Aaron's Franklins book. Masterpiece or Master Plan?

SGH · April 2015

By now most people on this forum and any forum related to Q has read Aaron's book. This includes myself. First I would like to say that I really enjoyed the book. More so for his back story and humble beginnings than anything else. He does a great job touching on things such as building and maintaining a clean fire, wood size and selection, smoker basics and so forth. With that said, I feel that most people bought the book in hopes of him laying out his exact steps to creating the now world famous brisket that he serves at Franklins in Austin, TX. I feel that this alone is what contributed to his book sales more than everything else combined. The hope of getting the secret to his brisket. While I feel that he gives great advice and a lot of very sound and tested techniques, I do not think he told his secret. And for very good reason. He has found something that works and works well. I know I wouldn't give it away. With all that said, what is the general consensus on what says about how he does it? Do you think he is giving you the whole story or just a good solid method that will work and work well? A penny for your thoughts as it were.

fusionhq · April 2015

Like anything else Scottie. The truth, but not the whole truth. He definitely has something that sets him apart...ON TOP. Would you or I give it all away?? Heck no. He's making a great living right now...nothing but respect for him, but I will not be buying his book. And of anyone on here I need help on brisket. I just know that reading his book is not going to improve my brisky.

Long story short...he has it dialed in on his smokers, with his meat, and his technique, with his wood, and his temp and seasoning.... Change any one of those, and you find us here all trying to figure it out.

fusionhq · April 2015

I should mention as well, I'm sure the book has TONS of good information, but I am not sure it will make me a better cook.

badinfluence · April 2015

I will chime in here. Although I am not even close to his level of cooking I do competition cooking and on a yearly basis am always tweeting my rubs and sauces. And with that said I would help someone go to the next level I would NOT give him everything that has taken me 20+ years to get where I am for biting a 30.00 book.

SGH · April 2015

fusionhq said:

I'm sure the book has TONS of good information,

To me, this is the strong point of the book. A lot of very useful information. Not a how to book as I think that most hoped for. Again it's well worth reading for the information alone.

SGH · April 2015

badinfluence said:

I would help someone go to the next level I would NOT give him everything that has taken me 20+ years to get where I am for biting a 30.00 book.

Agree 100%.

fusionhq · April 2015

@sgh you're probably right. It's more a matter of how the information is interpreted by people. I've seen and heard contradicting things in some of Aaron's videos. In NO way am I discounting anything he's shared or his whole operation..his videos have put me into the brisket arena...I just have to find what works best in my egg, in my climate, with my wood, smoke, coal, seasoning, technique...and mostly my crowd eating!!! LOL

SGH · April 2015

@fusionhq- That is my sentiment as well, everything that he says is good solid advice. He has done a lot to help amateurs and pros alike. He deserves his success and the respect that he gets as much or more than anyone out there.

DoubleEgger · April 2015

That's good to know. I never expected this to be a how to book. Cooks like fisherman never give away all of their secrets. I'm interested in his story and his rise to cult legend. I don't expect a Franklin's Brisket for Dummies guide. I'm not getting a side smoker anytime soon.

cazzy · April 2015

I honestly really didn't learn too much from the book, but it did hammer some of my beliefs and theories home. It was a great read and I still recommend reading it!

Ultimately, he sums it right here:

He is just giving folks a foundation that you can grow from! Please understand that because 80% of the material is not going to help you in our egg world. His info won't be the first that peeps try to mistakenly bring over. I see lots of non egg techniques that are tried on the egg that just aren't necessary for what we do or our cooking environment.

Everyone wants a shortcut to success without putting in the work. I see it here all the time, "help me with my brisket" and that's it. There is so much knowledge on this forum and elsewhere, but not many want to put in the effort to even search for it. ***Pro tip: use Google to search the forum or any site:

http://bit.ly/1PBA73j

How did some of the better brisket cooks on the forum find success? Well, instead of asking the same question over and over, they practiced and practiced and put in work in the lab. You can be told a zillion times to do this and do that, but real world experience is the only way you'll get better. Put in the reps, pay attention to the details and find ways you can improve from cook to cook.

