About the Contributors

One of the most recognized names in barbecue, Aaron Franklin is also the New York Times bestselling co-author of Franklin Barbecue and Franklin Steak, a James Beard Award winner for Best Chef, and an inductee to the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame. His restaurant has won every major barbecue award and been featured in magazines ranging from GQ to Bon Appétit. And the line to get into the Austin, Texas, hotspot is as long as ever.

Jordan Mackay is a James Beard Award–winning writer on food, wine, and spirits. He grew up in Seattle and Austin, beginning his writing career at Texas Monthly, before moving to San Francisco to pursue wine and food journalism. He is the co-author of seven books, including Secrets of the Sommeliers with Rajat Parr, Two in the Kitchen with his wife, Christie Dufault, and Franklin Barbecue and Franklin Steak with Aaron Franklin. Now based in New York, Jordan’s work has appeared in many publications, from the New York Times to Food & Wine.

Born and raised in Amarillo, native Texan Wyatt McSpadden began his photography career there in 1974. After moving to Austin in 1992, he began documenting the Central Texas barbecue scene for Texas Monthly and other publications. McSpadden is the photographer of Franklin Barbecue and Franklin Steak, and producer, with his wife and partner, graphic designer Nancy McMillen, of Texas BBQ, Texas BBQ: Small Town to Downtown, and Perini Ranch Steakhouse.