Why is Franklin BBQ in austin so good?

[foamheart]

 
JCBigler and BrazosBrian...if you're looking for true central-Texas style barbecue, where beef is king, and it's all about the meat, in the Dallas area, I've got a few places that meet that criteria.

1. Pecan Lodge - I have not eaten there, but I know a lot of barbecue people that say their brisket is even better than Franklin's.  So, they are on my list to eat at as well.

2. Lockhart Smokehouse - True Kreuz Market style barbecue, and part of the Schmidt family from Lockhart...the barbecue capital of Texas.  There's also one in Plano

3. Slow Bone - I've eaten their brisket at a barbecue fest in Tyler, and they also hit the mark.

4. Bet the House Barbecue - Is actually in Denton, but is another good one.

5. Hutchins Barbecue - Is in McKinney and also produces that great central Texas style brisket.

I mention the joints in Denton, Plano, and McKinney, since they are all essentially part of Dallas nowadays.

These places should get you going though...ENJOY!!

I would have to add, since it appears to be an all Texas crowd "Cattleman's in El Paso" and Papa's in Dallas

 

[foamheart]

Oh, and as to, "Why is Franklin BBQ in austin so good?"

This guy has cooked more brisket than Gil Favor and Rowdie Yates ever imagined! You do something more than anyone else, you just nearly gotta be the best.

 

[bluewhisper]

I liked hitting little mom-and-pop BBQ places when I was on business trips in the South. Sometimes it was just a shack with a pit smoking, by the end of an exit ramp. But for TX, I've only been to San Antonio so there's a lot waiting for me to discover.

 

[mickhlr]

Texas Monthly Magazine has a pretty good little article on Texas Barbecue on the link below.  Some guy from Denver on this post the other day got mad and said I didn't know anything about barbecue because I was poking fun at pulled pork.  He even went so far as to say if I ordered beef in Memphis, that I know very little about barbecue.  But, he didn't know the whole story or why that even came about.  But, it doesn't matter...and his viewpoint doesn't matter to me.  So, this article will probably infuriate him.  LOL!!

I know pulled pork is considered good barbecue in some parts of the country...just not Texas.  I'm retired military and have traveled the world eating barbecue and trying joints all over.  But, I was born and raised in Texas, and still consider Texas barbecue the best in the world.  And, Texas barbecue is all about the beef...and all Texas joints are judged on their brisket.  And, in all honesty...most are not that good.  So, that's why the best brisket joints in Texas have long lines to get in the door.  But, to each their own...and that's why there will always be arguments about the best barbecue.  I just choose not to make it personal or cut down others choices.

In the Texas Monthly article Franklin's, Pecan Lodge, Snow's, and Louie Mueller's are ranked as the top 4.  The rest are in alphabetical order by city.

"And now, we give you the fifty best barbecue joints in Texas—which is to say, the fifty best barbecue joints in the world."

http://www.texasmonthly.com/lists/50-best-bbq-joints-world

 

[aggie94]

For those interested in barbecue in Fort Worth, Mick is pointing you in the right direction.  I've lived in Fort Worth most of my life and my family has for over a century so I can tell you about their barbecue. 

Angelos is the most famous barbecue place in town but they have changed hands several times over the years and not nearly as good as they use to be.  When I was a kid they had deep sawdust on the floor but the fire dept finally made them get rid of it.

Cousins original on McCart is very good, much better than different branch locations,  Some of the different locations don't have the ability to cook barbecue on location.  Instead they cook at McCart and ship it up to these to reheat.  They have been invited to the Texas Monthly Barbecue Fest the last few years.

Railhead on Montgomery and in Aledo are both very good.  I always get brisket so don't know much about their other choices but I hear the ribs are good too.

Spring Creek is usually good for a chain, and their hot rolls are amazing.  I'm living in Midland now and they are better than anything we have out here.  DWhite I see you are in Midland also, we'll have to get together sometime at Rosa's Mexican food, as you mentioned there is no good barbecue out here.

For those visiting Dallas, I ate at Pecan Lodge last weekend.  It was very good but expensive, 1/2 pound brisket was $10.  That turned out to be 3 slices with no sides.  Ate dinner again a few hours later.  

 

[jeepdiver]

Some guy from Denver on this post the other day got mad and said I didn't know anything about barbecue because I was poking fun at pulled pork.  He even went so far as to say if I ordered beef in Memphis, that I know very little about barbecue.  But, he didn't know the whole story or why that even came about.  But, it doesn't matter...and his viewpoint doesn't matter to me.  So, this article will probably infuriate him.  LOL!!

