The famous Austin pitmaster explains everything he knows about smokers, wood, fire and meat, with a whole chapter on brisket
A meat-smoking manifesto
Aaron Franklin started out cooking barbecue in a small trailer in Austin, Texas, and turned it into one of the most celebrated barbecue restaurants in the country, where people queue for hours for his brisket. In this book, written with Jordan Mackay, he sets out to teach home cooks everything he has learned, not as a list of recipes but as a complete education in how good barbecue actually works.
Who will enjoy it
Home cooks and backyard enthusiasts who want to understand smoking meat properly, especially brisket, and are willing to practise.
What you will get
An engaging, practical guide to Texas-style barbecue from a celebrated pitmaster, explaining smokers, wood, fire and the patient art of brisket.
Franklin Barbecue Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Nonfiction · Barbecue · Smoking meat · Texas
Length
224 pages · ≈ 7 h
More about this book
Want to know why great barbecue tastes the way it does? Franklin's answer is that it depends on understanding a few things deeply rather than following exact rules. The book moves through the essentials in order: the smoker, including how to choose, modify or even build one; the wood, especially the post oak of central Texas; fire and smoke, and how to manage clean-burning heat; and the meat itself, from choosing a brisket to trimming it.
The centrepiece is a long, detailed chapter on cooking brisket, walking through the whole day from lighting the fire to wrapping, resting and slicing. Ribs, pork shoulder, turkey and a few classic sides get their turn too, along with a seasoning rub that is barely more than salt and pepper. Franklin's voice is friendly and humble, with stories about his early days that make the book enjoyable to read even away from the smoker. There are many helpful photographs.
It assumes you have access to an offset smoker or are willing to work with what you have, and it rewards patience. About 224 pages in the Ten Speed Press hardcover.
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