When I first heard about the mail-order barbecue company called Pig of the Month, it seemed a little out there. The way it works is that every month they ship you one of several barbecue options (ribs, pork shoulder, etc) partially prepared and frozen, and you finish it on a grill or in the oven. They sent me ribs a few weeks ago and the results were pretty good. If you don’t feel like making ‘que from scratch, this seems like a fun, easy option. Check out their web site here for more info.

—Carlos Acevedo, Senior Food Editor