Tried Aaron Franklin's brisket method vs a local guy's shortcut recipe. Night and day difference.

So last weekend I did a side by side cook. One brisket I followed Franklin's method exactly from his book. Salt and pepper only, 225 on the WSM, wrap in butcher paper at 165, all that. The other I did what this old timer at the hardware store told me. He said just slather it in yellow mustard, use a random rub from the grocery store, and bump the temp to 300, wrap in foil the whole time. I figured both would be decent. Man was I wrong. The Franklin one had this perfect bark and the slices held together but still melted. The shortcut one was good for like pulled beef but the point was mushy and the flat was dry. My buddy said the shortcut one tasted like pot roast. I guess there's a reason those guys are on TV. Has anyone else tried a top pitmaster's method against a backyard hack and gotten totally different results?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliver_morgan23d ago

300 degrees and foil? Might as well boil it.

aaron88423d ago

That shortcut method is basically just braising the meat. Tried the same kind of thing once with a pork shoulder and it came out tasting like wet dog food compared to low and slow.

evaallen20d ago

That "pot roast" comment hit home because @oliver_morgan I used to think hotter temps were fine for convenience but you are absolutely right that shortcut is just braising and the Franklin method proved me WRONG.