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Franklin Steak: Dry-Aged. Live-Fired. Pure Beef. [A Cookbook]
The be-all, end-all guide to cooking the perfect steak—from buying top-notch beef, seasoning to perfection, and finding or building the ideal cooking vessel—from the James Beard Award–winning team behind the New York Times bestseller Franklin Barbecue. “This book will have you salivating by the end of the introduction.”—Nick Offerman Aaron Franklin may be the reigning king of brisket, but in his off-time, what he really loves to cook and eat at home is steak. And it’s no surprise that his steak is perfect, every time—he is a fire whisperer, after all, and as good at grilling beef as he is at smoking it. In Franklin Steak, Aaron and coauthor Jordan Mackay go deeper into the art and science of cooking steak than anyone has gone before. Want the real story behind grass-fed cattle? Or to talk confidently with your butcher about cuts and marbling? Interested in setting up your own dry-aging fridge at home? Want to know which grill Aaron swears by? Looking for some tricks on building an amazing all-wood fire? Curious about which steak cuts work well in a pan indoors? Franklin Steak has you covered. For any meat lover, backyard grill master, or fan of Franklin's fun yet authoritative approach, this book is a must-have.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 9, 2019
146 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 16, 2022
This book will teach you everything you need to know about steak. It’s wide ranging, from the types of cow, how they are raised, the cuts of beef and how to select, age, and cook them. The tone is light and airy, sometimes irreverent, while being deep and informative.
Highly recommended for any one who loves to cook and eat steak.
Highly recommended for any one who loves to cook and eat steak.
August 12, 2019
Essential for anyone who likes to grill steak because you learn a lot about tips and techniques. I wish the book had more recipes but it is not a recipe book and more of a guide.
September 2, 2022
a great Text Book on Steak!
October 6, 2021
Can't possibly rate this less than 5 stars.
I mainlined it in a couple of days. I was hoping for a relatively technical book to help me get a grip on cooking on charcoal. I got that, for sure. But, the descriptions of steak preparation and flavor from around the world totally blindsided me! This thing has some of the most evocative food writing I've ever encountered. From the first few pages making the case for pastured beef, I was hooked. I felt as if I shouldn't even look at my grill, let alone try another steak, until I had eaten this whole book. Highly recommended!
I mainlined it in a couple of days. I was hoping for a relatively technical book to help me get a grip on cooking on charcoal. I got that, for sure. But, the descriptions of steak preparation and flavor from around the world totally blindsided me! This thing has some of the most evocative food writing I've ever encountered. From the first few pages making the case for pastured beef, I was hooked. I felt as if I shouldn't even look at my grill, let alone try another steak, until I had eaten this whole book. Highly recommended!
October 19, 2021
This is not a cookbook. Goodreads needs to re-label it correctly. Only recipes are for side dishes that go with steaks in the last 7 or 8 pages of the book. This is a great book about the history, breeds, ,feeds, cuts of steak and the different types of grills fuels and techniques involved in cooking steaks. It’s a non-fiction book about steaks, not a cookbook. I read a lot about a lot of different subjects and this was one of the most interesting books I’ve read this year. Read it!
July 28, 2019
Despite practically being born and largely raised in Texas, cooking steaks was never something I took seriously. My technique was essentially getting whatever off the supermarket racks, coat in some olive oil, a little salt and grill for a few minutes. Sometimes it was ok, sometimes not.
The depth this book goes into explaining the cuts, marbling, and certifications as well as the history is very interesting. Some of it I couldn't care for, such as the history of cattle. But I get why it was added and it was a decent TIL.
As soon as I finished the book I decided to make this at least a biweekly focus, if not weekly. So far I've reverse seared New York Strips on two nights. The first night was okay; not great. Two areas I messed up:
1. In the book he suggests 1.5% of the weight to add salt. So a 1000 gram steak gets 15 grams of salt. My family and I thought this was quite salty. Now, mind you I salted 48 hours pre-cook. The book suggests anywhere between 4 and 48 hours. Perhaps this made a difference. The second cook I cut the salt in half and, while you could still taste the salt, it wasn't as bad. My next attempt will cut in half again and go from there. BTW, the salt is not for taste but to draw out moisture. So my aim is not to taste it at all.
