Competition Barbecue in Kansas City | BBQ with Franklin | Full Episode
Aaron finds he's not in Texas anymore when he competes at a Kansas City Barbeque Society competition. Competition barbecue has Aaron trying stuff outside his normal wheelhouse to meet the taste of the judges. The KCBS is the largest competitive barbecue organization in the world. [Originally premiered in 2015]
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BBQ with Franklin
Pitmaster Aaron Franklin takes a boisterous road trip of BBQ culture -- the people, the places, and of course the food. Ten half-hour episodes celebrate the traditions and storied histories passed down through the generations, as well as those breathing new life into this distinctly American culture.
LOVE all the new Aaron Franklin content!! Thanks PBS!!!
So Agree, always love hearing the expertise and watching his personality!
This is actually an older vid pre-pandemic..just... released...again
Yeah, this was years ago...PBS has the rights to all or most of his vidieos now and are releasing them as new..
BBQ is a humbing experience. Aaron's chicken, pork, ribs, and brisket looked flawless, yet the judges deemed it middle of the pack. Hours upon hours of work come down to a few slices of meat placed carefully in a styrofoam container. Kudos to a true Texas BBQ legend for taking part in this competition.
Mad props to the father in law for all his hard work and support!
If anything, Aaron has convinced me that I do NOT want to get into competitions! Love these videos and learning so much from all the contributors!
They are tough lots of work getting flavor profile right also very hard
Trust me you do not want to get into competitive BBQ cooking. Depending on your location you can either win or come dead last even with the same exact plate given to the judges. Also not for nothing a lot of these "Judges" aren't really reputable since one of them got exposed a while ago at a local fair near me because they give him the exact same slice of brisket and he scored one as a 9 and the other as a 6.
Goes to show that BBQ isn't biased. Just because someone is considered the best doesn't mean they are. Aaron's humbleness is what brought me into the world of BBQ, there's no ONE way to make great bbq
BS, it’s totally biased. These contests play favorites and no way are they going to let the famous kid come in and win anything. Especially not in Kansas.
It's blind judging and now it's double randomized for KCBS events. Judges have no clue who they are judging and only go by what is in the box. Any other claims are just wild delusions.
@@TexasDragRacingVideo I thought contests were double blind?
@@TexasDragRacingVideo why "especially not in kansas"?
Kansas city is in Missouri lol
As a KC resident for a good portion of my life, I really appreciated seeing AAron partake in this competition. My buddies and I did these competitions back in the day when they were fun and you could hand out samples to the crowd. Now, they are all about sponsorship and greed. Really, unless you know a BBQ team, they are not worth attending. I have great respect for KCBS, it's just the competitions have gotten away from what true BBQ is about. The smaller community contests are much more fun and worth attending. The Lenexa BBQ Challenge is still old school, at least the last time I went, which was years ago. Still, good to see AAron and PBS highlight KC!
Live in Lenexa, the BBQ Challenge is still a huge staple and a great weekend to spend.
One of the biggest names in BBQ showing up to a competition in a super modest setup with one extra pair of helping hands. I didn't know I could like Aaron even more.
There has to be hours of footage of Aaron being recognized by every contestant.
I couldn't think of a better bbq advisor then Dad Steven. His belly just speaks experience. Goodonya Steve. From Australia.
Watching how much care and attention to detail Aaron put into the seasoning, cooking and presentation of each of his entries and to finish middle of the pack in each category, I wish we were able to see what was better.
This is awesome ! Franklin didn’t need to enter this but he did ! Props to him 🤘
I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri eating Gates BBQ as a kid and now as an Adult I live in North Texas eating a lot of Texas BBQ. Both very unique and different but Equally Delicious! Thank god for BBQ!!!
I'm from Memphis, lived in KC 2 years and now Texas. They all are good.
This is a thread on competitions. Texas has the beef, Carolina has the pork. I guess Kansas can have the chicken lol.
@@Bushlore1no, KC has the burnt ends, the sauce and the sides. Texas has the beef that’s for sure, and the south has the pulled pork. I think the ribs are separated, Tx for beef, KC/Carolina pork. The great part about KC is the variety, you get all types, sauces, etc. Unfortunately, as a beef fan, I have to go to Texas to get good beef (outside of burnt ends).
