Franklin Smoke

Where the smoker meets the grill—and things start to get interesting.

Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay take things a step past traditional barbecue with Franklin Smoke, focusing on live-fire cooking and how to actually use it day-to-day—not just when you’ve got 12 hours to kill.

This book breaks down the balance between smoking and grilling—when to use each, how to combine them, and how to control heat so you’re not just guessing every time you light a fire. It covers the fundamentals that matter: airflow, fuel, timing, and how to treat fire like an ingredient instead of just a tool.

There’s plenty here for long cooks, but it also makes a strong case for firing up the grill on a weeknight and doing it right.