Quick Review of Ayayron Franklin's Manifesto

nolaegghead · December 2015

I was in San Antonio last weekend and read Aaron Franklin's book while at the Menger hotel (supposedly haunted). Whatevz. My baby-ist brother got married. Huzzah!

To be honest, and that's not saying I'm not honest unless prefacing the fact, I thought it was a good, informative read. There are a few disconnections with what us (primarily) eggers do...insofar as we use kamado grills, which run in an oxygen limited fire and stick burners which run full-blast in a fuel-limited environment with full airflow.

I enjoyed the story of his journey. He is a good, humble man and a hard worker that enjoys perusing a dream of BBQ. I don't completely agree with everything he says, but what I disagree with is somewhat immaterial to the end results of his cooks. He has a philosophy, he follows it and he turns out excellent, consistent quality food. Obviously a hands-on manager of his operation, and not delusional about expanding at the expense of quality....I have to hand it to him he is an admirable guy.

I felt like I learned how to run a stick burner...something I've never done before. Bragging a little bit, I have a very good ability to recall processes when I read them and I'm actually foaming at the mouth to run a stick burner. On the down side, there are many new challenges cooking with these tools, the biggest is wood. Storing it, seasoning it, etc. But the fire...how I Iove fire...you are beckoning me.

Ayayron is a tad OCD. Trimming before and after cooking. I'm a little more caveman about that. Let the eater decide...however I see the benefits in a superior product. You are paying good money by weight as a customer. I see where he's going.

I read his book from cover to cover. Recipes, acknowledgements, preface, everything. He runs an operation that is very simple, but with a challenging supply chain.

As suspected, the quality of the meat is paramount. I've been in that camp through my experience for quite a while. He's a bit more "organic" than I am, and I wish I was that guy. The quality of meat with everything is everything, sans taco filling, and he proves that when his main supplier of brisket has a fire and he's buying all the brisket in the state of texas just to keep his operation moving (he's very sympathetic of foodies traveling to Tejas just to eat his brisket).

Short of making love to the guy, I really admire his operation and journey. He reminds me of me...in some ways, but way less lazy.

HendersonTRKing · December 2015

Loved the book. Almost equally enjoyed your review. Have many similar thoughts and feelings. And, of course, now I know how correctly to spell AyAyRon.

Cheers!

clweed · December 2015

I loved the book also, especially the journey. I know a lot of us started with a cheap New Braunfels stick burner from Academy. I discovered the Egg while looking for a replacement for the NB after it rusted out .

That thing was a PIA , leaked air and smoke like crazy, used a ton of wood but started my BBQ journey.

Mosca · December 2015

I'm part way through it, and I enjoy it so far.

One thing though, not about Franklin and the book, but about how some people consider it some sort of bible for brisket: Franklin himself writes that there are many paths to great brisket, and every cut is different. Well if that is true, then one should NEVER begin an answer to someone else's question about brisket with "Aaron Franklin says..." unless you plan on finishing it with "...there are many paths to great brisket and every cut is different." Because he really doesn't posit himself as an expert or as a pundit. His whole point is that you should pay attention, form a plan that works for you, and get enough experience cooking briskets so that you know what to do when a cook starts to go sideways. You should build yourself a huge direct knowledge base from which you can make good judgements on how to handle the curveballs, a la the New York story.

Now, I will never get an Aaron Franklin knowledge base. But I'll also never do sixty briskets a day, probably never sixty briskets ever. But then, that means less opportunity for sideways, so it balances out.

Botch · December 2015

nolaegghead said:

...we use kamado grills, which run in an oxygen limited fire and stick burners which run full-blast in a fuel-limited environment with full airflow.

This is something I never thought of before, oxygen- vs. fuel-limited fires. Thanks for the insight, and the review, Nola!

Ozzie_Isaac · December 2015

Good review Nyola! You are a fine upstanding contributor.

Darby_Crenshaw · December 2015

Good stuff man

now post pics of the prosciutto slicing achievement!

SGH · December 2015

@nolaegghead
I didn't realize that you could read

Ladeback69 · December 2015

I not read his book, but have enjoyed is show about BBQ on PBS. May have to check it out.

blasting · December 2015

@nolaegghead Great review. I've had this book for a couple months and haven't had the time to read it yet. The few pages I've read make me anxious to read more.

Lit · December 2015

All the talk when this came out is what got me trying to learn to use my vertical as a stick burner. I didn't read anything at first and just tried it figuring I could figure it out and I ruined some food. It's way different than the egg but it's fun to play with fire. I will get a Shirley patio version in the next 12 months once I get the backyard fenced in. The vertical is kinda tough to keep a small enough fire burning hot and keep it at 250 since it has 2" thick insulated walls unless I use water. If it starts getting hot I just drain some water and add cold water and it drops the temp right back down. Without water I would have to burn wood chunks in it to keep it under 300. I had it at 700 the other day with 1 split and no water. It's a whole new cook compared to the egg and challenging but fun.

nolaegghead · December 2015

Darby_Crenshaw said:

Good stuff man

now post pics of the prosciutto slicing achievement!

I cut into one in Texas....sadly I forgot my knife so I'm at my brother's trying to cut thin slices with a $7 electric knife we bought from HEB El Mercado (completely worthless), and all his knives are dull. We brought a brand new cleaver as a gift for him from Hong Kong market, that worked the best, although it's the absolute worst geometry for the job, it was at least sharp.

I don't think I have any pictures of that, but we have a second prosciutto here at home, and I have a very sharp Messermeister charcutterie knife. I will shoot some pictures of that. I did quite a bit of research on how to cut them.

