do Carolinas-style whole hog barbecue along with Northern California style tri-tip, all while creating inventive dishes like smoked oxtails or whole rabbit.

To document West Coast barbecue, Horn has chosen an ambitious creation — a cookbook. The production of the cookbook was a taxing journey, one that required long hours of recipe testing and tastings. That hard work is apparent upon reading the cookbook. Filled with detailed, expert guidance from Horn, this cookbook is a barbecue aficionado’s dream. Besides barbecue classics like brisket and whole hog, the cookbook also features Horn’s take on sides dishes, sauces, and desserts.

As a testament to West Coast barbecue, the cookbook also showcases some truly unique dishes well outside standard American barbecue fare. Surprisingly, one of Horn’s favorite things to make is smoked whole duck, something that’s more common in Chinese barbecue than in the American South. All of this is just another testament to the center of Horn’s motivation for barbecue, a passion that seeps from him in every pore.

“I look at it (barbecue) as a blank canvas for art, like a painting,” said Horn. “Because for you to take raw meat and turn it into something beautiful that also creates memories, that’s a beautiful thing.”

Tri-tip steak was popularized more than 70 years ago in open Santa Maria-style pits; it is so often associated with this region of California that you can ask for it as a “Santa Maria cut” or “California cut.” My strategy here is to treat the steak to my brisket technique and create a tender, smoked steak ideal for a family-style meal.

Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes, plus 20 minutes to rest Yield: Serves 6

Grilled chicken is an excellent humble family dinner, although the marinade in this recipe adds an incredible glaze worthy of a restaurant meal. The brown sugar speeds up the caramelization and deepens the flavor of the finished poultry.

Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus 20 minutes to marinate Total Time: 42 minutes  Yield: Serve 4

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