Lets see where to start. I wished the admins would make a drag and drop or highlighted section for replying with multiple quotes from other people. Ok, first Turn n Burn Thank you for correcting everyone about the brisket. BRISKET IS THE HOLY GRAIL OF BBQ! my 12 yr old second cousin can smoke a whole pig to near perfection with minimal practice but only the select few can master brisket. sorry Georgia, Carolinas, Tennessee. Texas BBQ is the best. Way to deep, if you were to try his brisket with "just salt, pepper and smoke" you would fall to your knees and shed a tear lol maybe. He uses brown butcher paper but mostly unbleached peach paper, no wax. Hambone, you said $8-$10 that's funny! I wished I could get out of that place for less than 15! Keep in mind, his brisket is $17.00lb ribs 15.00lb pulled pork 14.00lb turkey 14.00 lb and sausage 11.00 lb (also us Texans like to eat) Honestly just a combo sandwich here in Amarillo is $8.00! John is one of the pitmasters, he shows up late evening and starts the briskets/fires they currently have 5 pits (in the process of building another) Aaron is about to hire they go through on average 1500 lbs of BBQ per opening. 11am till sold out. The line as of recent count has exceeded 400 people which is why he has line attendants that count people get a rough estimate of how much meat they will order (Aaron tells them to round up because people always order more once they get to the counter) then they pass a marker to the estimated "last" person in line and tell people behind them that "Ya'll might be wasting your time, meat ends soon here (and points at the person)" I talked to my friend who said this past Saturday 7-27 he drove by and at 8am he stopped and counted almost 200 people waiting in line! yea he uses Creekstone out of Arkansas city, KS whose meat is not only black angus prime (not actually the best tasting IMO, but definitely tied for first ...but the meat is supposedly all natural no hormones no probiotics, etc, (you know how those organic liberal Austinites are everything organic and natural) The fat on these briskets (according to Franklin in Texas Monthly interview) apparently renders better than a typical brisket. The fat will actually render better yet will take almost twice as long to smoke. The result is that "velvet" texture on a brisket most people in the world have no clue what is about. Its like heaven in your mouth. Keeping the German/Czech Central texas style is what its all about salt, pepper. low and slow smoke, steady heat, carving the brisket in front of you asking which you prefer, lean, super lean, moist, super moist, cutters choice, brisket tip, sugar cookies, burnt ends, etc. Given the fact that he is located in downtown Austin, (expensive) he buys very expensive cuts of beef, throws away the trimmings, Yes, you heard right throws away all his beef fat, beef meat from trimmings, pork skirting, and rib trimmings. (his sausage is not made in house but is made to his specs by a local market) I would say his BBQ is adequately priced for what you get (just don't go out there and expect to spend 8-10$ you may only get a few sides piece of bread and a big red! I did read another interview in texas monthly about aaron franklin going to a slaughter house to learn more about how they cut the briskets off the cow and it made him more aware of how precious the meat is so now he is considering making sausage in house with his trimmings. He also has a few beers there in Austin ya'll should check out!
