Best meat cooking books according to Reddit
Reddit mentions of Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook]
Sentiment score: 19
Reddit mentions: 34
We found 34 Reddit mentions of Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook]. Here are the top ones.
- Ten Speed Press
Features:
Specs:
Color | Multicolor |
Height | 10.27 Inches |
Length | 8.25 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | April 2015 |
Size | 1 EA |
Weight | 2.29 Pounds |
Width | 1.04 Inches |
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#1 of 122
$90 is a hard sell when he's got so much [free content on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTzdMHu5KU
) and an authoritative $20 book.
Go buy this book. Don't steal it, pay money for it. It's one of the few things you'll buy that's worth every damn penny. Read it cover to cover. Go practice. This is the BBQ bible.
https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
This is Texas and good BBQ has gotten me Money, Liquor, and Women. This is a religion.
Aaron Franklin's book has excellent instructions and descriptions of the entire process. Helped me produce some really good ones recently as a smoking noob. Keep at it and you'll get better and better!
I think you should include [Franklin Barbecue] (https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510768637&sr=8-1&keywords=franklin+barbecue) in your reading. You can also watch some of the youtube videos he posted on building your own smoker but the book goes into the level of detail I think you are looking for.
This is one of my favorite cookbooks for meat smoking. It's a bit light on outright recipes, but focuses heavily on the process and science of smoking. It's a great tool!
I actually think America's Test Kitchen's Family Cookbook might be a good option for you here. While the book is pretty big, it covers different courses, not just mains. So you wouldn't feel the need to make every single dish, as you may not always feel like a soup course or whatnot. An added benefit is that the ATK books are generally well researched and their results are pretty consistent. It's also pocketed with useful information about ingredients and cooking techniques in general.
While not as "adventurous" in difficulty as buying a tome from Ottolenghi, it also covers a wide spectrum of ethnicity, so you don't get tired of serving one thing all the time.
If I had a 'dream book' to follow along with, it'd probably be Franklin's :P
I actually really enjoyed Aaron Franklin's book. Easy to read and very informative.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_kGhJwbQJ1XJ6R
I like Aaron Franklin's book. What's your budget?
If you are interested in another book that really gets into the science and art of BBQ, I highly recommend Aaron Franklins book. I cooked a brisket after reading his book and right off the bat it was the best brisket I ever made by a mile and some of the best I've had period.
http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-A-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto/dp/1607747200
My favs
Peace, Love, & Barbecue: Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies
and amazon knows me so well the others come up on the same page (for me at least)
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
Smoke & Spice, Updated and Expanded 3rd Edition: Cooking With Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
Aaron Franklin's BBQ Book comes out real soon (a month).
http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425653044&sr=8-1&keywords=aaron+franklin
I've been on the BBQ train for some time now. As a New Orleans native living in Michigan, it's hard to find good smoked meats up here, so you end up having to do it for yourself. And every time we throw a shindig, that's really all that gets requested.
My suggestions are as follows:
Franklin Barbecue
I love this book. It's not a recipe book, although it has a few basic ones in the back. He tells the story of how he came to BBQ, and then breaks down each individual aspect of BBQ process. You'll learn a lot.
Herbs and Spices
This book is really more fun than anything else. It's essentially wikipedia for herbs and spices, but there's so much in it that you can always come back and find something new.
The best advice I can give you is to never stop trying something new. When I first got in to BBQ/Grilling, I went to Amazon and bought a mess-load of books for $1-2 a piece about the basics, recipes, processes, and ideologies. Bobby Flay was my first read. I've strayed away from him now that I have my own style. And that's a phrase you'll here a lot among people. "Style". I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just light a fire and put some meat on it. Worst case scenario. You've got cooked meat.
Try smoking a Turkey with a Cajun rub (that you make, don't use prepackaged Cajun rubs) over hickory or apple wood. Patience and eventually it'll all be second nature too you.
Welcome to the game.
Video: https://youtu.be/VmTzdMHu5KU
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
I watched those and my wife got me this book which is awesome.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat Smoking Manifesto
And if you don't want to read it, BBQ with Franklin is available for streaming on PBS's website - there's even an episode about building a competition cooker out of an old propane tank!
http://www.pbs.org/show/bbq-franklin/
I live in Austin and I've been going to Franklin since he was operating out of a food trailer and the wait was only 15 minutes. His fatty brisket is the best, followed by the pork ribs. I'm not a sausage kind of guy, personally. While the brisket is so good you don't need any sauce, his espresso mix is worth the taste.
I introduced Franklin as a starting point because he's become a national BBQ icon and his very transparent about his process. He has the webisodes about his process and his [http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-A-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto/dp/1607747200](cookbook comes out in a few weeks). I also suggested him because he cooks Texas BBQ style, which in my opinion is better than other regional styles because it doesn't rely as heavily on sauces and complex flavors.
Is he the only person in the area slinging beef for a living? Of course not. Is he passionate and willing to teach others like it was taught to him by Mueller (check out John Mueller Meat Co. or John's sister's La Barbecue if you're ever in Austin), absolutely.
When you get back to the land down under, you can also order this [book] (http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427109580&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=Franklyn+BBQ) that's coming out soon.
Franklin’s cookbook has a bunch of diagrams for custom builds in it. I cannot remember if they had something like that, but should be an interesting read for someone acting to build their own.
You need 3 books.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fBcDzbYN9KZW9
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YBcDzb7V60BMC
Project Smoke: Seven Steps to Smoked Food Nirvana, Plus 100 Irresistible Recipes from Classic (Slam-Dunk Brisket) to Adventurous (Smoked Bacon-Bourbon Apple Crisp) by Steven Raichlen (2016-05-10) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FEKD1XI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ACcDzbGV4NSBK
You're welcome.
