Project Smoke is one man’s attempt to explore the world of barbecue by eating it every day for a week. Find all of the entries here, and please pray for his soul.
A trip to Franklin Barbecue was the impetus for this entire week. A couple of years I had the chance to interview Aaron Franklin, the man behind the infamous line, and he gave me the not-so-secret secret: Go late. Franklin Barbecue is opens for lunch at 11 and by early afternoon all the food is gone. Going at 1 or 2 means throwing the dice, but sometimes you’ll come up a winner.
I’ve done this once before, and all they had left was a chopped beef sandwich and sausage. Still, it was a helluva meal. I figured I could give it a shot early in the week and then go back if I came up empty. Fortunately, I never had to test that out.
I got there around 1 and immediately went for some coffee. Yes, there’s a coffee trailer behind the restaurant, which just makes all the sense in the world given how much espresso has fueled Aaron’s overnight smoke escapades. I then got in line and was told it would still take about an hour to get to the front, BUT they still had brisket.
This is a big deal. Not only is Franklin brisket literally world renown, but it’s also usually the first thing to go. In fact, when the sign on the door says sold out, that’s referring to brisket, and there could be other deliciousness left.
Sure enough, it took an hour, but when I go to the counter not only was there brisket left, but sausage and pulled pork, too. Again, one slice each of lean and moist brisket, both of which just killed. Now, pulled pork is about the most bulletproof of meats to barbecue, but this was still exceptional. I put that white bread to work, making little sandwiches out of the pig and the cow.
Once more, I hit a wall with the sausage. I think it’s just not a meat I enjoy at BBQ joints. In general, I love sausage — Hell, I come from the land of Jimmy Dean! — but there’s something about the heaviness and shear meatiness that overwhelms my obviously tender palate. I’m running with the “It’s not you, it’s me!” excuse.
Look, eating at Franklin is always going to be contentious because of That Damn Line!®, but truly the food a great, if you want to swing by late to avoid the wait, then do it! You’re not going to have a bad meal, that’s for sure and for certain.