Cookbook review: Franklin Barbecue A Meat Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay
Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, is as famous for its mind-blowing array of smoked meats as it is the hours-long line of customers hoping to get barbecue before they sell out. In pitmaster Aaron Franklin's first book on barbecue, he readily admits he's still learning his craft. Co-author Jordan Mackay credits Franklin's success to being able to "think like smoke." Franklin admits that a barbecue book is daunting because of all the variables that go into the process, and while recipes might look like magic, there is no "just one way" or "black and white" magical method of barbecue. So much of it depends on things like time, temperature, the kind of wood, the placement of the wood, the smoker, the choice of meat, and on and on.
Rather than focus on recipes, Franklin focuses on the process of barbecue, including how to build your own smoker. He doesn't even get to the actual cooking of meat until chapter six because he's so focused on all the other things that go into the loosey-goosey it-all-just-depends craft of being a pitmaster. This book is barbecue nerd nirvana, especially considering the detailed science Franklin goes into regarding how barbecue works.
Franklin spends the first 37 pages telling the story of how he built Franklin barbecue, more than anything because he wants to show that one of the world's most famous barbecue restaurants started less than a decade ago from absolutely nothing. He had a few dollars of savings, a strong work ethic, and he loved cooking barbecue for people. After one party where the lines stretched down the block (an omen of what was to come), he began thinking he might be able to open a restaurant. Clearly, things worked out.
There is plenty of DIY here. Franklin shows how to build your own smoker and modify store-bought smokers, how to split wood and the various properties of different kinds of wood. There are tips on how to build a fire and cheats for the home cook starting out on a tiny grill (like he did). He rhapsodizes for pages on smoke, as that is the heart of his craft. Franklin also goes in depth with how to buy a brisket, select short ribs and spare ribs, even how to inspect sausage casings. After a chapter on meat, he hilariously offers just a single paragraph on turkey. There is also an important section on his cutting technique for brisket. After all, there's nothing worse than spending 24 hours creating a perfectly smoked piece of meat only to destroy it with bad knife cuts.
Rather than focus on recipes, Franklin focuses on the process of barbecue, including how to build your own smoker. He doesn't even get to the actual cooking of meat until chapter six because he's so focused on all the other things that go into the loosey-goosey it-all-just-depends craft of being a pitmaster. This book is barbecue nerd nirvana, especially considering the detailed science Franklin goes into regarding how barbecue works.
Franklin spends the first 37 pages telling the story of how he built Franklin barbecue, more than anything because he wants to show that one of the world's most famous barbecue restaurants started less than a decade ago from absolutely nothing. He had a few dollars of savings, a strong work ethic, and he loved cooking barbecue for people. After one party where the lines stretched down the block (an omen of what was to come), he began thinking he might be able to open a restaurant. Clearly, things worked out.
There is plenty of DIY here. Franklin shows how to build your own smoker and modify store-bought smokers, how to split wood and the various properties of different kinds of wood. There are tips on how to build a fire and cheats for the home cook starting out on a tiny grill (like he did). He rhapsodizes for pages on smoke, as that is the heart of his craft. Franklin also goes in depth with how to buy a brisket, select short ribs and spare ribs, even how to inspect sausage casings. After a chapter on meat, he hilariously offers just a single paragraph on turkey. There is also an important section on his cutting technique for brisket. After all, there's nothing worse than spending 24 hours creating a perfectly smoked piece of meat only to destroy it with bad knife cuts.
There are a handful of recipes in the book, mostly sauces and sides, things that aren’t as impacted by all the other variables involved in creating a perfectly smoked piece of meat.
Give this book to anyone with a dream of doing more with barbecue than just tossing some burgers on the propane grill. As the title suggests, this is a meat-smoking manifesto designed to elevate everyone’s barbecue game -- with plenty of knowledge from one of the barbecue world’s biggest stars.
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