Make Central Texas BBQ Brisket Like Aaron Franklin

Written By Mariano Clement Gupana

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brisket

Central Texas style BBQ is one of the best meats that have been put to fire in the world. Now, this statement may be biased coming from me but if you take a look at the lines (starts at 3:00 am or 4:00 am) outside the Central Texas food institution Franklin Barbecue (What wine goes well with barbecue?), this says a lot about how the magic of barbecue is kept alive by Aaron Franklin's gigantic offset smokers and some smoke from a bit of post oak.

A lot of us in Texas have personal connections to this cooking tradition that some even spend their childhoods in close proximity to either a family member or friend who dabbles in the art of pit fires and tender juicy meats. And Aaron Franklin is no exception to this where you can see his passion for BBQ in Central Texas barbecue that he calls his very own.

Even I remember those Sundays whenever I'd spend my afternoons at my friends house. They were a family who liked to cook and I always excitedly accepted their invitation to family cookouts. Brisket, ribs, chicken thighs (What wine goes well with chicken thighs?) all smoked to perfection and paired with classic Southern sides.

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Out of all the slow-cooked meats the come out from the smokers of Franklin Barbecue, beef brisket is probably king. Despite being a relatively tough cut of meat, the long hours it spends in the smoker means that it will come out both tender and juicy. And the best path to take to achieve this is to follow the Aaron Franklin method of cooking beef brisket at home.

Brisket and How it Became One of the Texas BBQ Standards

Meat markets in the late 19th century is what started the Texan love for barbecue briskets. Czech and German immigrants who ran these markets picked up the tradition of cooking meat and game in open and underground pits where they turned this Southern tradition into a profitable business.

brisket

Back in the day, there were no refrigerators so butchers had to dispose of their meats before they go bad. The common practice back then was to use the excess meats to make sausages or smoke them in open pits so they would keep for longer. Eventually these pits that were attached to meat shops began expanding into full-fledged restaurants with a dedicated open pit at the back. Where these early barbecue joints were know to serve simple meals consisting of smoked meats and simple side like sliced onion, pickles, and white bread.

The business of barbecue started to really boom post-World War II when servicemen who went back home were looking for potential businesses they can invest on. This triggered a sort of passing down of knowledge from more seasoned pitmasters (pun intended) to a younger generation of barbecue lovers that would eventually develop their own style using Texas raised meats and local oak for smoking.

And by the 1960s, barbecue whole brisket had finally made its way into restaurant menus as a main stay. Developments in food storage, particularly refrigeration, and policies imposed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also paved the way to create the brisket we all know and love today.

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A Clean and Consistent Burn Will Cook Low and Slow

Preparing a smoker at home for cooking Texas style BBQ brisket can be a delicious and rewarding experience. Admittedly, most of the work that you're going to do will be with your trusty smoker at home. Get familiar with it because you're going to use it for those long-haul, prime brisket recipes and cooks that may just have your neighborhood lining up for a taste.

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smoking meat

To get to those fires burning and start your brisket cooking, here's a step-by-step guide to help you finally get that smooth burn that produces that distinct clean and light 'blue smoke.'

Choose the Right Smoker

You'll need a smoker that can maintain a low and steady temperature for a long period of time. A popular choice is the offset smoker, which has a firebox connected to the main cooking chamber. Franklin Barbecue in Central Texas has the back of their restaurant packed with smokers that start burning hours before sunrise. If you're looking to replicate this for yourself at home, an offset smoker is your best bet.

smoker

Your smoker's size will depend on the amount of brisket you plan to cook at once. Brisket can take anywhere from 10 to 14 hours to cook, so you want to make sure your smoker is large enough to accommodate the meat while still allowing for proper airflow and smoke circulation.

The construction of your smoker is also important. Look for one that is made of durable materials that can withstand high temperatures and frequent use. A well-constructed smoker can last for many years and produce consistent results.

But not anybody can own one of those big propane tank smokers and that is why there are other options. You can also opt to use either an electric smoker, drum smoker or pellet smoker that are more user-friendly and take less work when it comes to the overall long cook. Usually these smokers use wood chips that you can get in bags at grocery stores.

Smokers come in a wide range of prices, from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Consider your budget and how often you plan to use the smoker when making your selection. Aaron Franklin has also put his name to the Big Green Egg company of Atlanta with his special recipe of brisket on the Big Green Egg Franklin BBQ method.

