Why Aaron Franklin Will Never Open Another Franklin Barbecue

[ooootis]

Loving this mayo meme.

Hmmm what meme. I'm like Shultz " I see knathing"

 

[93_confirmed]

I'm interested to see the size, build and cost of his pits. I'm in the market for an offset next year and really curious to see how his product compares to the competition. Is there any info at all about his specs for this retail pit?

On a related note, for anyone interested, here's an old interview of his that gives an insight into his world and how much is involved with his operation. He's a good dude.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/interview-aaron-franklin-of-franklin-barbecue/

 

[Czarbecue]

Sourcing quality ingredients helps too. I wonder how good his briskets would be if they were select or Walmart choice instead of prime.

I've read the book, watch the vids and yes, very likable. He's a great spokesperson for the art of BBQ.

Keep in mind he started with briskets from HEB in the early days of his restaurant, as stated in his book. He got rave reviews way before he had access to prime grade brisket. I'm sure he's hiding some techniques from his book a bit.

 

[nailbiter]

Keep in mind he started with briskets from HEB in the early days of his restaurant, as stated in his book. He got rave reviews way before he had access to prime grade brisket. I'm sure he's hiding some techniques from his book a bit.

I think that was just when he was cooking slabs in his backyard. But maybe I'm remembering wrong.

I'm actually kind of convinced he's not hiding much of anything. It's just that most people who do that kind of volume don't go the traditional route he does, because it's too time-consuming. And most non-commercial BBQ types that go the traditional route don't get to cook 35,000 briskets a year to perfect their technique.

 

[4ever3]

It's gotta be good to be Aaron...

 

[Czarbecue]

I think that was just when he was cooking slabs in his backyard. But maybe I'm remembering wrong.

In his book he wrote he started with 2-3 briskets a day when he first opened his trailer. Stopped by HEB in the morning to grab a few to cook for the day. His first review was in his second month of the trailer. Pretty sure he was using select or choice grade... whatever was standard for HEB back in 2009.

 

[GLOCKer]

I think that means how many people signed up for the updates on his site. I doubt that many people will buy it though. I subbed to it. What's the harm?

This is what I'm thinking!

 

[jwh]

This place just can't get past this sudden fascination with mayo!

I'd bet every cent I've accumulated in 40 years of building and selling 4 businesses and now building a 5th that the only mayo in Franklin's food is in the sides.

Mayo on Texas Briaket is apostasy. Never gonna happen.

I think the assertion was tongue-in-cheek surrounding the sudden Mayo obsession as evidenced by the threads on the matter.

 

[SmokePigTails]

His PBS show showed him making his own pits out of scrap, and looking at video from his cooking areas they are home made for the most part. He mentioned how he likes lots of air flow, no tuning plates or baffles. Ill have to watch the episode again and maybe get some idea of what these may look like.

 

[JokerBroker]

Ironically, he claims to not eat much BBQ anymore. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since he's surrounded by it all day long.

 

[Czarbecue]

Ironically, he claims to not eat much BBQ anymore. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since he's surrounded by it all day long.

I am about the same way when I am smoking something.. I snack and sample all throughout the cook that I don't eat it when cutting and serving people... just too damn full. But I definitely go to town on the leftovers though.

 

[JS-TX]

What he does is a work of art and a labor of love..no way to duplicate that. No way to franchise that either because it's all one of a kind.

My personal thoughts on his success... great BBQ, great location (trendy Austin)a likeable personality and just general good timing in the BBQ industry. As far as great BBQ it comes down to good prime brisket cooked just right with much attention to detail. To be consistent you have to follow a routine without much deviation. Anybody notice those huge digital clocks in the pit room? He's a very humble guy, he believes in simplicity and doing as much hands on as you can.. including servicing his restaurant. He gets a lot of respect for that.

 

[Nuco59]

I bet he could make a Wally World select sing. Guy seems to love what he does and that's got its own magic that makes a lot of things possible.

