Smokestacks
Stack these new barbecue books right next to the smoker.
By Stefanie Gans
‘Grilling with House of Q: Inspired Recipes for Backyard Barbecues’ BY “BBQ” Brian Misko
After placing in two different events (third for chicken and sixth for ribs) in his first barbecue competition, “BBQ” Brian Misko became addicted to the smoky culture. Now 10 years later and with a line of barbecue sauces to his name, Misko shares his recipes for bacon-wrapped smoked meatballs, burgers blended with apples and bacon and, more seriously, his competition brisket, with specific instructions for the basting liquid, or mop, and a finishing sauce. (March 2015)
‘FEEDING THE FIRE: Recipes & Strategies for better Barbecue & Grilling’ BY JOE CARROLL & NICK FAUCHALD
Joe Carroll is a home cook. He was raised in New Jersey. But those two facts didn’t stop Carroll from becoming a successful barbecue restaurateur. With years traveling around the country—especially in regions not known for barbecue culture, like Maryland—and hours logged behind the smoker, Carroll teaches his straightforward techniques (charcoal smoker over electric) and philosophies (rub over sauce). Concentrating on ingredients as much as recipes, plus a bonus chapter on craft beer, “Feed the Fire” guides barbecue eaters into becoming barbecue doers. (May 2015)
‘Franklin Barbecue: A meat-smoking manifesto’ By Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay
The first barbecue chef to win a James Beard award (Best Chef: Southwest, 2015), Aaron Franklin’s Austin restaurant, Franklin Barbecue, is more than its long lines and acclaimed brisket. It’s a national treasure. Rather than relay recipes, Franklin, as he says, gets “a little geeky.” He dedicates a whole chapter to wood and explains the inner workings of a smoker. There are recipes, too, though not many. He sticks to standards with one recipe each for brisket (12 pages alone), spare ribs, beef ribs and turkey, plus some sauces and sides. It’s a book about getting into the biography, brain and single-minded obsession of a pitmaster. (April 2015)
‘12 Bones Smokehouse: A Mountain BBQ Cookbook’ By Bryan and Angela King, Shane Heavner and Mackensy Lunsford
Both a love letter to the Obamas (they’ve visited the restaurant three times) and a lighthearted manual (The 10 Commandments of Grilling include “Thou shalt lubricate”), the cookbook from the folks behind the Asheville-based 12 Bones Smokehouse is deep with recipes both classic and crazy. Whether it’s reminiscing about Thanksgiving with smoked whole turkey or practicing the lattice weave for the bacon-wrapped corned beef, there are straightforward but chatty instructions to help. Almost half the book is dedicated to foods other than meats, including recipes for pickled cantaloupe and watermelon rinds, the store’s signature sauce and a funky blueberry-chipotle one too, and desserts ranging from pecan pie to peanut butter pretzel bars. (April 2015)
(July 2015)