Available on MasterClass: “Aaron Franklin Teaches Texas-Style BBQ”
Located in Austin, TX, the legendary Franklin Barbecue is, for many connoisseurs, the mecca of BBQ. Even after ten years of being open, people still wait in line for hours just to get a taste of that award-winning brisket.
A week ago, the restaurant’s owner and pitmaster-in-chief, Aaron Franklin, released a 16-part course on MasterClass where he’ll teach you to the ins and outs of Texas-style BBQ. Watch the trailer:
He doesn’t just cover techniques and theory in this course, but also his philosophy on why he does what he does:
My favorite part about BBQ might not actually be eating it. It’s the process on how we get there, you work with your heart, pour your heart and soul into this thing, and then at the end you share that with people.
Now, if you’ve already paid the $180 annual fee to become a MasterClass all-access subscriber — which is some of the best money you’ll ever spend; this platform is an incredible resource — you can start taking the course right now. And if you’re not a member, you can still take this single class for $90.
Even that amount might be a bit of a hard sell considering that Aaron’s already put up a bunch of free content on YouTube and has written the manifesto/cookbook on the subject. But fear not, this class is absolutely worth the money because he goes into waaaay more detail than anything else he’s done, almost to a fault:
[Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly:] I’ve read the book and have seen all of Franklin’s previous videos, so I was curious what his motivation was for adding this new dimension of instruction. “To be able to see it actually happen is pretty cool,” he said, and I can agree. A written description about what a brisket should look like three hours into a twelve-hour cook is only so helpful, but seeing it from multiple angles, and being able to watch how it reacts to poking and prodding is valuable. […] After watching all four hours, thirty-six minutes, and 14 seconds of the new videos, I can confirm that the class should give barbecue newcomers and seasoned amateurs alike a new level of confidence that they can mimic the master.
Check out the MasterClass page for info on what to expect from each of the 16 videos.