Book Review: Franklin Barbecue | A Meat-Smoking Manifesto

This book is serious business and not for the faint of heart. True to its title, it is a manifesto. If you’re looking for a cookbook full of recipes, this is not the book for you. There are less than a handful of recipes in this book. Aaron Franklin of the infamous Franklin Barbecue in Texas will teach you how to love barbecue and inspire you to take on the hefty challenge of building your own smoker.

If you are unfamiliar with Franklin Barbecue, you may have seen it featured in this Chase Sapphire commercial.

Or you can experience Franklin Barbecue with Anthony Bourdain in this episode of No Reservations. Warning: Your mouth will water.

http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/anthony-bourdain/video/austin-s-franklin-barbecue

As the No Reservations video mentions, there is no mysticism behind Franklin Barbecue. It’s just salt and pepper. This book will teach you to understand smoke and the importance of consistent heat. And Aaron Franklin’s passion for his craft is absolutely intoxicating. You’ll want to open up your own barbecue pop-up shop or host a cookout with friends after the first couple of chapters.

But be warned, barbecue is an all-day ordeal. Franklin outlines his day in the book and this video from Parade Magazine captures the hectic schedule and crazy demand.

While this book is detailed, it is approachable and all-around enjoyable. Franklin’s voice is captivating and authentic — he does an excellent job of making all the scary parts of smoking your own meat sound fun despite the challenges. He places a great deal of value in learning and developing your own understanding of your smoker. This book provides you with all the resources to make some truly outstanding barbecue.

I have yet to build my own smoker, but I did purchase an electric one in the meantime. I know it’ll never live up to Franklin’s, but I’m excited to give it a shot. During the first round, I cooked a handful of ribs, using various techniques and recipes. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the best ribs were the ones that stuck closest to Franklin’s. I also tried my hand at the coleslaw recipe. It’s more vinegary than typical coleslaw creating a nice tanginess that’s a great complement to barbecue.

Thank you Blogging for Books for providing a copy for my review. Rest assured, all opinions are my own!