That is the "magic recipe" for success...at all barbecue, not just brisket.

theyolksonyou · April 2015

Well said @cazzy

SGH · April 2015

cazzy said:

I honestly really didn't learn too much from the book, but it did hammer some of my beliefs and theories home. It was a great read

Agreed. Pretty much what is in the book is already available on this forum, other forums and other books. With that said, more people will take it to heart coming from Franklin than from other sources. That is part of why I posed the question, masterpiece or master plan. I feel that the book is definitely a worthy read, especially for beginners. But I feel that it was such a hit for the hope of the secret brisket recipe. I can't help but to believe that Aaron knew this as well. If he would have said; I'm writing a book but I'm not going to give you my step by step process and recipe for brisket, would the book still been a best seller? This is just me thinking out loud and pondering.

fusionhq · April 2015

@cazzy hits it on the head. I've recieved brisket advice from some of the best on this forum. Cazzy is one of them!! He's shared some GREAT tips to me, but does that mean I can replicate his brisket??? Hell no. Every cook is different, and it's about knowing how to adjust to your cooker, environment, and knowing the feel of the cook. Such a learning process. Everyone can cook pork, but it's brisket that sets some on top.

SGH · April 2015

fusionhq said:

Every cook is different, and it's about knowing how to adjust to your cooker, environment, and knowing the feel of the cook. Such a learning process

The very words you typed above can be found in his book as well as many others. They can also be found in posts on this forum. That was sort of my point. Not trying to take anything away from the book because I really did enjoy it, but there really is nothing in there that hasn't already been said before. Most of it several times. I have been sitting bored watching it rain for over 24 hours and just had a thought. And that is simply would the book been a overwhelming success if he would have said I'm going to give you basic advice and not a step by step guide. I could be wrong but I'm willing to bet that 95% of sales was due to the hope of getting a exact how to brisket guide. The truth is, no matter what you read or who gives you what advice, it is ultimately up to you to succeed and make it work.

Cookinbob · April 2015

I have now read most of the book, and am really enjoying it. Some of his "secrets" are common sense as said above. Know your smoker and how to manage the fire, choose the best quality meat you can get or afford, pay attention to all the details. The way he trims his brisket is a bit severe for me (I do not want to lose an ounce of meat given what we have to pay for brisket).

I did learn a bit of the science between how wood burns at different temperatures, and how good and bad smoke are produced.

Back to his secrets, what else could it be? Meat selection, trimming, rub. managing your fire, water pan in the smoker, the way he designs his smoker. I am sure he is not the only pit master who does these things, yet everybody says his brisket is like no other.

What else could there be?

Miked125 · April 2015

I think he did - being consistent in technique and using higher quality meats. Most restaurants don't want to go to the level of detail or care he does. Its about quantity, while keeping costs low. He found a balance to what he wants and does.

SGH · April 2015

Cookinbob said:

What else could there be?

It's just my opinion but I think it's a combination of several things. The quality of the meat that he uses, he has mastered his smokers and knows how to compensate for discrepancies at will, a steady supply of quality wood and there is no denying that he understands how to cook. He uses the same smokers, the same wood, the same meat and the same technique over and over. A winning combination for sure. Short of this, the only other thing that it could be is a little voodoo or mojo

Cookinbob · April 2015

Maybe he went down to the crossroads and sold his ever lovin soul to the devil. Can't write about that!

SGH · April 2015

Cookinbob said:

Maybe he went down to the crossroads and sold his ever lovin soul to the devil. Can't write about that!

I certainly hope that is not the case!! He seems like to good of a fellow for that.

Cookinbob · April 2015

I'm reachin'

SGH · April 2015

Cookinbob said:

I'm reachin'

I knew you were kidding.

cazzy · April 2015

Cookinbob said:

Maybe he went down to the crossroads and sold his ever lovin soul to the devil. Can't write about that!

If only Peter Luger's did that! Worst expensive steak I've had. The others weren't dry aged prime either so it just doesn't make sense to me.

fusionhq · April 2015

SGH said:

Cookinbob said:

What else could there be?

It's just my opinion but I think it's a combination of several things. The quality of the meat that he uses, he has mastered his smokers and knows how to compensate for discrepancies at will, a steady supply of quality wood and there is no denying that he understands how to cook. He uses the same smokers, the same wood, the same meat and the same technique over and over. A winning combination for sure. Short of this, the only other thing that it could be is a little voodoo or mojo

Scottie is right. Same variables every single time. Whereas, I for example, have tried a few different techniques. Add that to different grades of beef, temps, woods, etx. The man has figured out his perfect recipe and technique. That's why we will go and pay to eat his every chance we can. He's not giving up that last little secret in a book though, you can bet your sweet ass!!

