Quadrille
DJ BBQ's Backyard Baking and Fire Feasts
A louder, more British take on live fire from Christian Stevenson, good for people who want the fun as much as the theory.
- AuthorDJ BBQ
- FocusLive fire, fun
Books and Inspiration
Cookbooks, technique guides and classes worth the money.
Ten Speed Press
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
Aaron Franklin's account of fire management and brisket from the most famous barbecue joint in Texas. Long on fire, short on filler.
- AuthorAaron Franklin
- FocusBrisket, offset fire
Rux MartinThe one book to own
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue
The most useful single book on live-fire cooking, built on actual food science, from the founder of AmazingRibs. Explains why techniques work rather than just listing them.
- AuthorMeathead Goldwyn
- FocusTechnique and science
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How to choose
A good barbecue book earns its price many times over, because the difference between fine and excellent barbecue is technique, and technique is exactly what a book teaches better than a product ever will.
Most of what you need is on this site for free. Where a book genuinely adds something is depth on one subject: a whole volume on fire management, on a single cuisine, or on butchery. Those are worth owning; general barbecue cookbooks mostly repeat each other.
What belongs in this category
The kit we would expect a good books and inspiration range to cover. We link products as we confirm them with UK retailers.
- Grilling cookbooks
- Recipe and technique guides
- Cooking classes and workshops