Well he lives in Denver but is from Mississippi, and has lived in Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, and Florida. He has also traveled the world and knows how to appriciate what a region is known for. I don't order Pork in Texas, Jerk in Memphis, or Beef in Jamaica. I also expect vinegar based sauce in some parts or North Carolina, and Mustard base in other parts.

Unlike some I don't judge the world against some standard I have, I enjoy the world for what each region has to offer. Also being from the Great State of Mississippi and from the South in general I also know a thing or two about pride of where you are from, and have no issue with Texas Monthly claiming the best 50 BBQ joints are in Texas. We all know everything is bigger in Texas, including the delusions of their magazines and readers :)

 

[doozer233]

 
I'm going to hit both of these places during my trip in August, Probably Lockhart's in Plano on my way down on Monday the 17th, and Pecan Lodge on Friday evening the 21st on my way back home.

You won't be disappointed with Pecan Lodge. The brisket was really tender and flavorful. The portions were really good and the price was right.

I was in Texas for a wedding in November and after seeing them on DDD, a trip there was one of my demands! We waited in line for a bit, but then figured out the trick to skipping the line is the bar. If there are seats available at the bar you can order your food there. The only stipulation is you have to also order drinks from the bar. We were almost finished with our lunch when the people we were behind in line were just making it up to place their order.

 

[jcbigler]

We waited in line for a bit, but then figured out the trick to skipping the line is the bar. If there are seats available at the bar you can order your food there. The only stipulation is you have to also order drinks from the bar. We were almost finished with our lunch when the people we were behind in line were just making it up to place their order.

Hmmm...interesting...so, by order drinks, do you mean alcohol? Or could I order a soda from the bar instead?

My schedule looks like I will be there maybe 6:00-6:30ish on a Friday evening before I head back (4 hour drive) to Oklahoma. So I'd rather not wait in line for three or four hours.

 

[doozer233]

Hmmm...interesting...so, by order drinks, do you mean alcohol? Or could I order a soda from the bar instead?

My schedule looks like I will be there maybe 6:00-6:30ish on a Friday evening before I head back (4 hour drive) to Oklahoma. So I'd rather not wait in line for three or four hours.

You know, I don't recall them specifying that it had to be alcohol!

 

[aggie94]

JC I was there on a Friday night and it wasn't that crowded, was there around 530 pm, may have been lucky. I hear they get hit hard at lunch, not sure many folks know they are open at night on the weekend.

 

[mickhlr]

 
You won't be disappointed with Pecan Lodge. The brisket was really tender and flavorful. The portions were really good and the price was right.

I was in Texas for a wedding in November and after seeing them on DDD, a trip there was one of my demands! We waited in line for a bit, but then figured out the trick to skipping the line is the bar. If there are seats available at the bar you can order your food there. The only stipulation is you have to also order drinks from the bar. We were almost finished with our lunch when the people we were behind in line were just making it up to place their order.

Great to know Doozer233!  Will definitely remember that little tidbit of information.  Thanks!

 

[butt rub]

Get Franklin's book on BBQ all the answers are in there. They take the time when they first started to test the wood,and the meat,they purchased the best beef& Pork.

My advise get there book there is good advise in the book, remember the book Franklin wrote was on a large cooker about 60 slab of ribs, ther is good advice for you guys with small cookers.  

 

[notex bluesman]

He has a series of videos available free on YouTube if you type in Franklin BBQ. Many utilize a home size offset smoker like this group would use. A lot of great information and visual instruction.

 

[mdlnb]

I've never been to Franklin's BBQ but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express...

I've watched his video's and the only thing I can figure is that he uses the best meat available.  The first time I smoked, it was a brisket that I got from a local butcher and it turned out so good, I was asked for an encore.  I hadn't even heard of burnt ends, but my son-in-law cut up some of the well done trimmings and dumped them into the baked beans and WOW, what a treat.  I had experimented with my own rub recipe that even included coffee, a bit of cinnamon and several different peppers, salt, cumin, and other spices.  It was a bit spicy for some around the edges, but I had so many drippings to make ajus that everyone was happy.  I don't think I can ever get it any better than that, but I am tempted to see if I can make a good brisket using only salt and pepper.  I just wonder if he throws in any MSG to heighten the taste. 

But, my first cook on my new smoker is going to be a 8.5lb pork butt.  Maybe I will try his idea on that and just use salt and pepper.  Hate to make mediocre pulled pork though.  I made pulled pork for my Dad's last birthday before he passed and him and my brother-in-law ate several plates of it before my sister and her kids got home.  I made it a bit spicy also and that 91 year old acarfed it down.  My brother-in-law was always complaining about having a sensitive stomach but he sure didn't look like he was suffering from two heaping plates full.  I never heard him complain.

