His first name might seem an unfortunate handle for a Q-meister—which, let’s face it, means knowing your way around meat…

but Tuffy Stone definitely has an impressive CV as a Barbecue Dude. He and his Cool Smoke Barbecue team have won an unprecedented five barbecue World Championships, and he’s owner of the Q Barbeque restaurant chain.

But what of his recipes, especially when the world is inundated with instructions on how to apply fire to food? Having trained with French chef Alain Vincey and been his partner at La Maisonette in Richmond, Va., Stone brings a certain creativity and finesse to the realm.

There’s a fennel pollen rub, and a tarragon-Aleppo pepper white sauce. He stuffs a pork loin with kale, of all things, along with bacon. His Salisbury steak is doused in shiitake gravy. He actually does goose on the grill.

The photo-heavy book includes solid chapters on technique and types of cookers. As for non-meat offerings, there are just five fish and seafood recipes (for the past few summers, Stone has gone salmon fishing at B.C.’s West Coast Fishing Club). The pitmaster’s solid if uninspired veg and sides are mostly stove- or oven-prepared—but then barbecue is mostly a carnivore’s game. — P.H.

Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue, Tuffy Stone, Raincoast, $38.99