@Feldubb Texas BBQ didn't have sauce until recently. It's like a good steak doesn't need steak sauce.
If you're in the DFW area, Goldee's is worth the wait! Texas Monthly rated them as the #1 BBQ in Texas. I waited an hour and a half and it was worth it.
Making brisket and all bbq for the masses is *much* different than competition. They are kinda similar but honestly so different
Much respect to Aaron Franklin for not only doing this, but taking it seriously.
Love these episodes. Great work PBS and Aaron!
This is so old of stuff...Years old... Pbs bought his rights to his videos a while ago...PBS had nothing to do with it.
@@toddtaylor1712 what are you talking about... It's literally produced by KLRU-TV, Austin PBS... Is it new? No, but why does that matter?
OH! I've waited for Texas vs Kansas City for a while and Aaron would be the perfect person to bring this to life.
As a Texan they lost me at "sauce is king", when it is at best a curious occasional side to dip meat in.
Yep, nobody puts sauce on their BBQ in Texas. Good meat doesn't need sauce
I'm a Kansan living in Southern Oklahoma, not far from the Texas border. KS BBQ is its own thing, so is TX BBQ. Living where I do is nice because it puts me smack dab in the middle of both worlds... I love 'em both! What a lucky guy! Awesome effort, Aaron. :)
2nd best thing in this video was seeing Johnson City, Tennessee written on the ruler he uses at the 8:15 mark….my stomping grounds. Random, I know….but still, it was cool to see.
Aaron is the Bob Ross of BBQ
Aaron you are literally perfect for PBS, I've been putting your videos on for comfortable content and it's just excellent. I got my start on Jeremy's videos and got my first offset smoker earlier this year after falling in love with learning the art on my weber grill as best as I could, and it's really helped me step my game up. Since Jeremy got his start making content for Mad Scientist BBQ because of you, I owe you a personal thank you as well. We wouldn't be here today in California learning how to make the 6th great BBQ style today if it weren't for people like you teaching us West Coast folks how it's done right.
Cooked at that competition many times over the years. Always had fun, no matter what place we took. It's really fun when they have a race going on too. Glad you enjoyed it!
The competition must be insane if Aaron’s BBQ was middle of the road! I would have loved to have a bite! 👏🥳
I would venture that his meat actually was not that great, relatively speaking. Like he said, almost everything about the competition process goes against his philosophy and experience. But they are right, competition BBQ is designed to please judges. Franklins BBQ is designed to please everyone else. There are a lot of famous people in the culinary world, that come out of Franklins saying that was the best brisket they have ever had. Even some people famous for brisket.
None of those competition winners can run a successful restaurant. Like he said, he would never do that competition stuff to his BBQ. There's a reason for that.
I like Aaron's openness to different styles of BBQ, there's no one king, everyone does something special and I love eating it. KY Mutton, KC burnt ends, Texas brisket and sausage, Carolina Whole hog, SC/GA Mustard, it's all good in it's own way.
Exactly. Unless it's your last meal on this earth, you don't have to pick just one. Dive into all of it.
"Some really nice water" 😂😂😂
As a master chef and winner of several chef of the year titles i can tell you right now that most competitions are already decided before any cooking has started,its all sponsorship greed now and who is the new sensation on the block !....
I moved to Georgia back in 2003 and lived there a few years. One year for July 4th I served Texas style slow cooked brisket to people used to pulled pork. Several said "I didn't know BBQ could taste like that." Even if it isn't the local style, like Aaron I would go in and play my game and hope people like it.
Competition BBQ is not even near the same as traditional BBQ. In competition, it's all about the perfect bite, whereas in traditional BBQ it's all about consistency. So much stuff goes into one bite of competition meat that eating a full serving would make your stomach upset.
Yep, it’s all about the “one and done” bite. If you don’t impress on the first bite, you pretty much lost.
Aaron, I think you did great. Beautiful chicken! And the rest looked absolutely outstanding.
pbs has such great programs and shows. not a consistent watcher but ever since i was 16 there has been shows sprinkled throughout the years that are excellent in quality and content, as well as family friendly. Please donate to your local PBS!
Been really enjoying this series, with Aaron! Ton of information is used properly!!
Aaron is such a cool character, and great that he enjoys sharing his world with others. Craving some BBQ now.
