Franklin Smoke by Aaron Franklin & Jordan Mackay – Hardback Cookbook

Franklin Smoke is the hardback live-fire cookbook from Aaron Franklin of Austin's Franklin Barbecue, written with Jordan Mackay, and it teaches you how to grill and smoke meat, fish and vegetables over wood and charcoal at home. Where his first book was all about the smoker, this one lives where the grill and the smoker meet.

Fire as an ingredient, not just a heat source

Aaron Franklin built his name on brisket, but in his backyard he cooks over every kind of fire. Franklin Smoke is about using a fire through its whole life, from roaring coals to a gentle bed of embers, and treating that fire as part of the flavour. It's written for any setup, from a cheap kettle or a Big Green Egg to an offset or a hand-built fire pit.

What's inside

The early chapters cover tools, techniques and the methods behind grilling and smoking: low and high heat, indirect cooking and smoking, and how to plan a meal around a fire as it burns down. It also answers the questions people actually ask, like which wood to burn and how to smoke a whole turkey.

The recipes range across meat, fish and vegetables. Standouts include the smoked chicken, a firepit côte de boeuf cooked over open flame, and fire-kissed brussels sprouts that pick up char and smoke on the grate. The photography is practical as well as handsome, so you can see what you're aiming for.

Who it's for

Anyone who owns a grill and wants to cook with real fire more often, not only on weekends. Beginners with their first kettle will get a lot from it, and experienced smoker cooks will learn to use the grill side of the fire properly.

About Aaron Franklin & Jordan Mackay

Aaron Franklin, a native of Bryan, Texas, co-founded Franklin Barbecue in Austin with his wife Stacy in 2009; it has been named Best Barbecue in Texas by Texas Monthly and Best Barbecue in America by Bon Appétit. He hosts the PBS series BBQ with Franklin. Jordan Mackay is a journalist who co-wrote Franklin Barbecue, Franklin Steak and Secrets of the Sommeliers.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Word from the docks: Franklin's left the brisket pit and gone looking for fire everywhere else, and he's brought back weeknight dinners. Darryl's soft spot is the smoked chicken, skin the colour of an old saddle and juicy right through. Put this on your shelf and you'll stop saving the fire for Saturdays. Pair it with Food x Fire for more open-flame theatre and Scorched for veg that eats like meat, and dust the bird with Smokin Hoggz Applewood Rub. Feed the fire a little at a time; thin blue smoke wins.

Questions answered

Who wrote Franklin Smoke?

Franklin Smoke was written by Aaron Franklin, co-founder of Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, with writer Jordan Mackay, the same team behind Franklin Barbecue and Franklin Steak.

What's inside Franklin Smoke?

Chapters on tools, techniques and methods for grilling and smoking, covering low and high heat, indirect cooking and smoking, followed by recipes for meat, fish and vegetables such as smoked chicken and firepit côte de boeuf.

Is Franklin Smoke good for beginners?

Yes. It's written for any backyard setup, including a basic kettle, and explains how to manage a fire from start to finish.

Is Franklin Smoke a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 224-page hardback published by Ten Speed Press in 2023.

How is Franklin Smoke different from Franklin Barbecue?

Franklin Barbecue focuses on offset smokers and Central Texas brisket, while Franklin Smoke covers live-fire grilling and smoking on kettles, kamados, offsets and fire pits, with vegetables and fish as well as meat.