Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Aaron Franklin Secret Is....Beef Tallow???

Options
Who knows but an excellent video nonetheless

"The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

Minnesota
«1

Comments

  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    Options
    Interesting but they do not re-wrap and add beef tallow to the briskets at franklin. These briskets sit in high humidity warmers for 11-14 hours before service (they come off the pits at midnight and they open at 11 am). The briskets will absolutely soak through the paper while waiting for service. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,029
    Options
    Interesting but they do not re-wrap and add beef tallow to the briskets at franklin. These briskets sit in high humidity warmers for 11-14 hours before service (they come off the pits at midnight and they open at 11 am). The briskets will absolutely soak through the paper while waiting for service. 
    Yeah I don't think they actually use beef tallow either but I found it interesting on how it could help emulate one of his briskets. I'd love to try a side by side comparison with/without beef tallow. I just wish I was good at brisket!  =)
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,029
    edited February 2021
    Options
    My thought is if you have to add more fat to brisket, you aren't buying the right brisket and you aren't cooking it right either. Brisket is almost too fatty as it is. The thought of adding even more fat makes me a little queasy. 
    It was interesting to see the side by side comparison between the two. I don't think he mentioned the grade/type of brisket he started with. I know he's cooked briskets in the past that I can't afford. I don't imagine it's select. I know he mentioned that he didn't let them rest like he would a normal brisket. I'd imagine the more dried out brisket would have helped the longer it sat and rested.  

    I'd love to try the side by side between the two though. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • FanOfFanboys
    Options
    Interesting but they do not re-wrap and add beef tallow to the briskets at franklin. These briskets sit in high humidity warmers for 11-14 hours before service (they come off the pits at midnight and they open at 11 am). The briskets will absolutely soak through the paper while waiting for service. 
    Is there an easy way to try and replicate a high humidity warmer at home? Pot of hot water in a cooler or something?
    Boom
  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,846
    Options
    Interesting but they do not re-wrap and add beef tallow to the briskets at franklin. These briskets sit in high humidity warmers for 11-14 hours before service (they come off the pits at midnight and they open at 11 am). The briskets will absolutely soak through the paper while waiting for service. 
    Is there an easy way to try and replicate a high humidity warmer at home? Pot of hot water in a cooler or something?
    I soak a towel in my hottest tap water and put that in the bottom of my cooler.  Then I add a dry towel - then the brisket - then another dry towel.  I'm convinced that 1-6 hours of this is both safe and beneficial.  

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    Options
    Foghorn said:
    Interesting but they do not re-wrap and add beef tallow to the briskets at franklin. These briskets sit in high humidity warmers for 11-14 hours before service (they come off the pits at midnight and they open at 11 am). The briskets will absolutely soak through the paper while waiting for service. 
    Is there an easy way to try and replicate a high humidity warmer at home? Pot of hot water in a cooler or something?
    I soak a towel in my hottest tap water and put that in the bottom of my cooler.  Then I add a dry towel - then the brisket - then another dry towel.  I'm convinced that 1-6 hours of this is both safe and beneficial.  
    That would do it. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    Options
    Foghorn said:
    Interesting but they do not re-wrap and add beef tallow to the briskets at franklin. These briskets sit in high humidity warmers for 11-14 hours before service (they come off the pits at midnight and they open at 11 am). The briskets will absolutely soak through the paper while waiting for service. 
    Is there an easy way to try and replicate a high humidity warmer at home? Pot of hot water in a cooler or something?
    I soak a towel in my hottest tap water and put that in the bottom of my cooler.  Then I add a dry towel - then the brisket - then another dry towel.  I'm convinced that 1-6 hours of this is both safe and beneficial.  
    I think a high quality brisket and the correct FTC rest is the secret. I’ll try a wet towel next time. Thanks for the tip. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    Options
    WeberWho said:
    My thought is if you have to add more fat to brisket, you aren't buying the right brisket and you aren't cooking it right either. Brisket is almost too fatty as it is. The thought of adding even more fat makes me a little queasy. 
    It was interesting to see the side by side comparison between the two. I don't think he mentioned the grade/type of brisket he started with. I know he's cooked briskets in the past that I can't afford. I don't imagine it's select. I know he mentioned that he didn't let them rest like he would a normal brisket. I'd imagine the more dried out brisket would have helped the longer it sat and rested.  

    I'd love to try the side by side between the two though. 
    I should probably watch the video lol. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,627
    Options
    WeberWho said:
    My thought is if you have to add more fat to brisket, you aren't buying the right brisket and you aren't cooking it right either. Brisket is almost too fatty as it is. The thought of adding even more fat makes me a little queasy. 
    It was interesting to see the side by side comparison between the two. I don't think he mentioned the grade/type of brisket he started with. I know he's cooked briskets in the past that I can't afford. I don't imagine it's select. I know he mentioned that he didn't let them rest like he would a normal brisket. I'd imagine the more dried out brisket would have helped the longer it sat and rested.  

    I'd love to try the side by side between the two though. 
    I should probably watch the video lol. 
    I think there’s a link in the video if you want to buy some tallow.
  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,314
    Options
    Yep, the video was flagged as "paid promotion". 
    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,677
    Options
    I believe adding beef tallow certainly wouldn't hurt a brisket.
    A good quality brisket to start with makes the biggest difference I think. When I visited Blacks BBQ in Lockhart I have the awesome luck to speak with the owner and have a behind the scene tour of the pits. He told me specifically he cooked Angus choice grade briskets, I asked him about about cooking prime, he said he doesn't like them because they can be too fatty.  I will say the brisket I had at Blacks was excellent, very moist and juicy. I certainly wouldn't turn down a prime brisket at the meat counter, especially at Costco, but I have no reason the doubt the Blacks owner's recommendation of Angus choice.

    I'm definitely going to get the beef tallow and give it a try. 
    Thanks for posting the video. 
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Options
    Lolololol dumbest vid I’ve watched in a while.  Great production quality though.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,029
    Options
    GregW said:
    I believe adding beef tallow certainly wouldn't hurt a brisket.
    A good quality brisket to start with makes the biggest difference I think. When I visited Blacks BBQ in Lockhart I have the awesome luck to speak with the owner and have a behind the scene tour of the pits. He told me specifically he cooked Angus choice grade briskets, I asked him about about cooking prime, he said he doesn't like them because they can be too fatty.  I will say the brisket I had at Blacks was excellent, very moist and juicy. I certainly wouldn't turn down a prime brisket at the meat counter, especially at Costco, but I have no reason the doubt the Blacks owner's recommendation of Angus choice.

    I'm definitely going to get the beef tallow and give it a try. 
    Thanks for posting the video. 

    I'd love to hear what your thoughts are if you decide to give it a try. It's easy for someone to knock it but I'm interested in seeing if anyone else has tried this approach and finding out if they had any noticable difference. Thirdeye made a good point and mentioned that it's not much different than him using lard on chicken and ribs. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,350
    Options
    Interesting video. Doesn't beef tallow make everything better - like it does french fries?
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,677
    Options
    HeavyG said:
    Interesting video. Doesn't beef tallow make everything better - like it does french fries?
    I'm betting that it does. I'm trying to locate a local source.
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,767
    Options
    I Braise beef cheeks in tallow and Chuck bunt ends a couple times ...never added to brisket, which is where I get my tallow from anyway 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,029
    Options
    Let me know if you guys have any questions on it. Jeremy the guy in the video just posted on my thread over on the Brethren about it. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831
    edited February 2021
    Options
    His secret isn't beef tallow, it's what Cen-Tex said. I went into the pit area and kitchen and talked to Aaron and his then GM Benji about it when I was at Franklin a couple years or so back. He uses humidity controlled warmers and lets the briskets sit and basically self baste at 140 or so for around 8-10 hours. But short of owning a $5,000 humidity controlled warming oven ya, beef tallow might help. 

    What mother in law (who used to own a BBQ business) would do is get an aluminum sheet tray and fill it with hot water and then throw it in the bottom of a Cambro cooler. Then stack her briskets wrapped in butcher paper inside trays and let it steam them until ready to serve. That worked really well.


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Options
    GregW said:
    HeavyG said:
    Interesting video. Doesn't beef tallow make everything better - like it does french fries?
    I'm betting that it does. I'm trying to locate a local source.
    Why source it?  Next brisket, get all the trimmings and grind them or dice fine.  Throw em in a pot on high and you’ll yield more than enough to experiment.  This is some I made a couple weeks ago.


    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,107
    Options
    cazzy said:
    GregW said:
    HeavyG said:
    Interesting video. Doesn't beef tallow make everything better - like it does french fries?
    I'm betting that it does. I'm trying to locate a local source.
    Why source it?  Next brisket, get all the trimmings and grind them or dice fine.  Throw em in a pot on high and you’ll yield more than enough to experiment.  This is some I made a couple weeks ago.


    Looks like mighty fine beer.
    They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That's against their interests. - George Carlin
  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,314
    edited February 2021
    Options
    @cazzy

    How much beef fat by weight did you have to render that amount? Also, did you add water to assist in the rendering? 
    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,627
    Options
    SGH said:
    First it was salt and pepper. Then it was pink paper. Then it was post oak. Then it was prime beef. Then it was the traditional flow offset. Then it was pickle juice. Then it was the rest. Then it was Alto Shaam. There was even rumor of fairy dust and powdered unicorn horn. Personally I always suspected powders rectum. Now beef tallow. 
    I wish the rest of the secret would hurry up and come out so we can get to bottom of this. There has to me more  ;)

    maybe he buries them
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    Options
    Legume said:
    maybe he buries them
    At this point nothing would surprise me. 

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,677
    edited February 2021
    Options
    cazzy said:
    GregW said:
    HeavyG said:
    Interesting video. Doesn't beef tallow make everything better - like it does french fries?
    I'm betting that it does. I'm trying to locate a local source.
    Why source it?  Next brisket, get all the trimmings and grind them or dice fine.  Throw em in a pot on high and you’ll yield more than enough to experiment.  This is some I made a couple weeks ago.


    That's a excellent idea. I have attempted to render beef fat trimmings from the grocery meat department and never had the level of success that you have. 

    I will try it on the next brisket, I plan to use the rendered fat for making beef tamales.
    Thanks for posting how to efficiently render the trimmings.
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Options
    SonVolt said:
    @cazzy

    How much beef fat by weight did you have to render that amount? Also, did you add water to assist in the rendering? 

    Not sure, it was the fat from 12 briskets.

    no water was added.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,767
    Options
    cazzy said:
    SonVolt said:
    @cazzy

    How much beef fat by weight did you have to render that amount? Also, did you add water to assist in the rendering? 

    Not sure, it was the fat from 12 briskets.

    no water was added.
    about 40% yield +- from trimmings is what i see
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,107
    Options
    cazzy said:
    SonVolt said:
    @cazzy

    How much beef fat by weight did you have to render that amount? Also, did you add water to assist in the rendering? 

    Not sure, it was the fat from 12 briskets.

    no water was added.
    Dang!  That is more briskets than I have cooked ever.
    They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That's against their interests. - George Carlin