Bob Hart's Barbecue Unplugged by Bob Hart – Hardback Cookbook

Bob Hart's Barbecue Unplugged is a hardback barbecue cookbook by the late Melbourne food writer and broadcaster Bob Hart, and it's all about cooking brilliantly over charcoal and wood, from Asian-style brisket to hickory-roasted lobster tails. It's his third barbecue book, following Heat & Smoke and Heat & Smoke II, with photography by Melbourne photographer Manuela Cifra.

Charcoal, wood and an Aussie legend's best ideas

Bob Hart spent decades talking, writing and broadcasting about real barbecue, and he's widely credited as one of the people who got Australians cooking over solid fuel. This book is where he let loose: techniques and dishes most barbecue books never touch, all shaped by his love of flavour and texture, and delivered with the dry wit his readers and listeners knew him for.

What's inside

Everything here is cooked over charcoal or wood, and Bob pushes well past the usual snags and chops. He works smoke into dishes you wouldn't expect, reverse-sears steaks with Japanese and Thai accents, and treats the barbecue as an oven, a smoker and a grill all at once.

The standouts include lobster tails roasted over hickory, brisket slow-cooked over charcoal with Asian flavours, smoky prawn-and-corn tacos, Peking duck, tandoori chicken and a peach cobbler baked gently over the coals.

Who it's for

Australian kettle, kamado and offset owners who have the basics down and want new ideas for the next cook. It's also a lovely gift for anyone who grew up reading Bob in the paper or listening to him on the radio.

About Bob Hart

The late Bob Hart was a Melbourne food journalist and broadcaster, long associated with the Herald Sun and with 3AW, where he talked food every week and presented a summer barbecue segment, Thrill of the Grill. He also hosted the TV series Hart of the Barbecue on the Seven Network. Originally from Queensland, he worked in London and Los Angeles before coming home to champion real barbecue, and wrote the bestselling Heat & Smoke and Heat & Smoke II.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Darryl doesn't hand out nods lightly, but Bob Hart earned plenty of them. This is a big-hearted tour of charcoal and wood cooking with a proper Aussie accent, and the hickory-roasted lobster tails are worth the price of the book on their own. Get it on your shelf and your next cook will have ideas the neighbours haven't seen yet. Pair it with Cooking with Fire for Duncan Welgemoed's wild Adelaide energy and BBQ Companion for Ben O'Donoghue's easy outdoor feeds, then season the steaks with Coast N Smoke Surf Paddle Grill SPG.

Questions answered

Who wrote Bob Hart's Barbecue Unplugged?

It was written by the late Bob Hart, a Melbourne food journalist and broadcaster and the author of Heat & Smoke and Heat & Smoke II.

What's inside Bob Hart's Barbecue Unplugged?

Charcoal and wood cooking with a creative streak: reverse-seared steaks with Japanese and Thai twists, hickory-roasted lobster tails, Asian-style brisket, smoky prawn-and-corn tacos, Peking duck, tandoori chicken and a coal-baked peach cobbler.

Is Bob Hart's Barbecue Unplugged good for beginners?

It suits confident beginners and up. It's best for cooks who have done a few charcoal or wood cooks and want fresh ideas to try next.

Is Bob Hart's Barbecue Unplugged a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 148-page hardback, first published in 2017.

Is Bob Hart's Barbecue Unplugged an Australian book?

Yes. Bob Hart was one of Melbourne's best-known barbecue writers, and the book was photographed by Melbourne photographer Manuela Cifra.