Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook] Kindle Edition

Absolutely fantastic book. I bought 1 for myself...and then bought 1 for my Dad and one for my Father in Law...Probably get one for my Stepdad Soon as well. I laughed when I read the 1 star reviews. This is NOT a cookbook. This book is about how Aaron Franklin ascended to his position as being one of the best BBQ Cooks in the Nation. He talks about what he did, why he did it, and what he learned along the way. He talks about his victories and defeats and how he gained just a little bit of knowledge during each cook. What he could use he kept, what didn't work, he noted it, and tossed it aside. This is a great book on the science and theory of what is actually happening when you smoke something. The different kinds of wood that is used, the kind of smoker he likes, what temperature he prefers (275'), what he spritz's his meats with while they cook, when to pull the meat off, when to wrap it, what to wrap it with, how and why to rest it..etc. etc...I have been grilling for 20+ years, and been smoking meat for about 10, and this book really really taught me a lot of things, and cleared up some things that I have noticed, but hadn't really figured it out. He explains how to smoke meat in very simple terms. It IS simple to smoke meat...but you can totally screw it up if you don't do it right. A perfect example that he talks about, and I did this when I first started, but luckily figured it out years ago is the fact that rookies see that Beef is done at 160-165 degrees and they think, welp, its done, might as well pull it off. They pull it off and let it sit, and when they slice into it, its tough or if its pork, it doesn't pull or shred at all, and none of the fat has rendered and they think "What happened?? Well what happened is that yes, the meat reached a safe temp to eat, but not the OPTIMAL temp for BBQ. You want the internal temp at 203 degrees instead so the fat can liquefy and give the meat its juiciness and tenderness.That is just one example. He lays it all out there for you, and doesn't hold anything back. This is a simple process, but the devil is in those details, and he is adamant about them. There are a few recipes in the book, but this isn't a cook book per se. I did like the recipes on the BBQ sauces though and Ive made them all. Aaron keeps it straightforward and simple. If you don't learn anything from this book then you aren't paying attention. I read a 1 star review and the guy goes, "Yeah, I learned to use salt and pepper and post oak....lame"If you have that sort of mentality, then this book is definitely not for you, but if you want to reach in to what BBQ is, and how it is done right, and then you actually DO what he talks about, you will never screw up a piece of meat again.

I felt the smoking techniques and equipment portions is mostly for mobile caterers, the roadside BBQ truck guy or restaurant type production. The authors focus is obviously being very excited about his aspiration and success to high volume production of very fine BBQ for consumer sales, not the typical backyard scenario. In speaking about smoker selection the focus is toward accommodating multiple full size briskets at a time, using 300 -1,000 gallon propane cylinders converted to be smokers, requiring cords of firewood and full size shovels as a primary tool, not tongs and small pokers. He doesn’t mention water smokers at all which are very established in this American culture of backyard BBQ and known to be winning in competition against the large offset smokers he is focusing on. The Weber “kettle grill” is mentioned very briefly, but in unfair comparison during smoker selection. The Weber kettle isn’t a smoker, it is an awesome grill. The Weber WSM is for backyard smoker enthusiasts and is a better choice of retail smoker than most of the offset smokers he evaluates and cautions the reader about purchasing, and then advises will need to be modified to render as acceptable. The author is very knowledgeable about large volume meat smoking for profit or someone who does BBQ for large groups of people on a consistent basis, that is his passion and focus. Some principles of smoking meat apply across the board, but the dynamics change considerably with large volume meat production vs typical small backyard operations. There is good info on meat selection and an excellent section on cutting brisket. If the book’s title or description would have indicated as being oriented toward the restaurant owner and volume production, then I feel it would deserve 5 stars from me.

