primal defense
Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2013
- Messages
- 6,997
Also has an article on the aggies and Ricky Seal-Jones if you click on the link.
I probably shouldn’t write about brisket on the maiden voyage of a column called Punt, Pass & Pork. However, I was in Texas for much of last week, so the cow will horn its way into the discussion. Three years ago I visited Franklin Barbecue in Austin and declared it the best joint in America. I returned last week to see if that assessment should still stand.
When I visited in 2011, Franklin had moved into its current location from a trailer. The lines were long. I waited two hours for hunks of that tender, moist brisket seasoned with salt, pepper and magic and smoked over post oak. The pork spare ribs were juicy and pulled clean off the bone with the gentlest tug, and, though the meat didn’t need it, the espresso barbecue sauce was a treat.
The good news? Franklin still serves what might be America’s best brisket. The ribs remain strong. The espresso sauce is excellent. Franklin also now sells miniature pies from The Cake and Spoon, a bakery in Austin, and the banana bourbon can induce a bliss coma.
The bad news? Unlike most places, the lines didn’t die down after the initial surge of popularity. When I visited last week, I waited four and a half hours before eating. The brave souls in the front of the line arrived at 5:30 a.m., so they waited five and a half hours before eating. After finally getting inside and receiving my food, I performed a cost-benefit analysis as I chewed.
Yes, Franklin’s brisket is better than anyone else’s. But it’s not so much better that it is worth sacrificing four and a half hours of my life. (“That’s what interns are for,†a high muckety-muck at an Austin company told me the next day.) The brisket is nearly as good -- and the line much shorter -- at nearby la Barbecue. You could drive to Taylor, go to Louie Mueller and eat one of those beef ribs that looks like something Fred Flintstone would have delivered to his car and drive back to Austin
in less time. On a Saturday morning, you could drive to Snow’s in nearby Lexington -- because it is only open on Saturdays -- and have brisket almost as good for breakfast. Snow’s opens at 8 a.m., and despite several years of Franklin-like lines, it requires only a short wait for those who arrive early.
If you haven’t been to Franklin, you should absolutely go for the brisket and the experience. Bring some friends, some lawn chairs and a stocked, rolling cooler. If -- unlike me -- you’re a brunch person, it won’t feel much different. But if you’ve already been to Franklin, you’re probably better off exploring some of the famous nearby spots. If enough people do that, maybe the lines will die down at Franklin and those of us with less time on our hands will be able to get that brisket without sacrificing so much of our precious time on earth.
As for the No. 1 ranking, it’s up for grabs again. After visiting such stars as Pecan Lodge (Dallas), Heirloom Market (Atlanta), Rodney Scott BBQ (Hemingway, S.C.) and The Skylight Inn (Ayden, N.C.), I’ve realized more careful study will be required before we can name a national champ. Maybe we should form a committee and then hold a playoff to figure it all out.
http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/08/24/texas-am-tight-ends-punt-pass-pork
I probably shouldn’t write about brisket on the maiden voyage of a column called Punt, Pass & Pork. However, I was in Texas for much of last week, so the cow will horn its way into the discussion. Three years ago I visited Franklin Barbecue in Austin and declared it the best joint in America. I returned last week to see if that assessment should still stand.
When I visited in 2011, Franklin had moved into its current location from a trailer. The lines were long. I waited two hours for hunks of that tender, moist brisket seasoned with salt, pepper and magic and smoked over post oak. The pork spare ribs were juicy and pulled clean off the bone with the gentlest tug, and, though the meat didn’t need it, the espresso barbecue sauce was a treat.
The good news? Franklin still serves what might be America’s best brisket. The ribs remain strong. The espresso sauce is excellent. Franklin also now sells miniature pies from The Cake and Spoon, a bakery in Austin, and the banana bourbon can induce a bliss coma.
The bad news? Unlike most places, the lines didn’t die down after the initial surge of popularity. When I visited last week, I waited four and a half hours before eating. The brave souls in the front of the line arrived at 5:30 a.m., so they waited five and a half hours before eating. After finally getting inside and receiving my food, I performed a cost-benefit analysis as I chewed.
Yes, Franklin’s brisket is better than anyone else’s. But it’s not so much better that it is worth sacrificing four and a half hours of my life. (“That’s what interns are for,†a high muckety-muck at an Austin company told me the next day.) The brisket is nearly as good -- and the line much shorter -- at nearby la Barbecue. You could drive to Taylor, go to Louie Mueller and eat one of those beef ribs that looks like something Fred Flintstone would have delivered to his car and drive back to Austin
in less time. On a Saturday morning, you could drive to Snow’s in nearby Lexington -- because it is only open on Saturdays -- and have brisket almost as good for breakfast. Snow’s opens at 8 a.m., and despite several years of Franklin-like lines, it requires only a short wait for those who arrive early.
If you haven’t been to Franklin, you should absolutely go for the brisket and the experience. Bring some friends, some lawn chairs and a stocked, rolling cooler. If -- unlike me -- you’re a brunch person, it won’t feel much different. But if you’ve already been to Franklin, you’re probably better off exploring some of the famous nearby spots. If enough people do that, maybe the lines will die down at Franklin and those of us with less time on our hands will be able to get that brisket without sacrificing so much of our precious time on earth.
As for the No. 1 ranking, it’s up for grabs again. After visiting such stars as Pecan Lodge (Dallas), Heirloom Market (Atlanta), Rodney Scott BBQ (Hemingway, S.C.) and The Skylight Inn (Ayden, N.C.), I’ve realized more careful study will be required before we can name a national champ. Maybe we should form a committee and then hold a playoff to figure it all out.
http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/08/24/texas-am-tight-ends-punt-pass-pork