2. More my fault, the first cook I did was in the oven at 250 for 1 1/4" thick cuts. This took maybe 30-45 minutes. I took them out around 128 and let sit for several hours. I seared to get the Maillard effect but probably too long so they came out medium-well. The second attempt was identical with the exception of taking out at 120 and let them rest for a couple of hours. I seared just enough to get the coloring and the finish was probably medium with a broad gradient. If you're going this route I would recommend for cuts 1 to 1 1/2" thick then remove from oven or grill at 120 or even 115 then sear. I would also note it is mentioned or suggested in the book that the longer you salt your steaks, the broader the gradient. So, I may have had a more medium-rare steak if instead of salting for 48 hours I just did 12 or so.
All in all, there is a ton of information in this book and I'm super excited to perfect this. If, like me, you're experience with steaks is limited, start with using the oven to get better control over the parameters and knowing what to expect. When you get that down, then start experimenting with the grill and different types of charcoal or wood.
The depth this book goes into explaining the cuts, marbling, and certifications as well as the history is very interesting. Some of it I couldn't care for, such as the history of cattle. But I get why it was added and it was a decent TIL.
As soon as I finished the book I decided to make this at least a biweekly focus, if not weekly. So far I've reverse seared New York Strips on two nights. The first night was okay; not great. Two areas I messed up:
1. In the book he suggests 1.5% of the weight to add salt. So a 1000 gram steak gets 15 grams of salt. My family and I thought this was quite salty. Now, mind you I salted 48 hours pre-cook. The book suggests anywhere between 4 and 48 hours. Perhaps this made a difference. The second cook I cut the salt in half and, while you could still taste the salt, it wasn't as bad. My next attempt will cut in half again and go from there. BTW, the salt is not for taste but to draw out moisture. So my aim is not to taste it at all.
2. More my fault, the first cook I did was in the oven at 250 for 1 1/4" thick cuts. This took maybe 30-45 minutes. I took them out around 128 and let sit for several hours. I seared to get the Maillard effect but probably too long so they came out medium-well. The second attempt was identical with the exception of taking out at 120 and let them rest for a couple of hours. I seared just enough to get the coloring and the finish was probably medium with a broad gradient. If you're going this route I would recommend for cuts 1 to 1 1/2" thick then remove from oven or grill at 120 or even 115 then sear. I would also note it is mentioned or suggested in the book that the longer you salt your steaks, the broader the gradient. So, I may have had a more medium-rare steak if instead of salting for 48 hours I just did 12 or so.
All in all, there is a ton of information in this book and I'm super excited to perfect this. If, like me, you're experience with steaks is limited, start with using the oven to get better control over the parameters and knowing what to expect. When you get that down, then start experimenting with the grill and different types of charcoal or wood.
April 23, 2020
PETA would not approve.
I am just getting into cooking, and this was the perfect book for me. Many how-to books don't explain the science behind their decisions, or they avoid technical language because they want to avoid overwhelming their reader. Franklin and Mackay don't avoid this language, but they also give a "dumb" definition to help the reader get a foothold and then explain why they do things a certain way. I appreciated this because it allows you to learn what to think about, but also helps you understand the science behind cooking a great steak.
There are 9 chapters, only one that offers recipes. So don't expect you're getting a cookbook with this. Instead, you'll get a brief history of beef and why different breeds offer different flavor. Then there are chapters on what to think about when buying a steak, including diet and cut. Then they offer a section thinking about techniques that impact the overall flavor of the meat, including surface to cook on. From there it's setting up your grill and preparatory things like salting your meat.
I really enjoyed this book and learned a ton. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in home cooking a great steak!
I am just getting into cooking, and this was the perfect book for me. Many how-to books don't explain the science behind their decisions, or they avoid technical language because they want to avoid overwhelming their reader. Franklin and Mackay don't avoid this language, but they also give a "dumb" definition to help the reader get a foothold and then explain why they do things a certain way. I appreciated this because it allows you to learn what to think about, but also helps you understand the science behind cooking a great steak.
There are 9 chapters, only one that offers recipes. So don't expect you're getting a cookbook with this. Instead, you'll get a brief history of beef and why different breeds offer different flavor. Then there are chapters on what to think about when buying a steak, including diet and cut. Then they offer a section thinking about techniques that impact the overall flavor of the meat, including surface to cook on. From there it's setting up your grill and preparatory things like salting your meat.
