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

WeberWho · February 13

Who knows but an excellent video nonetheless

The Cen-Tex Smoker · February 13

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.

WeberWho · February 13

The Cen-Tex Smoker 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.

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 Cen-Tex Smoker · February 13

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.

WeberWho · February 13

The Cen-Tex Smoker 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.

FanOfFanboys · February 13

The Cen-Tex Smoker 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?

Foghorn · February 13

FanOfFanboys said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker 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.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · February 13

Foghorn said:

FanOfFanboys said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker 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.

SciAggie · February 13

Foghorn said:

FanOfFanboys said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker 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.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · February 13

WeberWho said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker 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.

Legume · February 13

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

WeberWho said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker 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 · February 13

Yep, the video was flagged as "paid promotion".

GregW · February 14

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 · February 14

Lolololol dumbest vid I’ve watched in a while. Great production quality though.

WeberWho · February 14

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.

HeavyG · February 14

Interesting video. Doesn't beef tallow make everything better - like it does french fries?

GregW · February 14

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 · February 15

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

WeberWho · February 15

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.

TEXASBGE2018 · February 15

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.

cazzy · February 15

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.

Ozzie_Isaac · February 15

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.

SonVolt · February 15

@cazzy

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

SGH · February 16

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 powdered 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 be more

Legume · February 16

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 · February 16

Legume said:
maybe he buries them

At this point nothing would surprise me.

GregW · February 16

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 · February 16

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.

lkapigian · February 16

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

Ozzie_Isaac · February 16

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.

JohnInCarolina · February 16

Ozzie_Isaac said:

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.

Cazzy’s a righteous dude.

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

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