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Prepare the Fire

Build a fire in the firebox using post oak and avoid using softwoods like pine or cedar as they can create unpleasant flavors. When choosing the size of logs you're going to put into your firebox, be sure to have both dense and thick flat and thin logs on the ready. Also, it's important to take note that the smaller your firebox the more difficult it is to get a fire going and maintaining that to evenly cook your brisket.

smoker

A great way to go about arranging your logs in your firebox is to stack denser logs on the bottom and thinner ones on top. This way, you get to have good tinder on top with all the airflow you'll need to feed that initial fire as it is very dry wood and burns its way down to the more denser logs.

Once everything is properly stacked, start a fire by using oil-drizzled butcher paper or old newspapers. Light it up and chuck it into your firebox. Also, don't use any lighter fluid or other petroleum products when starting your fire.

Once the fire is lit, let the top port of your stack of post oak burn until it forms a bed of hot coals. During this part of preparing your fire, check how the dense logs on both the point and bottom burn. If there are any logs that produce a lot of smoke but don't burn, this means those still have a lot of moisture in them. Replace these logs with drier ones and check if either its burning to fast or too slow.

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It's All About the 'Blue Smoke'

Most of the work when slow cooking brisket is all about maintaining a clean burning fire. The best way to spot this is by seeing a light almost bluish smoke coming out of your smokestack.

To maintain this, you'll need a stack of moderately dry post oak near your firebox, a temperature gauge for the cooking chamber, and consistently adjusting your fire to keep it burning clean. The ideal temperature for the smoker inside the main chamber is at 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

Of course, there will be instances when you're going to encounter problems with your firebox. It will either produce sooty, heavy smoke that's going to ruin your barbecue when left unchecked. Good thing there's a bit of wiggle room if you run into these challenges while slow-cooking your barbecue brisket yourself because this cut of meat can take a bit of a beating if you mess up your fire box.

If ever you encounter any issues there are specific things to remember to help you work with the firebox of your smoker. You have to pay attention to the moisture content of the wood you're using, airflow inside the firebox, and arrangement of logs inside. It's important that you create a space in your firebox where the wood you're going to add is going to burn smoothly while maintaining good airflow for the coals to burn just the right amount.

To do this, add logs from the stack into the firebox once you observe the temperatures are slowly going down. Place the logs away from the main coals burning in the middle. And when adding logs, always check how they burn because this is going to tell you if you need to add more or replace the log with a much drier one. And, again, check your temps.

An In-Depth Look at Beef Brisket

Making Brisket: A Labor of Love - A Recipe

Barbecued brisket is one of the most iconic dishes in American cuisine, and few are more renowned for their brisket than Aaron Franklin. Franklin's brisket has won countless awards like the James Beard Award for the Legendary Barbecue Encore. His brisket has been praised by food critics and enthusiasts alike where you'll find people flying in from across the globe just to have a taste of Aaron's special Central Texas BBQ.

brisket

And, if you're looking for award-winning Arron Franklin brisket, here is a recipe for barbecued brisket based on Aaron's own techniques and tips.

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole packer brisket (12 pounds)

  • 2 1/2 tbsp. Coarse kosher salt (how long does kosher salt last?)

  • 2 1/2 tbsp. Coarsely ground black pepper

  • 1 Bottle Yellow mustard/Hot sauce

  • 1 Roll Aluminum Foil

Instructions:

  1. Trim the brisket: Start by trimming any excess fat from the brisket, leaving about 1/4 inch of fat on the meat. Remove the thick membrane called silver skin from the meat side. This will help the rub penetrate the meat and will also prevent the brisket from becoming overly fatty (as if brisket fat is actually a bad thing).

  2. Season the brisket: Generously season the brisket with equal parts kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper (café grind size). The recommended ratio is a 50/50 mix of salt and pepper, but you can adjust the ratio to your liking. A great tip when tweaking your seasoning ratio is that pepper does well with the more lean parts of the beef brisket while adding salt is best on the fat cap. Apply the rub evenly on all sides of the brisket, making sure you don't miss any spots.

  3. Prepare the smoker: Set up your smoker for indirect heat, with a temperature of around 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Add your oak or hickory wood to the fire, and allow the smoker to come up to temperature.

  4. Smoke the brisket: Place the seasoned brisket on the smoker, fat-side up. Close the lid and let the brisket smoke for several hours. After about 4-6 hours, the brisket should develop a dark, caramelized bark on the outside.

  5. Wrap the brisket: Once the bark has formed, remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap it tightly in butcher paper or aluminum foil. This will help keep the meat moist and tender during the rest of the cooking process.

  6. Continue smoking: Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal brisket temperature reaches around 203 degrees Fahrenheit. This can take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, depending on the size and thickness of the brisket.

  7. Rest the brisket: Once the brisket has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful.

  8. Slice and serve: When you're ready to serve the brisket, slice it against the grain into thin slices. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce and sides, such as coleslaw, potato salad, or baked beans (how long di baked beans last?).

Tips:

  • Make sure to use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the brisket. This is the best way to ensure that it's cooked all the way through and is tender and juicy.

  • Let the brisket rest before slicing. This is a crucial step that allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful.

  • Use a quality post oak for smoking. This will give your brisket a rich, smoky flavor that can't be beat.

  • Don't rush the cooking process. Low and slow is the key to tender, juicy brisket. It's better to cook it slowly over a long period of time than to try to speed up the process and end up with tough, dry meat.

Congratulations, if you've made it through cooking a whole packer brisket using the recipe Aaron Franklin introduces to enthusiasts. The whole process of sitting out long hours of falling in line at a barbecue joint can be spent making your own. It all depends on the dedication you put into maintaining a proper fire going while also sourcing high quality brisket for the best outcome of your planned cook.

The rub used for this recipe is simple and easy to make with ingredients that can be virtually found anywhere. Aaron Franklin believes that to cook brisket for the first time, BBQ lovers should use a simple rub. The simple salt and pepper combination allows the flavors coming from the fat side of the beef brisket, lean meat, and the smokiness of the post oak to shine through. This simplicity is also a great way to gauge your future brisket cooks and fine-tune to your own personal flavor preference. And if you mess it all up, there's always bbq sauce that you can use.

Aaron Franklin's recipe for barbecued beef brisket is a true masterpiece that takes time and patience to perfect. By following these simple steps and tips, you'll be well on your way to making a mouthwatering, brisket recipe that will impress your friends and family.

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Yield: 10
Author: Mariano Clement Gupana
Central Texas BBQ Brisket

Central Texas BBQ Brisket

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 10 HourTotal time: 10 H & 30 M
Barbecued brisket is one of the most iconic dishes in American cuisine, and few are more renowned for their brisket than Aaron Franklin.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole packer brisket (12 pounds)
  • 2 1/2 tbsp. Coarse kosher salt
  • 2 1/2 tbsp. Coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 Bottle Yellow mustard/Hot sauce
  • 1 Roll Aluminum Foil

Instructions

  1. Trim the brisket: Start by trimming any excess fat from the brisket, leaving about 1/4 inch of fat on the meat. Remove the thick membrane called silver skin from the meat side. This will help the rub penetrate the meat and will also prevent the brisket from becoming overly fatty (as if brisket fat is actually a bad thing).
  2. Season the brisket: Generously season the brisket with equal parts kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper (café grind size). The recommended ratio is a 50/50 mix of salt and pepper, but you can adjust the ratio to your liking. A great tip when tweaking your seasoning ratio is that pepper does well with the more lean parts of the beef brisket while adding salt is best on the fat cap. Apply the rub evenly on all sides of the brisket, making sure you don't miss any spots.
  3. Prepare the smoker: Set up your smoker for indirect heat, with a temperature of around 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Add your oak or hickory wood to the fire, and allow the smoker to come up to temperature.
  4. Smoke the brisket: Place the seasoned brisket on the smoker, fat-side up. Close the lid and let the brisket smoke for several hours. After about 4-6 hours, the brisket should develop a dark, caramelized bark on the outside.
  5. Wrap the brisket: Once the bark has formed, remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap it tightly in butcher paper or aluminum foil. This will help keep the meat moist and tender during the rest of the cooking process.
  6. Continue smoking: Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal brisket temperature reaches around 203 degrees Fahrenheit. This can take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, depending on the size and thickness of the brisket.
  7. Rest the brisket: Once the brisket has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful.
  8. Slice and serve: When you're ready to serve the brisket, slice it against the grain into thin slices. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce and sides, such as coleslaw, potato salad, or baked beans.

Notes

  • Make sure to use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the brisket. This is the best way to ensure that it's cooked all the way through and is tender and juicy.
  • Let the brisket rest before slicing. This is a crucial step that allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful.
  • Use a quality post oak for smoking. This will give your brisket a rich, smoky flavor that can't be beat.
  • Don't rush the cooking process. Low and slow is the key to tender, juicy brisket. It's better to cook it slowly over a long period of time than to try to speed up the process and end up with tough, dry meat.


Nutrition Facts

Calories

285

Fat

13.42 g

Sat. Fat

4.72 g

Carbs

0.96 g

Fiber

0.38 g

Net carbs

0.58 g

Sugar

0.01 g

Protein

37.75 g

Sodium

1888.82 mg

Cholesterol

112.47 mg

Percentages are based on a diet of 2000 calories a day.

 
Mariano Clement Gupana
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