I’ve seen a lot of 1 star reviews for this book, complaining there’s not enough recipes or it doesn’t show how to use an electric smoker, etc, etc.This is not about that.What it IS about, is what Aaron Franklin has learned over the years as a pit master and has passed along his knowledge to you.That means a wood only smoker. Simple salt & pepper rubs. Basic cuts of meats (brisket, ribs, turkey and sausage) and the stories behind it.That’s it. Now, you CAN get some really good insight on how to smoke meats and get a good foundation, based on what he does. But he doesn’t veer off what to do with different woods, recipes or techniques he doesn’t use.So, if you want a book that helps you specifically with your Big Green Egg or pellet/electric smoker, this isn’t your book to get.But...if you want a book with good stories. A good foundation of the science behind smoking meats. A few recipes. And what he does now and how he came to that way of doing things, then this is the book for you. It’s good, entertaining and chock full-o-wisdom and experience a pit master would usually not reveal to the average backyard smoker.

I smoke meat a lot for years and always was pleased with the outcome along with everyone else great comments always on my brisket. and this book has taught me that I have been doing it wrong for a long time. Now I followed it as close as I could he does not tell you exactly what he uses but he sure points you in the right direction. I smoked a brisket last weekend and it might not be his recipe or even come close to his recipe I tried my best. But one thing for sure it is the best damn brisket I ever put in my mouth, tender, full of flavor and I ate the whole thing over the rest of the weekend. This "Manifesto" IS well worth the price. I have watched this man on you tube everything they have to offer what a great individual. Quirky personality I think funny as hell my kind of people ...

I found the contents of this book disappointing by comparison with other books available for purchase at the same price.A lot of subject matter is about the author and his restaurant interspersed with some information a beginner may find useful. The specific details seem lacking in many areas as if the author is more interested in protecting and plugging his business. It isn't until page 134 that the reader is finally provided with some recipes. These are written in a good level of detail but are provided in short supply - I counted 4 meat recipes, a smattering of sides and sauces yet other sections go into great detail about smokers and how to make one. The logic one would apply would be if I am buying and reading a book about bbq smoking I am not likely to have the experience that I am at the semi pro stage of fabricating my own smoker from scratch!If you are new to bbq smoking (such as many over here in the UK) this is not the book for you.If this is a serious hobby for you and you want to take your abilities to new levels then read this book.

Don't expect loads of recipes in this book. It's not about that - it's got a few for sure but this is a master of his craft passing on his wisdom with humour, humility and a passion that shines through.BBQ is not about "put this rub on, cook for this long", it's about feel, about care and attention to all the variables: smoker, wood, fire, meat, rub and time. Franklin shares his insight hard won through years of perfecting his craft and encourages you to find your own way of getting that perfect brisket.And got to say cooked the best brisket I've done yet, 203 is indeed magic.

This is a review for Franklin’s barbeque guide. When we talk about barbeque in Texas, it’s not the same thing as barbeque in the UK. In texas barbeque is a smoking process where one has a fire in one area and a cooking grate in another and the smoke from the fire passes over the meat at quite low temperature to cook. The meat absorbs the smoke flavour and cooks very slowly, rendering fat and producing succulent flavoursome results.In The UK barbeque is cooking directly over a heat source outside - in texas they call this grilling, and in England we call Texas barbeque smoking.OK now that’s cleared up let’s get to the book. Franklin has a restaurant in Austin Texas that has lines of people up the street every day. He is famous for the quality of his smoked brisket and ribs. He is thought of as a genius who has some black art secrets to making his food so good. In this book he shares those secrets. In fact more than that, he tells you “How to” from making a smoker from scratch right through purchasing meat, preparing, cooking, cutting serving, cooking accompaniments. The whole deal. So theoretically if you read and execute everything in this book your food will be as good and identical to his. Now I can’t claim to have achieved quite that, but his guidance certainly corrected many basic errors I was making.

This book is not full of hundreds of recipes that you won't use - it concentrates on a few amazing dishes that the chef is renowned for creating and dedicates pages into how you can achieve these results yourself!Half the book I used to learn ALOT about smokers, wood and fires and the other half is a 'go to' reference point for when I'm cooking!

Great book lots of technical information about bbq Smokers including picking building and modding, aslo a few simple recipes given as a starting point to allow you to create your own tasty food.... The way its written is easy to understand and keeps you interested.. Great book for the more technical aspects of smoking.