I guess everyone has to find the perfect cook for their particular environmental setting.  I've tried brisket at some of the chain BBQ restuarants and have not been impressed or satisfied that I got quality for my money.   The only mimicking I am doing right now is try to get the taste of the fall off the bone baby backs that I can get at one popular place nearby.  If you don't get there by 3pm, you will wait in line to be seated.  They go through so many racks of ribs per day, I wonder who is their meat provider.  All the other BBQ they offer is mediocre to OK, but their ribs are the best I have eaten.  I think I almost matched their taste the last time I smoked some spare ribs.  I tried three different ways on three racks and I couldn't find anyone that preferred a particular rack that I provided.  ALL the ribs were stripped to the bone and gone before I could put any away for a late night snack.  I have to admit, they DID taste real good and I hope to replicate that cook.

But, I digress.  I think that I will prepare this butt the way Franklin does and hope it comes out as good as anticipated. I've never had a BAD cook, but I also don't want to mess with my decent reputation for good smoked meat.  Now, if it will just stop raining for a couple of days so that I can do my first cook on my newly modified smoker. 

 

[brazosbrian]

Babybacks (sorry for the divergence - hijacking):  I think pork spare ribs have more flavor (but take a little longer to cook).  For babybacks, I find that a mild soy sauce/beer marinade makes a big difference and adds flavor to the (otherwise slightly bland) meat in babybacks.  I just mix a marinade of 20% soy sauce, 80% light lager or pale ale (your choice) and soak the ribs for 2-3 hours prior to cooking ...then rinse and prepare as always.  Studies show that the marinade doesn't penetrate much in this time (1/8" if I recall), but it migrates more deeply (1/4" total) as the meat heats up ...If you pull the membrane so the marinade is on both sides, and note that baby back meat is only 1/2" thick or a little thicker (raw) and that the marinade is soaking in from both sides, then you see that this technique works ...big improvement if you ask me.  Makes the meat have a 'something special, something tasty' in it that combines well with the spicy bark and smoke on the outside.  You can't tell that it was soy sauce in the marinade ...the ribs just tastes better when done.  I've got a special 2-day chicken (or 3-4 day turkey) brine that people rave about too... but I'll keep it under my hat for now :)

Brian

 

[mneeley490]

 
But, my first cook on my new smoker is going to be a 8.5lb pork butt.  Maybe I will try his idea on that and just use salt and pepper.  Hate to make mediocre pulled pork though.  I made pulled pork for my Dad's last birthday before he passed and him and my brother-in-law ate several plates of it before my sister and her kids got home.  I made it a bit spicy also and that 91 year old acarfed it down.  My brother-in-law was always complaining about having a sensitive stomach but he sure didn't look like he was suffering from two heaping plates full.  I never heard him complain.

Yeah, my in-laws never seem to complain about my (free to them) 'Q, either. Probably because their mouths are stuffed full. 

 

[mdlnb]

That sounds interesting.  I think I will try that soy-beer combo.  I did copy some of the competition stuff I saw on TV when I did my spare ribs and managed to get a really nice bark and flavor on them. I am getting a lot of requests for a repeat of my beef ribs.  All I used on them was a copy of Long Horn's steak spice, but when I  wrapped them, I put some cranapple juice, sugar in the raw and a squirt of Worstishire sauce.  OH and a generous bit of squeeze butter.  I like using Dr.Pepper on my pork ribs when I wrap them, but I also use honey, brown surgar and butter. I'm still experimenting to get that tender and slightly sweet taste. Oh, I do use a bit of diluted BBQ sauce in the wrap on both too.  But, not enough to make them messy. Just to infuse a bit of taste and bite. I know it sounds haphazard, but I'm still working on that "perfect" taste.  I like a bit of candy on my pork ribs, but just a little.  I like a pork taste, not ham taste.

 

[jcbigler]

 
He has a series of videos available free on YouTube if you type in Franklin BBQ. Many utilize a home size offset smoker like this group would use. A lot of great information and visual instruction.

All episodes available for streaming free on the PBS website:

http://www.pbs.org/food/features/bbq-with-franklin-episodes/

 

[phatbac]

 
All episodes available for streaming free on the PBS website:

http://www.pbs.org/food/features/bbq-with-franklin-episodes/

I have to recommend these as not only very informative about the history of BBQ and technique but also very entertaining ( of course i'm a meat fanatic!)

to each their own

phatbac

 

[jcbigler]

 
I have to recommend these as not only very informative about the history of BBQ and technique but also very entertaining ( of course i'm a meat fanatic!)

to each their own

phatbac

They are all very good. One of the best cooking shows on TV. 

Hopefully he will publish them as a DVD set and we won't have to stream them off the internet.