Check out the franklin barbecue book, there’s a whole chapter dedicated to modifying cheap smokers to be more efficient
Franklin Barbecue A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
Of which is “Franklin Barbeque”:
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook] https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607747200/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_q2XBDbABNEF42
One of the best "reference" sites is Meathead Goldwyn's amazingribs.com. He also just released a book -- more technique than recipes, although there are a bunch.
Another really great smoking book is Franklin Barbecue. This one is much more about the technique and has only a few recipes. But reading it helped my understanding of the process and really ramped up my game. (and I'd already been smoking for several years.)
And of course anything by Steven Raichlen - http://www.projectsmoke.org
Meathead's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/054401846X
Franklin book: https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
Good luck -- smoking is a lot of fun and you never quite "get there" -- you are always learning something new...
> Memphis barbecue is the best.
-_-
Them's fighting words!
I'm not originally Texan... but I took up the barbeque when I moved here, because it's so good.
https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
Good guide. Also have Raichlen's Project Smoke book.
https://www.amazon.com/Meathead-Science-Great-Barbecue-Grilling/dp/054401846X/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H87A4VHWKNSF2FK8EX2J
I should get that one.
Aaron Franklin wrote a book [Franklin BBQ: A Meat Smoking Manifesto] (http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200), that is phenomenal. I'm currently trying to "learn" how to smoke meat (10lb pork shoulder last weekend and a tri-tip earlier this week) and it's a great resource. You can really tell from the book how much he loves smoking meat, and good food in general.
Get the Franklin book off Amazon. Better than rubs!
What is your smoker setup like?
Many of the offset smokers they sell in stores come with a crappy thermometer in a terrible spot (middle of the lid). You can make some light modifications to ensure your meat is actually cooking at the right temp. (~225 for brisket)
If it's too close to the intake, excess heat from the fire will actually cook it at a much higher temperature while the smoke which reaches the built-in thermometer will have already cooled quite a bit.
Apart from that though, brisket is notorious for being the most demanding meat to smoke as it takes about 1.25 hours per pound at a temperature that low. Any major shortcuts and the fat won't render out as effectively. It's not unusual for a rack of ribs or a pork butt to be done in under six hours.
If you're new to smoking, I highly recommend Aaron Franklin's book. It definitely simplifies things for us laymen...
https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
The only one that I own and have read is Aaron Franklin's book. It's kind of a mashup of a cook book and a biography. It really does a good job of discussing his thoughts and methods on the BBQ process (which he has a lot to say about) while intertwining into that his life story, how he started, and how he has reached the level of success that he has. Tons of good visual imagery as well. If you're at all interested in BBQ, it's a must read without a doubt.
Purchased these gloves recently and they're pretty solid: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HLPXL80
Otherwise a good thermometer is probably up there along with a decent slicing knife and cutting board if he doesn't have one.
Also, this is a great book IMO: http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/
http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-A-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto/dp/1607747200
it's got everything, not really recipes, but a sort of "How to live the bbq lifestyle, how to make a pit, how to pick out meat and trim it, building the best fire, types of wood, etc.
If he has a particular team he supports for football, maybe some gear to wear or tickets to a game (I realize the season is almost over but long shot here.)
You mentioned cooking/grilling... along those lines, if he has room for it and enjoys bbq type good, you might consider a smoker
If you do opt for this route, there is a great book that you could get to go with it.
Just trying to help think outside the box. Good luck!
Looks like you're off to a good start! If you don't have one already, pick up a wireless grill thermometer with two probes - one for the brisket temp, and one for the grill temp.
The grill temp should be right around 230 f, and the brisket should hit that temp by the time you're done.
As the brisket cooks, it loses water. Losing water via evaporation cools it, so you get this strange effect where the temperature of the brisket stops rising, aka "the stall". Don't freak out, just keep smoking that brisket. It will eventually lose enough water to the point where it no longer has enough to cool itself via evaporation, and the temp will start to rise again.
Something to note is that a brisket tends to absorb as much flavor from the smoke as it can in about 4-6 hours of smoking. If you're tired, you can cheat by pre-heating your oven to 230 F, pull the brisket off the smoker, wrap it in foil and toss it in the oven. It tastes fantastic and you don't have to keep getting up every few hours to add fuel to the smoker. On the downside, the bark won't be quite as crispy. On the upside, you'll be well rested!
As far as rubs go, salt, pepper and a decent amount of brown sugar are what I use. Having sugar to caramelize is what really makes the bark pop.
If you have the room and can find a decent place that sells hardwood suitable for smoking on Craigslist - pecan, mesquite, etc, definitely shell out for an offset wood-fired smoker. It makes a world of difference in the flavor, and kicks the butt of any pellet fired smokers.
A great book to read on the subject is from a notable Austin BBQ joint, Franklin's - https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200
This is the thermometer I use, has a good range on it and it's dead on accurate - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GE77QT0/
Amazon Link to the book
Smoking can really be broken down into a couple different things.
I would highly recommend starting off with a small/inexpensive cut of meat, and working up. Top Round is a great choice. Pork Chops, Polish Sausage... get those down and move up to a rack of ribs, or a pork shoulder. Once you're confident with those, move on to a Brisket.
Once you're happy with those results then try different things like injections, various spice rubs.
My preferred books are:
Franklin BBQ - A Meat Smoker's Manifesto & Meathead: Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
Just the kindle edition & I'll even save you the multiple link clicks too.
-
https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Barbecue-Meat-Smoking-Manifesto-Aaron/dp/1607747200/