Jay Ducote’s Barbecue Cookbook Collection
I previously wrote about my favorite Louisiana-themed cookbooks, but my cookbook collection would not be complete without ample research opportunities for smoked meats, fired-up grills, and tangy sauces. These books are actually in my library, and while there are quite a few books that I’d love to add to my collection, these are the BBQ books that I have on my shelf right now! Some are absolute staples of the industry, some are amazing gifts from friends, and others represent some of the who’s who of the barbecue world!
Disclaimer: links contain influencer marketing codes, none of which impacted their placement on this list. For my full list of cookbooks, knives, and other kitchen essentials, check out my Amazon Storefront.
Leading Lady - Hardcore Carnivore: Cook Meat Like You Mean It
Jess Pryles and I have been friends for years now, and it has been awesome to follow her Australia-to-Texas beef-loving journey. We’ve hung out in Austin and in New Orleans, and not only do I have her book, but I also have some of her Hardcore Carnivore line of seasonings. Trust me on this… you’ll want to add this book to your collection, or gift it to anybody how loves to fire up the grill or smoker!
Best Sauces - Award-Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them
Ray Sheehan, AKA the BBQ Buddha, and I met at the World Food Championships, and he was nice enough to send me and advance copy of his book to get a review from me. My review is on the back cover of his book, “This book will make you want to explore the universe of barbecue sauces and you won’t quit until you’re licking your lips that final rib!” Awesomely enough, Ray returned the favor and has a quote on the back cover of my book, too!
Best Restaurant Cookbook - Franklin Barbecue: A Meat Smoking Manifesto
I’ve stood in line for hours at Franklin Barbecue in Austin. Twice. I met Aaron there, as he was working the pits, and we got to chat and snap a picture. Then I ate his brisket and fell in love. The Franklin Barbecue brisket is what I aspire to cook. It is beefy, salty, peppery, smokey perfection.
Modern Times - Master the Wood Pellet Grill
Andrew Koster lives in the Pacific Northwest and works with multiple pellet grill manufacturers on product development and customer service teams. He also creates awesome social media content on his pellet grills, and has often featured some of my products, so thanks for that, Andrew! Another guy that was nice enough to supply and endorsement on the back of my book, Andrew’s book is all about the modern wood pellet grill. If you or anyone you know cooks on a Traeger, Pit Boss, recteq, or any of the many others, you need to get them this book!
Doctor’s Orders - Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings
Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe gave me a copy of his book when I visited his restaurant in St. Petersburg, FL. Autographed with the note, “To Jay, Happy BBQ!!” I keep it displayed on my shelf at all times. Dr. BBQ is a true legend in the meat-smoking world. He’s been all over TV, contributed to countless publications, and has The NFL Gameday Cookbook as well. He’s a man after my own heart and I’m proud to call him a friend.
Mr. Celebrity Chef - Emeril at the Grill: A Cookbook for All Seasons
Emeril has a book for everything, and since I have nearly his entire collection after an old Bite & Booze food blog promotion, Emeril at the Grill is one of the many BAM books on my shelf. This book is much more geared for the casual backyard griller than the barbecue connoisseur, but there’s nothing wrong with that. He’s get steaks, sliders, veggies, seafood, drinks, and whole lot more for all your entertaining needs!
BBQ Bible - Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue
This book has sold well over a million copies over years… though at the time my version was printed it was over 750,000. Cheryl and Bill Jamison are James Beard Award-Winning Authors and Smoke & Spice is their outdoor cooking masterpiece. They’ve got S’mores Quesadillas in here! This is an outdoor cooking Bible.
Tons of Recipes - Paul Kirk’s Championship Barbecue
Paul Kirk’s book has over 575 recipes, which is only a little more than one for each of the over 400 barbecue awards he’s won, including seven world championships. This dude is a true competition pitmaster, and his book is written as one. It has great tips and tricks from a master, and from other friends of his in the industry. Reading through this book is like taking a masterclass on competition barbecue.
My Book! - Louisiana Outdoor Cooking
Finally, once again, when looking at my collection barbecue cookbooks, I’ve of course got to recognize my own! The Louisiana Outdoor Cooking vibe means that there’s plenty cast iron cooking and outdoor deep frying in addition to grilling and smoking, but you better believe there’s plenty ribs and chargrilled oysters from my tailgating and barbecue adventures! Plus, there are quotes from the above mentioned Ray Sheehan and Andrew Koster, in addition to several others, on the back! You can also purchase an autographed copy from my site.
