‘Franklin Smoke’ Cookbook by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay

Aaron Franklin’s legendary Franklin Barbecue restaurant in Austin, TX is renowned for having several-hour-long lines and offering up some insanely good brisket that is absolutely worth the wait. You may even be aware of their best-selling cookbook, Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto (which was dedicated to hardcore Central Texas barbecue) or its perhaps lesser-known follow-up, Franklin Steak (which was all about steaks on a wood-fired grill).

Just a month ago, Aaron and co-author Jordan Mackay released yet another cookbook that’s sure to be another classic. It’s called Franklin Smoke: Wood, Fire, Food, and this time around, the focus is on backyard grilling for smoke using wood — either in a smoker or on a firepit — rather than charcoal grilling.

Actually, it’s more accurate to call it a “technique-book” than a cookbook, as they aim to make you more proficient at the process rather than simply throwing recipes in your face.

From the book description:

The trick is in treating fire as an ingredient, not a medium. Franklin and Mackay detail strategies for executing meals over the full lifespan of a fire, employing low- and high-heat techniques as well as indirect cooking and smoking. Whether you’re an old pro looking for new tips or have just purchased your first grill or smoker, the book shares expert techniques designed for any type of backyard grill, from inexpensive kettle-style grills, Big Green Eggs, offset cookers, and hand-built fire pits.

Featuring detailed chapters on tools, techniques, and methods of grilling and smoking a variety of ingredients, Franklin Smoke answers all of your burning questions—from “How do I smoke a whole turkey?” to “What kind of wood should I use?”—while offering delicious new ways to incorporate both fire and smoke into your everyday cooking.

There is something so fundamental and human about cooking over open flame. Our ancestors did it to survive, and despite all the technological advances we live with today, the fire still calls to something deep and primal in us. This new book teaches you how to master this craft and keep the tradition alive — and serve up some killer BBQ while you’re at it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best of the three Franklin books.

No book has shaped my outdoor cooking more than Franklin’s BBQ book. His second book on steak was good and informative but just didn’t provide anything groundbreaking for me. This book delivers on everything, the science, the “secrets” , and how use different cookers to achieve the best results from equipment you already own. It also includes more exact temperatures and methods not included in previous books.

Camron Cook (Amazon reviewer)


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