Heat & Smoke II by Bob Hart – Paperback Cookbook

Heat & Smoke II is a paperback Australian barbecue book by Melbourne food writer Bob Hart that follows his first Heat & Smoke with more achievable, real-barbecue recipes and a focus on emerging Australian styles. The covers fold in as handy reference cards: meat cooking temperatures at the front and a grillmaster's spice list at the back.

A fearless Aussie take on the dark art

Bob Hart has spent years telling Australians that barbecue is more than sausages on a hotplate, and Heat & Smoke II keeps the message simple. You don't need culinary virtuosity to cook great barbecue; you need to understand heat, smoke and spice. Ingredients are easy to find, and recipes that don't belong in a grillmaster's repertoire simply aren't in it.

What's inside

It's a compact 132 pages with high-gloss flexible covers and French folds. The front fold carries a list of meat cooking temperatures and the back fold lists the spices a serious grillmaster keeps on the shelf; both fold into the book to act as bookmarks and quick reference while you cook.

The dishes were cooked by Bob on his own barbecues and photographed hot off the grill by photographer Dean Cambray, so what you see is honest backyard food. The emphasis is on real barbecue with a local accent, from low and slow to hot and fast.

Who it's for

Australian backyard cooks, from beginners to confident weekenders, who want a local voice and recipes that work with what's in the shop. It's a handy, tough book to keep near the cooker.

About Bob Hart

Bob Hart is a Melbourne-based journalist, born in Queensland, who spent years on Fleet Street in London and as a record company executive in Los Angeles before returning to Australia in 1987 to specialise in food writing. He has written for The Age and the Herald Sun, presented food broadcasts, and runs barbecue masterclasses through his Australian Barbecue Academy.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Darryl'd stake his cutlass on Bob Hart: he's been preaching real barbecue to Australians since most of us thought it meant a hotplate. This sequel keeps it tight and practical, and the clever bit is the cover itself, with meat temperatures folded into the front flap so the answer's always in your hand. Grab a copy and cook with more confidence. Pair it with Hardcore Carnivore from another Aussie meat obsessive and Steak for the beef deep-dive, and crust your next rump with Cattleman's Grill Cowboy Coffee Rub.

Questions answered

Who wrote Heat & Smoke II?

Heat & Smoke II was written by Bob Hart, a Melbourne-based food writer, broadcaster and barbecue teacher.

What's inside Heat & Smoke II?

Achievable real-barbecue recipes with an emphasis on emerging Australian styles, plus a meat temperature guide in the front cover fold and a spice list in the back fold.

Is Heat & Smoke II good for beginners?

Yes. The recipes are deliberately achievable, the ingredients are easy to find, and the fold-out temperature guide helps newer cooks get it right.

Is Heat & Smoke II a hardback, and how many pages?

No. It's a 132-page book with flexible high-gloss covers and French folds, published by Hartbeat Media in 2015.

Is Heat & Smoke II an Australian barbecue book?

Yes. Bob Hart is a Melbourne writer, and the book focuses on real barbecue with an Australian approach.