Smoke Signals

Here’s a Video That Explains the Real Science Behind Awesome Barbecue

Good brisket and pork shoulder, and turning tougher, “working” muscles into dream cuts in general, is as much a science as it is a culinary art, and now here’s It’s Okay to Be Smart sitting down with Aaron Franklin of Austin’s astronomically popular Franklin Barbecue to explain how the more technical aspects complement “natural instinct.” Everything from wood-burning rates to air flow and fluid dynamics has to be taken into account while smoking meat, and, well, the science of barbecue can be pretty heady stuff, so take it from Franklin: “At the end of the day, feel trumps nay black and white number or equation you possibly have. If something’s not tender, it’s just not tender. If something’s dry, it’s just too dry.”

Here’s a Video That Explains the Real Science Behind Awesome Barbecue