12 Bones Smokehouse by Bryan & Angela King, Shane Heavner & Mackensy Lunsford – Hardback Cookbook

12 Bones Smokehouse is the hardback cookbook from the much-loved Asheville, North Carolina barbecue joint, written by owners Bryan and Angela King with head chef Shane Heavner and food writer Mackensy Lunsford, and it's packed with their rubs, ribs, sauces and Southern sides. This updated edition adds more recipes from the restaurant, including new rib rubs and seasonal sauces.

Rule-breaking ribs from the Blue Ridge

12 Bones started out in a humble building on a flood plain, cooking barbecue that didn't stick to any one region's rules, and plenty of people doubted it would last. It became an Asheville institution instead, famous for its Blueberry-Chipotle baby back ribs and good enough that a former US president is quoted on the back cover. The book captures that same cheeky, flavour-first attitude.

What's inside

It opens with The Essentials, covering tools, smoking, cooking over gas and over charcoal, choosing wood and brining. From there it moves through Beef and Pork, Poultry and Seafood, Big, Bad Barbecue Sauces, Veggies, Salads and Pickles, Rib-Stickin' Sides, and Southern Treats and Homemade Sweets.

Highlights include Salt-and-Pepper "Nekkid" Baby Back Ribs, Brown Sugar Baby Back Ribs, 12 Bones Smoked Beef Brisket, Flat Iron Pastrami, Barbecue Scotch Eggs, Smoky Spiced Shrimp and Grits, and the house Blueberry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, with a whole chapter of rubs and sauces to mix and match.

Who it's for

Anyone who loves ribs and pulled pork and wants Southern barbecue with a bit of mischief. Because it covers gas and charcoal as well as smoking, it works for kettle and gas barbecue owners as much as offset cooks, and the Essentials chapter makes it friendly for beginners.

About the 12 Bones crew

Bryan and Angela King own 12 Bones Smokehouse in Asheville, North Carolina, where Shane Heavner is head chef. The restaurant has been featured in Southern Living, Garden & Gun and on ABC, NBC and the Travel Channel. Co-author Mackensy Lunsford is an award-winning food writer and journalist and a former chef and restaurant owner.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

The Smuggler reckons this is what happens when a rib joint stops asking permission. It's Southern barbecue with a cheeky streak, and the Blueberry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce is the bit Darryl would happily run past customs: sweet, smoky and nothing like the jar sauce you grew up on. Grab a copy and your ribs will never be boring again. Stack it beside Diva Q's Barbecue for competition-proven rib wisdom and Everyday Barbecue for Myron Mixon's no-fuss weeknight smoke, and if blueberries are out of season, mop with Blues Hog Raspberry Chipotle.

Questions answered

Who wrote 12 Bones Smokehouse?

It was written by Bryan and Angela King, owners of 12 Bones Smokehouse in Asheville, North Carolina, with head chef Shane Heavner and food writer Mackensy Lunsford.

What's inside 12 Bones Smokehouse?

Seven chapters covering the essentials of smoking and grilling, beef and pork, poultry and seafood, barbecue sauces, veggies and pickles, sides, and Southern sweets, including the famous Blueberry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce.

Is 12 Bones Smokehouse good for beginners?

Yes. The opening chapter explains tools, smoking, cooking over gas and charcoal, wood and brining before the recipes start.

Is 12 Bones Smokehouse a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 240-page paper-over-board hardback, published by Voyageur Press in 2018 as an updated edition.

Do I need a smoker to cook from 12 Bones Smokehouse?

No. The book covers cooking over gas and charcoal as well as smoking, and some recipes, like the Root Beer Oven-Roasted Baby Back Ribs, use the oven.