Charcoal_Addict · April 2015

Maybe Franklin's saving his secrets for book 25:-). Hopefully some people will have gotten smarter after being disappointed the holly Grail is missing from book 23.

Cook enough briskets and who knows, maybe you'll be good enough to write something on good for book 26.

Frankilin in does cook on some Kamados as well. Unfortunately for everyone here the 2 Kamados Franklin does own are both a familIar shade of Red. I don't think he'd make any friends over here.

Cookinbob · April 2015

Did you note that he spritzes? (supposedly not needed on the egg), and I was surprised that he wraps after, not during the stall. Also wraps by color, not by temperature. He also pulls by feel, not by temp (though he finds 203 is typical).

I think he has told us just about everything, the book is very detailed on his method. I think he just has an innate feel for the meat and the cook, plus a ton of experience. When you have prepared the same dish thousands of times, you get good at it, and you standardize on what works for you.

jimithing · April 2015

Even if he has a secret it probably wouldn't do you any good to know it. His variables are different than all our variables. Everything - type of smoker, wood source, meat source, meat prep, etc, etc.

cazzy · April 2015

Cookinbob said:

Did you note that he spritzes? (supposedly not needed on the egg), and I was surprised that he wraps after, not during the stall. Also wraps by color, not by temperature. He also pulls by feel, not by temp (though he finds 203 is typical).

I think he has told us just about everything, the book is very detailed on his method. I think he just has an innate feel for the meat and the cook, plus a ton of experience. When you have prepared the same dish thousands of times, you get good at it, and you standardize on what works for you.

Yes, but all of that was known before the book and are not secrets. His experience is the secret ingredient. Ultimately, he could have been even more granular and it wouldn't matter. We don't have his meat. We don't have his cooker. We don't have his wood source. We don't have his rub recipe. Killen's Barbecue has his meat, but the brisket still doesn't compare...and he's a professional.

Even if we had all of the above, most of us would fail. Not to mention, almost everything with the cook changes when you start adding more meat. Air flow and humidity to start, but then you have to know what to rotate where.

Jeepster47 · April 2015

@cazzy ... opps ... think you left out a few words in your answer. Shouldn't it read: "Even if we had all of the above, most of us would fail to achieve his level of success cooking a brisket."

cazzy · April 2015

Jeepster47 said:

@cazzy ... opps ... think you left out a few words in your answer. Shouldn't it read: "Even if we had all of the above, most of us would fail to achieve his level of success cooking a brisket."

Sure...I guess I could have sugar coated it.

SGH · April 2015

At the beginning I asked the question, Do you think that the book is a masterpiece? Thus far, most have offered input on why his brisket is so good or why they feel that most will probably never duplicate it etc, etc. I was honestly wanting to hear people's impression of the book it's self compared to other available books and info that is already out there. With that said, here are my thoughts and impressions on the said book. Do I think that the book is Aaron's masterpiece? No I do not. He would have had to include his true "how to" guide for it to have been such. With that said, Aaron done a great job on covering a lot of different subjects related to BBQ and putting them in one convienant source. He did share a wealth of very useful tips and tricks that others have not. His lack of arrogance and down to earth demeanor made the book a pleasure to read. I feel that his intent was to offer a general guide backed by tried and proven techniques to help folks who love to Q get started on the right path. The reason that I asked the question to start with was I felt that a lot of people were probably disappointed in the book for not containing the secret brisket recipe. I for one never thought that it would be in there. He would actually be shooting himself in the foot by giving it away. All of the above said, I really like his book. Not so much for the recipes, but for a look at how he started and where he came from. Brisket secret lacking, the book is still one of the better books related to all things Q. He actually covered more topics than I expected him to. So to answer my own question, no this is not his masterpiece. If we ever see that, it will be when he is very old and retired. To be honest I don't think that we will even see it then. All we can do is keep hoping. I recommend the book to everyone. It's a joy to read if you are even slightly interested in cooking.

Grillmagic · April 2015

I am away from home for a couple weeks and have the book waiting for me when I get back home and look forward to reading it. I have eaten at his place twice and it was out standing both times and so was I, I waited 3 and 3 and 1/2 hours both times and any fan of protein should check it out, the brisket was Great as well as everything else I had.

Aaron's Franklins book. Masterpiece or Master Plan?

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