Great adventure/challenge, Aaron! To be humble and successful is just a great recipe!
Aaron is a blessing
Aaron is a great gentleman and a master. Period.
This one was really cool, and informative. I think that Aaron is a true Texas style pit master, and perhaps his was a style that the Kansas City judges may not have a deep appreciation for. I thought his work looked excellent
Thank you Franklin for doing this....
I loved my bucket list trip to Austin to visit Franklin's and other BBQ joints.
15:13 How many pit masters pack an expresso machine? 😂
Only the losers. Most have full bars. Most contests have a Bloody Mary contest in the morning.
I know the feeling of working your tail off thinking for sure “I gotta at least get one stage call everything I turned in was on point” then to sit there and not hear your name. Makes for a long drive home lol but that’s competition bbq for ya. But when you do get called you’re on cloud 9 for the rest of the week haha. Way to go Franklin, you’re a bbq legend either way! Hats off to you for doing this contest!
I needed a better conclusion than that!! 😆
My favorite one yet
Thanks guys
That Shun blade Aaron is using is what I use as well. Really great knives.
@5:33 - Dont' sleep on that 'Firebug' moniker. Firebug sauce is a standout. One of the most unique sweet/hot sauces out there because it has very flavorful and very spicy peppers, and the sweet comes from raspberry puree. Just enough to be distinctive.
100% agree. It is more savory than sweet and perfect for chicken and ribs.
Would have been interesting to see what the winners food tasted like according to Aaron. Just for a comparison and what they think is the best.
I had no idea that the KC BBQ standards were so restrictive. Regardless, it's been amazing living in KC for the past decade and watching the consistency of Texas-style BBQ slowly gain traction in the area and increase the overall level of BBQ in KC. Franklin and the Texas BBQ scene are the source of that new movement toward consistency. Newer BBQ spots like Night Goat BBQ really combine the best of both worlds, the exploration and experimentation of KC BBQ with the quality and consistency of Texas BBQ.
Do you guys still drown your BBQ with sauce?
Franklins i know he didnt get top 10 but I tell you his bbq is probably one or so far the best bbq if ever tasted loved all his items i wish i had more of his turkey though.
Id just love to taste anyone of these cooks food. The level these guys/gals are at would be amazing to experience
I love that you brought a commercial size espressos maker.
Interesting competition you have there!
11:32 Klein cable cutter excellent usage. -Sparky out.
PBS is the freakin best
Franklins super power is being able to catch z’s in suboptimal conditions.
Was at your restaurant a week ago, just had ribs and brisket. Haven’t had any other bbq that matches the perfection you serve.
Wrapping that Brisket in foil made my eye twitch. LOL
Amen!
Very, very impressive. You had to have done that before. You are the best (period). For your first time, that was excellent. A cherry hint semi-sweet glaze that compliments the rub is just as important as super tender meat. We can learn from each other.
It's good to see him do a composition. Speaking from experience cooking composition for family and friends is much different. The only thing that I do is have family and friends not so much judge is if a change up a rub, sauce or brine.
What was the spray Aaron used on the chicken right before he cloaed the box ans rurned in?
Great video and cool to see him do something he isn’t familiar with.
Fantastic content 👌 👏 👍
In the video I heard a reference to tofu turn-in. I like tofu, but that brought into focus just how big BBQ has become! Being in Alaska and so far removed from ground zero makes it all the more difficult to wrap my head around the different facets involved in the BBQ world. And it keeps on moving forward with the fusion of cultures creating new flavor profiles. I am with Aaron on the competition aspect on pleasing six judges, and other comments about how wasteful competitions are. Competitions are gathering of like-minded people who have a good time being together. The social aspect would be the best part although each team works with their own secrets. Once the pressure is relieved and everybody lets their "hair down" the love of BBQ emerges, and the sharing of the experience brings people together. I would love to have all the space for the different apparatus for wonderful BBQ from around the world to enjoy! But time is limited. Barbeque crawls would be a great way to experience, but there again, Alaska is not convenient due to the distance. Twelve hours from Austin to Kansas City would be easy when considering that it is 70 hours of driving from Anchorage to Austin. And that is JUST the driving! So, I designed and helped build a 1000-gallon smoker to enjoy my favorite: Central Texas, German-Czech style barbecue. But after producing great brisket, I need to sleep, and that makes it difficult to have a business. I am working around the challenges, but I need to take the next step and live the life around the stumbling blocks that life throws in at the most inopportune times. One thing I learned during a visit to taste the original brisket burnt ends, Arthur Bryant's, is that the whole brisket is now cubed after smoking to make burnt ends. It is not the same, but the demand makes it that way. And yes, I was third in line at Franklin Barbecue in Austin and also stopped in Taylor, Tx at Louis Mueller Barbecue for the beef ribs. If not for the 100+ degree temperatures, I would have continued a planned four day barbecue crawl in central Texas. Gotta love those stumbling blocks!
I Googled KCBS Tofu, and weirdly, all the articles announcing the "new category" were published on April 1st of various years. ;)
How much is a whole brisket from Costco in Alaska? Ouch!
Just a reminder the world series of bbq is hosted in kc annually.
What knives is Aaron using miyabi and wusthof ikon?
Competition, restaurant, and backyard are not the same. Pretty crazy.
who won the competition? and who were the following competitors that ranked?
The problem with competition style bbq is NO ONE makes it that way. Why? Because you can't make a lot of it easily. I'd much prefer a competition that is what is the best tasting the way you'd get it from a restaurant. Edit: that being said, I LOVE KC BBQ and Franklin's style. Joe's KC bbq is the best in KC (hands down) and I regularly rewatch Aaron's videos. I'm trying to get to his restaurant as we are in San Antonio headed up through Austin in the next few days
I ,would love to to try "Franlin's".Do they deliver to Canada.
I must do compete within the next two years!
wow
If Aaron took competition BBQ seriously, he would win a lot! Also, I'm gonna become a bbq judge so I can have some Franklin Brisket without standing in line for hours!
Wow learned somethine new with the chicken skin and his dish were prepped really nice !
I wonder how many times he's opened and closed that offset door?
I must say. I’ve had good KC bbq and they can’t hold a candle to Franklin. Shows they don’t know what they’re missing. I applaud entering a competition with his credentials knowing he’s out of his zone. Great work Team Franklin.
Could see the steam coming out of him at the awards ceremony. He's gonna either never compete again or go nuts until he wins them all.
Aaron brings his casual $3000 espresso setup
I’ve gotta say, that brisket looked great I the box. I wouldn’t taste or eat that green stuff! Who’s idea ever is to put leafy greens with meat?! You may as well put a gift bow on top and cotton candy inside
You don't eat the parsley. It's strictly there for presentation. That being said, there is no rule that says you must put a garnish in the box. Most teams do. As a KCBS judge, we are instructed to judge the meat - not the garnish, not the Styrofoam box, not the sauce.
I’m sorry but I can’t believe you actually thought they munched on a bed of parsley 😂
Half way in this video I've noticed Franklin has excellent knife skills and an espresso machine. Two huge advantages compared to other BBQ competitors I have seen in other docs.
Stretch!!!
It's more appealing to eat regular bbq than "competition" bbq where it's just too much. I went to a smokehouse because the owner there was kcbs champion for many years and was extremely disappointed and now isnt even in operation anymore.
Restaurant BBQ, even if team by a competition team, is no where close to what competition bbq is. Quantity vs quality.
Making food or beverages for competitions is completely different from making your own unique style. You are trying to conform to sometimes arbitrary style guidelines, instead of trying to find your own way. I'm not saying that it's any easier, if anything making stuff for competitions is very hard, because if you miss a parameter, then it's out of spec for the style and you're out of the running. Of course Franklin would never do well in a competition like this, because he has spent years finding his own style, which is what people love them for.
What flavor moonshine is that?
Dude lost me at margarine. Butter is all I use, no margarine in my house!
His BBQ looked amazing, I think he didn't put enough sauce though.
This is several years old .
Seems like competition BBQ is more about tricking the taste buds of the fickle, elitist judges. Plus, it's also a regional thing and people will lean more with what they recognize and grew up with, versus anything new or different. People also have different taste buds, and someone may not taste or appreciate certain styles. These types of competitions seem like a waste of time trying to declare a winner when people are flawed and biased. I enjoy watching people make BBQ, rather than watching people judge it.
Yeah i have a feeling that the meat was cooked well but not seasoned and sauc ed according to the region
FYI 3/4 of Kansas City is in Missouri...
Think I’ve seen this before…. Maybe 9 years ago
All these videos they have been posting are from 2015 .. I don't think alot of people in these comments realize that
I don’t recognize the Area I competed at the American Royal in the Bottoms!
Every BBQ competition I have seen has its' own idiosyncrasies and judging criteria. I had a friend enter one in Alabama and he asked me to come go with him as he needed a couple extra hands. Got down there and got set up and the officials came by and looked over his rig, implements, meat, meat storage and such and once they checked a few thing they declared he could then begin cooking at whatever the time was to start cooking. He told us we'd know it was time to get started when the cannon went off, yes, a connon. However, you begin a fire in your cookers an hour and a half before the cannon sounded. Anyway, we got everything going and then it was time to wait and check and wait some more. I asked him how he felt he'd do, I'd eaten his BBQ before and it was great he said he just wanted to see if he could do better than last year. He said they had him dead last in Brisket, his ribs were rejected as being underdone, and his whole hog did get an honorable mention. Ok, long story short, his brisket, turned out to be way better apparently as he got in the top ten, no money. His ribs were accepted and he placed again in the top ten, no money. His whole hog got an honorable mention again. He used a south Carolina style BBQ sauce and they favored the white sauce there in Bama, he said he just couldn't bring himself to make a white sauce when he learned what it was in it. It's a mayonnaise based sauce. And I thought the mustard based sauce was strange, but I can see why a traditional SC style vinegar and pepper based sauce didn't sit well with them. Just like if you go to a KC competition they looking for sweet as candy sauces smoked onto the meat. I will say, I saw BBQ cookers and equipment the like of which you never saw in a Home Depot.
If you need sauce....you ****ed up your bbq.
I know the rewards can be huge but the costs are massive , equipment and meat etc . Still good luck to anyone who does competition bbq , I'll stay backyard .
BBQ competition as compared to cooking to eat or sell to the public is kind of like tournament bass fishing. A day on the water fishing alone or with a friend makes for a great day. Maybe catch quite a few fish and maybe keep a couple for tonight’s dinner. You might have caught quite a few fish and maybe a few very nice ones. You got some great pictures and had a great time with memories that might last a lifetime. Compare that to tournament fishing (which I did about 40 years ago in smaller tournaments) where you are pounding the water and it’s like pitching an entire baseball game that went into extra innings. It is all about winning by putting a single fish or maybe 5 at the weigh in. It isn’t about a good time or leisure and memories but about putting that winning fish only at the table. Competition might be fun in its own right but it isn’t fishing to have a good time but simply to win. People that love to fish might want nothing to do with tournament fishing to win only. Likewise people that are cooking competitions aren’t doing it to have a good time with family and friends and eat some outstanding food. It is for a single bite, not about an enjoyable experience. Fishing or cooking for enjoyment of the product are quite different than from competition. Both might be an enjoyable pursuit but for entirely different reasons and for different outcomes. I have never cooked in competition so maybe I am wrong but it’s from an outsider looking in. It’s not right, it’s not wrong…. it’s just different.
Wait so this is a video from 2014?
Honestly contest food has never amazed me. In addition I used to work with a buddy who judged competitions. I made pulled pork for the team one day. He looked at me and said it was to tender for competition. My brain froze and I realized I would never understand what the point of the competition is.
I think if you bring that injector to a knife fight i think you will be ok it was pretty big lol
Put some tobasco in there, give 'em something to think about.
Good vid! Whatcha all said early in the video is spot on. KCBS competition cooking becomes dogmatic. Don't get me wrong, real good time and lots of great people but you become strangely obsessed with trying to second guess your cooking and flavor profiles to serve to invisible people. Did it for quite awhile. Strange pass time really.
Why would put margarine? Butter makes it better.
That's just what the dairy lobby wants you to think.
@@toymachine2328 and the oil industry prefer you use margarine. Neither changes the fact that butter is better.
Olympic Provisions t shirt for the win. PNW
Hopefully all the food got sold or given to people. The whole competition food thing seems pretentious. But I appreciate the passion and hard work people put into it.
Very much appreciate Aaron. That said, HATE the artificialness, the arrogance, the irrelevance of competition judging.