Got Aaron Franklin's new steak book today


 

Lynn Dollar

TVWBB Emerald Member
Simply called " Franklin Steak " . That's fits Franklin.

The inside cover gets your attention, a huge flow chart on " How to Cook Steak "

I've read the preface and the intro, and I'm now into first chapter on beef. If this is half as good as his barbecue book, it will be fun.

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I got it on Kindle after seeing this thread.... I'm only a chapter or two in, looking forward to the rest of it.
 
Well, its been busy around here, I've had a sick pug, and other irons in the fire .......... but I'm 60 pages into this book ...... and I hope it gets better. But so far ........its not been a book written for me.

Book doesn't read as if Aaron Franklin is speaking , to me , it sounds like the co-writer Jordan MacKay.

The part about grass fed beef was particularly confusing for me. Says grass fed beef is the best, but then says most grass fed beef is terrible, then tells me that only grass fed beef from farms who raise their cattle correctly, is good beef.

Yeah, and it would cost an arm and a leg.

And none of those farms are anywhere near me.

Then I just finished the segment on " craft butcheries " ......... and that's totally beyond this Okie. He says they exist in San Fran, LA, NYC , or Austin ......... but I promise, whatever a " craft artisinal butchery " might be, there's not one anywhere near OKC.

And I'm glad of that fact.

I hope the book gets better, so far, it appears its aimed at people on both coasts, in order to sell as many copies as possible. Its not gonna do anything for the rib eye I grill on my Kettle. I'm too simple for this book.
 
Artisanal butcher conjures up visions of racks of ribs that look like butterflies even though I know what they are really talking about.
When I was a kid, butchers were real, they stood on the other side of an enameled white case presiding over a case of beef, lamb, pork, then the poultry case as well as the in house made sausages and cold cuts. You could see what was going on, then your prizes were wrapped in paper and tied with twine! I miss the “Luyendyks” and “Hoekstras” and The “Meat Shack”
Where you could have a crown roast tied up and out to the car in fifteen minutes!
They were just fascinating.
 
Artisanal butcher conjures up visions of racks of ribs that look like butterflies even though I know what they are really talking about.
When I was a kid, butchers were real, they stood on the other side of an enameled white case presiding over a case of beef, lamb, pork, then the poultry case as well as the in house made sausages and cold cuts. You could see what was going on, then your prizes were wrapped in paper and tied with twine! I miss the “Luyendyks” and “Hoekstras” and The “Meat Shack”
Where you could have a crown roast tied up and out to the car in fifteen minutes!
They were just fascinating.

Well, yes, that's what I gather they were speaking to, but when the book gives me the " ten butcher shop steak commandments " , and IDK of a " craft butcher " anywhere near here.......... then its lost on me.

The closest thing I have anywhere near that, is a meat market, and the butchers behind the counter really don't want me to ask any questions.

There's a certain amount of practicality involved here.

But hey, maybe the book gets better ......... but its not drawing me in the way his barbecue book did. Man, that thing is now my barbecue bible, I got it out today to read how he seasons wood. My FIL cut down a pecan tree and I've got in pieces in my back yard now.
 
The real part of the “Artisinal” thing is more likely that they will deal with more “small farm” raised animals. Almost boutique butchers I doubt they will have a huge impact around here, the “hipster” factor is not that huge as on coasts as you mention Lynn.
 
Not to drift, but what is the exact title of his barbecue book that is your bible?

" Franklin Barbecue - A Meat Smoking Manifesto "

After about 13 years of smoking on a WSM and being content with what I was doing, his book opened up a whole new world for me. I've read some chapters several times and I keep diggin it out, but then, I'm an old fart and I don't remember a lot of what I read , these days :confused:
 
Lynn, that’s the advantage of paper, I don’t have to remember where I filed it just, “Now, where did I put the darned thing down!” Besides, I like the feel of paper.
 
I'll check it out. I always do the same, basic steps and might be in a rut. Maybe some changes and increased knowledge will inspire me.
 
I'll check it out. I always do the same, basic steps and might be in a rut. Maybe some changes and increased knowledge will inspire me.

Well said! I need some inspiration from time to time too! I feel like I’m in a bit of a rut. I’ve been collecting some Buy one/ Get one deals on ribs and am ready to load up and try the “coil” method next weekend, have gotten away from ribs and kind of feel the need.
 
I'll check it out. I always do the same, basic steps and might be in a rut. Maybe some changes and increased knowledge will inspire me.

Neither of these books, are recipe books. Both will have a few on the back pages, but they're not like most barbecue books where the book is built around recipes. In the barbecue book, its easy to tell AF has spent a lot of time beside the smoker, watching the fire, and thinking.
 
I'm searching for a craft butchery near OKC and I've found a couple, both lasted about a year and are now out of business. One of them was in Stillwater, home of Ok State Univ, our state ag school. Which made sense to me as a place where that might work.

The other was associated with an OKC restaurant and Google can't turn anything on them.

I like the idea of food from small farms. I've got 16 tomato plants in the back yard. Nothing like the flavor of a home grown tomato. I would have a couple hundred onion plants, but a severe freeze in early March wiped me out. If I had room , I'd grow a lot more, like sweet corn, okra, purple hulled peas, green beans , etc.

And my garden is totally organic, I haven't added anything to my soil for years, except some lime to keep the PH high. By growing a winter cover crop and tilling that back into the soil , and adding organic material like leaves, I can keep my nitrogen level high enough to not need a chemical based fertilizer.

But I don't think I'd pay the price for beef from a craft butchery.
 
I finished Franklin's book and it got better, somewhat. There were parts that were very interesting, other was basic stuff, like the entire page on how to use a chimney. I buy thick ribeye and strip steaks, then reverse sear. I might try some of his ideas on reverse searing.

But it was a good book.
 
I'm about halfway through. I wonder if this will cause more interest in grass fed beef. At one point they had a butcher in town that had it but they didn't stay in business long. It was very expensive.
 

 

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