I really enjoyed this book and learned a ton. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in home cooking a great steak!
May 10, 2019
Aaron Franklin knows his stuff. If you already know it all this may not be for you. However, if you want to know the nuts and bolts of all kinds of different beef, cooking methods for said beef and the science behind it you should read it. I've read his BBQ book as well.
This aint no center line bovine book.
Try not to get drool all over the pages. Especially if you have to take it back to the library...
This aint no center line bovine book.
Try not to get drool all over the pages. Especially if you have to take it back to the library...
July 7, 2019
Franklin BBQ is my favorite food books and gave me so much knowledge learning about BBQ so I was very excited for this one. It was good and I certainly learned a lot about steak at a point I was interested in learning a lot more about steak. I felt like the sections I found really useful and interesting were not as numerous as I’d hoped, but very good. Not as much as I would have hoped in terms of recipes definitely more of a food book than a cookbook.
April 14, 2020
A wonderful read that is not just about steak. If you love food, the art and science of cooking, and being a responsible consumer, this is a book for you. This is not just for meat lovers. Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay are two men that are passionate about food and sharing the wonderful parts of their journey to study steak. This is not a cookbook, you can just sit and read at your leisure and enjoy the knowledge they have to impart
April 8, 2022
I came into this book thinking that it was going to teach me how to properly cook steak, and it literally did everything but that. HOWEVER, I did learn a whole bunch about the process of choosing the cow and selecting which cut is the best. Then the whole debate over grain fed and grass fed that I did not know existed until now. But there were a couple of recipes in the back that looked cool so I might try them out.
November 3, 2023
Nice pairing with Franklin Barbecue, although not quite as good. Still the photos and build up of the classic red meat that is steak is fun to read. Great background on types and cuts of steak and tips & tricks for how to cook. I definitely want to purchase a pk grill now. And experiment with dry-aged steaks. Franklin is a meat lover hero and Jordan Mackay does well to place all the info into nice words. A quick, enjoyable read.
October 6, 2020
I wish they had done a volume 2 or 3 times the size of the one they did. Comprehensive look at steak, going back to the animal, through the butcher, and to the plate. Great cooking techniques, gracefully presented and useful. Aaron of course is a master of fire management, so there's plenty of that, too.
July 9, 2022
Comprehensive guide to steak. Full of nerdy details on everything from cattle breed history; to differences between types of woods, grills, cuts, cooking methods, and more. Instructions on cooking don’t begin until 3/4 of the way through.
If you don’t find yourself as a better cook afterward, you’ll at least be a better-informed one.
If you don’t find yourself as a better cook afterward, you’ll at least be a better-informed one.
January 13, 2020
I devoured this book, I already have a date set to pull out the grill, head over to the specialty meat store and get grilling. This book dives DEEP into meats, cuts, grills and technique. This is for the serious grilling geek.
April 13, 2019
My wife is glad I read this....prepare for steak perfection
June 11, 2019
Beautiful book but seems to be aimed at the novice grilled.
July 1, 2019
I'm changing up my steak game this summer, and this will be a big help.
January 20, 2020
Great read. Thought I knew steak but this guy taught me so much. Can't wait to slow cook and reverse sear a dry aged tomahawk ribeye!
August 13, 2021
Like anything Franklin does...it's beautiful.
August 5, 2022
Super interesting for the steak lover.
February 11, 2024
Mmmm steak
September 22, 2024
A Comprehensive Course in all things Steak, delivered at the hands of two master beef philosophers. Thousands of hours of experience codified into the steak primer, from feeding beef, to cattle types, to cuts, to preparing, firing, and consuming.
A nice evening devotional reading before bed to pre-load dreams of smoke fires and sizzling beef.
A nice evening devotional reading before bed to pre-load dreams of smoke fires and sizzling beef.
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June 5, 2020Aaron Franklin is passionate about barbecue. He brings the same passion to his book about steak. If you are expecting a recipe book, this is definitely not it. If you you are looking for a book about the “science” of steak, this is it.
December 2, 2024
My goal was to learn how to cook a good steak for my family despite not eating red meat myself, and this book left no question unanswered.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews