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Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook]?
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32 reviews of this product found across Reddit:
Go buy this book. Don't steal it, pay money for it. It's one of the few things you'll buy that's worth every damn penny. Read it cover to cover. Go practice. This is the BBQ bible.
https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
This is Texas and good BBQ has gotten me Money, Liquor, and Women. This is a religion.
For centrist, more like this book
Aaron Franklin has a book with the recipe in it. It is a great book that talks about the science and methods of smoking. It’s also less than $20
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook] https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fab_ffpBFb623K589
Yes you can, as long as you can control the temp around 250ish degrees. You also have to use indirect heating, which is just putting the coals to one side and the meat on the other. I would also use a metal container with water/apple juice mixture to raise the humidity inside the grill. For wood, use whatever you want but I recommend using the chunks instead of the chips. The chunks are less likely to catch fire. Since we're on wood, some people will tell you to soak them in water. That's junk science. It doesn't do anything. You can google it and you'll find a guy that soaked wood chips for like 12hrs and the water hardly penetrated the wood, and when compared side by side with unsoaked wood, there were no significant differences. Also, get this book. https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514122492&sr=8-1&keywords=aaron+franklin+bbq+book
The only one that I own and have read is Aaron Franklin's book. It's kind of a mashup of a cook book and a biography. It really does a good job of discussing his thoughts and methods on the BBQ process (which he has a lot to say about) while intertwining into that his life story, how he started, and how he has reached the level of success that he has. Tons of good visual imagery as well. If you're at all interested in BBQ, it's a must read without a doubt.
Not OP, but interesting blurb in the Franklin Barbeque book about different woods for smoking (an amazing book for anyone who's ever spared a thought for how real bbq is made).
>Pecan - Actually a member of the hickory family, pecan is also plentiful throughout East and Central Texas. It doesn't burn as hot as oak, but its gentle, sweet flavor is delicious. Nor does it burn as long as oak, so I like to use it for short cooks. Fish, chicken, and especially pork take to its mildness.
He also mentions that most of the firewood sold in stores nowadays isn't fit for barbecuing because it's kiln dried. Kiln drying makes it incredibly easy to light, but also that the wood will burn quickly with little to no smoke.
http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-A-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto/dp/1607747200
it's got everything, not really recipes, but a sort of "How to live the bbq lifestyle, how to make a pit, how to pick out meat and trim it, building the best fire, types of wood, etc.
By "his book", do you mean this one? http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/ From the amount of positive reviews i'm going to assume it's worth buying.
I also figured out that some of these things are easily researchable by googling, but i was getting a bit impatient with myself ;) Thanks for the help!
For techniques, I read amazingribs.com a lot, or check the bbq and smoking subs on Reddit. I'm also thinking about getting Aaron Franklin's bbq book soon - I've heard a lot of good things about it.
http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-A-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto/dp/1607747200
$90 is a hard sell when he's got so much free content on youtube and an authoritative $20 book.
I've been on the BBQ train for some time now. As a New Orleans native living in Michigan, it's hard to find good smoked meats up here, so you end up having to do it for yourself. And every time we throw a shindig, that's really all that gets requested.
My suggestions are as follows:
Franklin Barbecue
I love this book. It's not a recipe book, although it has a few basic ones in the back. He tells the story of how he came to BBQ, and then breaks down each individual aspect of BBQ process. You'll learn a lot.
Herbs and Spices
This book is really more fun than anything else. It's essentially wikipedia for herbs and spices, but there's so much in it that you can always come back and find something new.
The best advice I can give you is to never stop trying something new. When I first got in to BBQ/Grilling, I went to Amazon and bought a mess-load of books for $1-2 a piece about the basics, recipes, processes, and ideologies. Bobby Flay was my first read. I've strayed away from him now that I have my own style. And that's a phrase you'll here a lot among people. "Style". I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just light a fire and put some meat on it. Worst case scenario. You've got cooked meat.
Try smoking a Turkey with a Cajun rub (that you make, don't use prepackaged Cajun rubs) over hickory or apple wood. Patience and eventually it'll all be second nature too you.
Welcome to the game.
Malcolm Gladwell's How To BBQ Right is exemplary, and Aaron Franklin's videos are top notch too - as is his book
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Franklin-Barbecue-Meatsmoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
Start him off with a cheap offset (Oklahoma Joe) and Aaron Franklin's inspiring book on Texas barbecue.
I was at a wedding in Austin and a friend of the bride catered the event with 4 briskets and HEB tortillas for brisket tacos, I asked him if he had any advice for someone wanting to get started with smoking and he just said read Aaron Franklin's book. Good advice and a good start for anyone, especially if you want to do Texas bbq.
Oklahoma Joe is not great quality, you get what you pay for but it does a decent job. If you have more money to invest look for something with thicker steel to retain heat better. But def get him the book
I mean, I think this one encompasses it all to an extent.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook] https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_3G4TTHYNSPKRZ5TZ3ENB
Hayden Block is inspired by Franklin Barbeque in Austin, Texas. They use Aaron Franklin's cookbook Franklin Barbeque: A Meat Smoking Manifesto for most of their menu.
So if any place is going to beat Hayden Block, it'll be Franklin Barbeque - but it's a lot longer drive... ;-)
I know people can get chocolate turtles anywhere, but the Longhorns from Lammes in Austin have been a hit with family and friends around the country. https://www.lammes.com/
I see you've already sent your Dad Rudy sauce, that's an excellent choice.
Aaron Franklin has a great book on BBQ you could send, challenge your Dad to read it and step up his game.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook] https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1MTBV4AJPA1EPVAKW1G8
I second /u/UggWantFire’s recommendation for Aaron Franklin’s book. Provides an excellent education on smoking.
Another book which has some great BBQ recipes is Pitt Cue Co. The Cookbook. It’s more of an all-round book and a great accompaniment to Franklins’s book, with sections on how to cook certain cuts; smoker setup; meats, sauces & rubs; slaws & sides, and even desserts & cocktails. Great book, especially if you like the restaurant. I will say that many of the recipes are quite involved and time consuming, something the reviews seem to complain about. But that’s what makes it a good book personally; we’re here for low & slow, and interesting recipes, right?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_Wt4YFbTS6JZ02
And ignore my snarkiness. If you want to make more complicated rubs, go for it.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook] https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mYwpFbAD67NVC
Smoking can really be broken down into a couple different things.
- Building/maintaining a fire to provide a consistent temperature
- Butchery, removing silverskin and unnecessary fat from your product
- Seasoning - a great place to start is as simple as it gets, Salt and Pepper. A great cut of meat can stand on it's own without adding 30k different spices. I'm a huge fan of the dry brine method, which is where you salt whatever cut you're doing 12-18 hours prior (obviously excluding products that don't require being salted, like sausage), and allowing it to dry age in the fridge. This provides a dry exterior which lends to creating a nicer crust.
I would highly recommend starting off with a small/inexpensive cut of meat, and working up. Top Round is a great choice. Pork Chops, Polish Sausage... get those down and move up to a rack of ribs, or a pork shoulder. Once you're confident with those, move on to a Brisket.
Once you're happy with those results then try different things like injections, various spice rubs.
My preferred books are:
Franklin BBQ - A Meat Smoker's Manifesto & Meathead: Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
Here is a screenshot I did when the meat was at 176 internal. At the 300/min mark is when the meat hit the stall and ~450/min mark is when I came out of the stall. That was taken at 12:21pm and finished cooking at 2:05pm. I didn't take a screenshot of it done but its a good graph.
Amazingribs article on a stall. TLDR: ~160ish meat will stall for what seems ages and you just have to wait it out. Once its done the meat will climb to finished temp.
I like the way the Aaron Franklin does his BBQ and my style of cooking is of the Texas style. His book is a good read. Its not a cook book but lets you see his approach to BBQ and this thoughts. He also has some vids on YT from when he did a season of BBQ with Franklin on PBS. YT Channel.
I use KISS (keep its simple stupid) when I do all my cooking. Some people inject meat and do other fancy things. I maybe inject a pork butt once in a while but 90% of the time I don't. With pork I like to use Head Country seasoning and when I pull it I add some more seasoning. On brisket and ribs I use the rub that I mentioned under u/dc732 comment on this post. To me if your inject brisket to add "beef flavor" you are covering up crap quality of meat. I would rather spend the extra money on choice or prime cuts that have flavor. I even bought my self a brisket from Snake River Farms and that was amazing. But that is my opinion I don't judge people if they do.
At the end of the day, do what tastes good to you and you are happy with. There are no set rules that you "Have" to do this or that. I just started experimenting with butcher paper a few months ago. Before that the last 10 years I never wrapped meat and all came out good.
Looks like you're off to a good start! If you don't have one already, pick up a wireless grill thermometer with two probes - one for the brisket temp, and one for the grill temp.
The grill temp should be right around 230 f, and the brisket should hit that temp by the time you're done.
As the brisket cooks, it loses water. Losing water via evaporation cools it, so you get this strange effect where the temperature of the brisket stops rising, aka "the stall". Don't freak out, just keep smoking that brisket. It will eventually lose enough water to the point where it no longer has enough to cool itself via evaporation, and the temp will start to rise again.
Something to note is that a brisket tends to absorb as much flavor from the smoke as it can in about 4-6 hours of smoking. If you're tired, you can cheat by pre-heating your oven to 230 F, pull the brisket off the smoker, wrap it in foil and toss it in the oven. It tastes fantastic and you don't have to keep getting up every few hours to add fuel to the smoker. On the downside, the bark won't be quite as crispy. On the upside, you'll be well rested!
As far as rubs go, salt, pepper and a decent amount of brown sugar are what I use. Having sugar to caramelize is what really makes the bark pop.
If you have the room and can find a decent place that sells hardwood suitable for smoking on Craigslist - pecan, mesquite, etc, definitely shell out for an offset wood-fired smoker. It makes a world of difference in the flavor, and kicks the butt of any pellet fired smokers.
A great book to read on the subject is from a notable Austin BBQ joint, Franklin's - https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
This is the thermometer I use, has a good range on it and it's dead on accurate - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GE77QT0/
Amazon Link to the book
Yes i would, it's a good smoker for the price IMO. Has loads of room in it, and the firebox is huge. Keep in mind it would probably be hard to keep it up to temp with charcoal alone. I have no temp problems when burning wood. After reading Aaron's Book fire management and other things made a lot more sense.
I only made 2 changes on it. Drilled a hold closer to grate level and put a decent 3" thermometer, and took the metal plate out of the bottom of the firebox and put in the the cooking chamber. It's the perfect size to help the heat come out of the firebox more evenly.
Here is another pic of it: Imgur
Looks like it's on sale for $21 right now. Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zB5aDbFBW5BD1
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