The technique changes whether or not there is a bone. The cut I have is boneless.

From my research:

Wipe the whole thing down with towels.

Cut away the skin ONLY where you are about to slice from.

Cut off any string. If there's a bone, cut around the small end of the bone until you hit it.

Cut away any yellow fat. It is oxidized. Blechk

Cut out any nasty funk. Veins, tumors, bullets, etc. Usually this is not necessary.

Boneless - cut off the wide end across the grain.

Bone-in - cut diagonally towards the bone.

Ozzie_Isaac · December 2015

nolaegghead said:

Darby_Crenshaw said:

Good stuff man

now post pics of the prosciutto slicing achievement!
Cut out any nasty funk. Veins, tumors, bullets, etc.

There are some universal truths in life. That sir, is one.

nolaegghead · December 2015

I especially like how Ayayron is very analytical about cooking. He keeps everything simple, uses science (muthaflippahs!) and is very empathetic to his customers - he wants everyone to have a good experience and no one to wait in line for naught.

He's partially a product of his poverty - uses craigslist extensively. He's a serious DIY kind of guy. Builds all his stuff....learned out of necessity. I'm a cheap, DIY, analytical bastard too...I appreciate that.

nolaegghead · December 2015

Also, he has built up a lot of karma - helps friends out for free despite being po, feeding friends and the neighborhood....all this karma came back to him in spades.

bud812 · December 2015

Lit said:

All the talk when this came out is what got me trying to learn to use my vertical as a stick burner. I didn't read anything at first and just tried it figuring I could figure it out and I ruined some food. It's way different than the egg but it's fun to play with fire. I will get a Shirley patio version in the next 12 months once I get the backyard fenced in. The vertical is kinda tough to keep a small enough fire burning hot and keep it at 250 since it has 2" thick insulated walls unless I use water. If it starts getting hot I just drain some water and add cold water and it drops the temp right back down. Without water I would have to burn wood chunks in it to keep it under 300. I had it at 700 the other day with 1 split and no water. It's a whole new cook compared to the egg and challenging but fun.

I hear that Franklin uses ARTIC coolers too.

SGH · December 2015

nolaegghead said:

Also, he has built up a lot of karma - helps friends out for free despite being po, feeding friends and the neighborhood....all this karma came back to him in spades.

Give and it shall be given unto you. Brother Franklins generosity has been rewarded 10 fold.

Lit · December 2015

bud812 said:

Lit said:

All the talk when this came out is what got me trying to learn to use my vertical as a stick burner. I didn't read anything at first and just tried it figuring I could figure it out and I ruined some food. It's way different than the egg but it's fun to play with fire. I will get a Shirley patio version in the next 12 months once I get the backyard fenced in. The vertical is kinda tough to keep a small enough fire burning hot and keep it at 250 since it has 2" thick insulated walls unless I use water. If it starts getting hot I just drain some water and add cold water and it drops the temp right back down. Without water I would have to burn wood chunks in it to keep it under 300. I had it at 700 the other day with 1 split and no water. It's a whole new cook compared to the egg and challenging but fun.

I hear that Franklin uses ARTIC coolers too.

I would believe it Nola makes him sound cheap.

Ozzie_Isaac · December 2015

Lit said:

bud812 said:

I hear that Franklin uses ARTIC coolers too.

I would believe it Nola makes him sound cheap.

Cheap is not the term I would use. He is more Alaskan than cheap, i.e. uses, reuses, repurposes, I like to think of it as efficient.

Judy Mayberry · December 2015

Will someone who has the book please post the potato salad recipe? It's not anywhere on the internet and I'd like to try it.

Thanks.

SGH · December 2015

Judy Mayberry said:

Will someone who has the book please post the potato salad recipe? It's not anywhere on the internet and I'd like to try it.

Thanks.

@Judy Mayberry Ask and so shall ye receive.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/xm/sn6tbizwxae7.jpeg

nolaegghead · December 2015

Thanks Scottie. I gave the book away to my brother when I finished it.

Judy Mayberry · December 2015

Thanks to all--you're my heroes. Actually, I saw the book yesterday when I went pick up a book on hold at the library. Franklin's book was on hold for someone else so I took it down and leafed through it. I admit I was tempted to check it out myself and the hold-requestor be ignored, but conscience won out. So I came home and put my own hold on it.

Austin Egghead · December 2015

Thank Nola. Very nice review.

SGH · December 2015

nolaegghead said:

Thanks Scottie.

My pleasure brother^^^^^^^^^^^

I gave the book away to my brother when I finished it.

Should have gave gave it to me Only kidding, brother. Whoever got it, I bet that it made there day.

Spaightlabs · December 2015

nolaegghead said:

I'm a cheap, DIY, analytical bastard...

With a Porsche

SGH · December 2015

Spaightlabs said:

nolaegghead said:

I'm a cheap, DIY, analytical bastard...

With a Porsche

Kind of ironic that he will waste money on a Porsche, but not a haircut

nolaegghead · December 2015

I stole the Porsche.

lousubcap · December 2015

Can't drive a hair-cut

SGH · December 2015

nolaegghead said:

I stole the Porsche.

Come to the house and I will give you a haircut for free

nolaegghead · December 2015

SGH said:

Spaightlabs said:

nolaegghead said:

I'm a cheap, DIY, analytical bastard...

With a Porsche

Kind of ironic that he will waste money on a Porsche, but not a haircut

I would never have been able to afford the Porsche if I wasted money on haircuts. That's kismet.

Quick Review of Ayayron Franklin's Manifesto

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