 

[Al_T]

I am fortunate enough to live close enough to have eaten at the biggies in the business. I am still a firm believer the quality of the meat is key. You can make a great brisket on any type of cooker. I have eaten awesome brisket off of Ole Hickory CTO's and Southern pride smokers. I have eaten horrid briskets off of offset and masonry pits. What it boils down to is the right meat, treated with the right spices at the right temperature and right amount/type of smoke for the right time and you will have excellent results. What happens with places that use the gas assist pits is they loose track of to many of the details to make a great brisket. All the attention to the details is what matters. Aaron is an artisan the pays attention to all those details in his system. This includes the people he hires and trains. I wish him all the best He is a great cook, a great businessman and and a great guy.

 

[Eads Ranch]

I met Aaron last year at a Wine and Swine event. Super nice guy to visit with. Have to respect him for what he has accomplished. I'm curious to see what his pits look like when released.

 

[JacksBBQ]

I am about the same way when I am smoking something.. I snack and sample all throughout the cook that I don't eat it when cutting and serving people... just too damn full. But I definitely go to town on the leftovers though.

Those dang Opa's Jalapeno and Cheddar sausages get me everytime! Usually snack on a few of those throughout the day along with samplings of other stuff Im cooking and I never feel like actually eating dinner after a long cook.

 

[Springram]

Those dang Opa's Jalapeno and Cheddar sausages get me everytime! Usually snack on a few of those throughout the day along with samplings of other stuff Im cooking and I never feel like actually eating dinner after a long cook.

No kidding! Those are the best there is. By far.

 

[Q_Done_Right]

I am fortunate enough to live close enough to have eaten at the biggies in the business. I am still a firm believer the quality of the meat is key. You can make a great brisket on any type of cooker. I have eaten awesome brisket off of Ole Hickory CTO's and Southern pride smokers. I have eaten horrid briskets off of offset and masonry pits. What it boils down to is the right meat, treated with the right spices at the right temperature and right amount/type of smoke for the right time and you will have excellent results. What happens with places that use the gas assist pits is they loose track of to many of the details to make a great brisket. All the attention to the details is what matters. Aaron is an artisan the pays attention to all those details in his system. This includes the people he hires and trains. I wish him all the best He is a great cook, a great businessman and and a great guy.

Yeah, well said. While I believe the best pure barbecue comes off an offset smoker run just right, Aaron is super meticulous in all the details (big and small); just watch his videos online. I'm sure that the cut of meat (he gets his prime grade briskets from Creekstone Farms...they even confirmed this when I called them a couple months back LOL) really helps. And his ability to hold brisket at ideal serving temps for long periods of time (8-12 hours is what I've read) before slicing is what really contributes to the final moist product so many of his customers use. Doubt he uses just salt and pepper only, but not sure how much his rub really makes a difference in the end product...I've tried it super simple like that and also used John Lewis' (his former employee who went on to La Barbecue and now has his own place in South Carolina) version and can't tell a difference in taste of the bark/meat when cooked both ways. Even Lewis once said they never used just salt and pepper at Franklin Barbecue when he worked there. I just think all this combined with opening up in the right place at the right time = instant success. Plus, he's very likeabke as so many have mentioned and his personality meshes well with a lot of the Austin crowd. I'm sure there are guys out there that could make just as good barbecue and replacate a lot of his methods and still easily fail for a number of reasons.

One other thing he does incredibly well. They cook over a couple thousand pounds of brisket per day alone. To be able to have a process in place that allows for that while cooking additional meats and retaining top notch quality is almost unheard of. I think I remember him saying he works like 20 hour days, often starts at 1-2 am, etc. That is pure madness and I could never do it. But major props!

 

[ncmoose]

I have mad respect for him. He seems to be a detail guy and I can see how this wouldn't lend itself to opening up other locations. He seems to be genuinely enthusiastic about what he does and willing to share/discuss with others. I don't know how you could keep it up for too long without burning out though.

 

[Rockinar]

I think part of his success is he had first mover advantage. There's the places that had just as good BBQ, but none of them were IN Austin. Every place in Austin was a sit down and serve all day restaurant with gas assist smokers. I was living in Austin at that time and dont remember anything but chain BBQ and Rudys boiled BBQ in town.

Aaron was the first in Austin to focus just on the BBQ cooking with nothing but wood. His spot in the movie Chef prolly did not hurt any either.