MasterClass

[pr0wlunwoof]

Has anyone had any experience with the Masterclass series. I have looked at Aaron Franklin's for a while and am interested in it and some of Gordon Ramsey's content. If anyone has any experience please let us know your thoughts. I have gone through all of Aaron's free youtube  videos and I found several of them super informative. 

[John Setzler]

I have Gordon Ramsey's first masterclass program.  Personally, I'm not a big fan.  It's entertaining to some degree but I don't think I learned anything that I couldn't have learned by following a recipe.  I spent my money here instead:

 

http://webcookingclasses.com

 

 

[pr0wlunwoof]

15 minutes ago, John Setzler said:

I have Gordon Ramsey's first masterclass program.  Personally, I'm not a big fan.  It's entertaining to some degree but I don't think I learned anything that I couldn't have learned by following a recipe.  I spent my money here instead:

 

http://webcookingclasses.com

 

 

That looks pretty good too. I wish either of them had like a 30 day trial. I guess a money back guarantee is pretty good too though. Hard to fight that little voice in my head that says just spend the money on meat. 

[John Setzler]

27 minutes ago, pr0wlunwoof said:

That looks pretty good too. I wish either of them had like a 30 day trial. I guess a money back guarantee is pretty good too though. Hard to fight that little voice in my head that says just spend the money on meat. 

 

It just depends on what you wanna learn.  In my opinion, the Gordon Ramsey and the Aaron Franklin stuff on masterclass just arent' worth the money, but that's MY opinion.  it's like buying a cookbook.  I don't buy cookbooks anymore UNLESS the book is going to teach me something about cooking rather than just showing me a bunch of recipes.  Aaron Franklin's first book is a great book if you want to learn about his cooking techniques.   Gordon Ramsey's stuff is just a video guide on how to make some of his recipes as far as I can see.  He talks a little bit bout technique but there just isn't a LOT about it.

 

[KJTerp]

Agree with John. I learned a lot of my technique from DVRing just all of the good eats episodes I could and just watching them. I find that the humor part helps break up the "learning" and can sometimes get distracting, but in a way it almost helps me remember things.

[KJTerp]

also, the serious eats channel on youtube is great, as is the binging with babish channel

[John Setzler]

The best thing you can do is COMMIT to learning a technique or process and PRACTICE it.  This is were we all tend to stall when learning to cook.  Saute is an ART and it takes a lot of practice.  Making sauces is yet another art that takes a lot of practice. Those two skills will change your cooking world if you learn them well.

 

[pr0wlunwoof]

Yeah Alton Brown is very respected in my house. We actually had a chance encounter at a icecream shop in his home town. I've watched every episode of good eats and revisit allot of them throughout the year.

I did just finish Aaron Franklin's meat manifesto which is why the masterclass seemed interesting to me. I have plenty to watch for entertainment from food network. 

I think your right John I should probably tackle this as a skill based endeavour and sauces would expand my talents a whole lot.

[UTVol]

My wife got me the Aaron Franklin's masterclass as a gift.  Its entertaining and I think its interesting as he walks through (so far, I haven't finished all the videos) how he does what he does and why.  If I had an offset it would be extremely helpful I think.  Its on my list to finish up before it expires since you only get it for a year.  I'll try and report back on this thread once I finish and let you know what I think.

[John Setzler]

58 minutes ago, UTVol said:

 If I had an offset it would be extremely helpful I think.  

 

I think you are wrong on that point.  Applying heat to the meat is only one aspect of the process.  You apply the heat with whatever tools you have at your disposal.  The smoker you have is not a game changer in this process.

 

[Smokingdadbbq]

2 hours ago, John Setzler said:

 

I think you are wrong on that point.  Applying heat to the meat is only one aspect of the process.  You apply the heat with whatever tools you have at your disposal.  The smoker you have is not a game changer in this process.

 

 

I agree and disagree a little... an offset burning properly combusted wood vs. a Kamado Joe choking on wet wood chips for example won't get you the same result as Franklin..... BUT thats where knowing how to properly use a Kamado gets things back to nearly identical to the average person.

 

I am confident with wood chunks on the bottom of good coal, good air flow, especially advantaged with the SloRoller in my own personal ability to cook a brisket just as good if not better than my own brisket on a stick burner.  Not saying its better than the worlds best, talking about my own personal talent.... and everyone we do a brisket for likes the Kamado so much I agree that its not worth having a dedicated separate unit for the indistinguishable difference that can't do any of the other things a Joe can do.

[keeperovdeflame]

23 hours ago, John Setzler said:

The best thing you can do is COMMIT to learning a technique or process and PRACTICE it.  This is were we all tend to stall when learning to cook.  Saute is an ART and it takes a lot of practice.  Making sauces is yet another art that takes a lot of practice. Those two skills will change your cooking world if you learn them well.

 

Agree with this totally. On a whim about six or so months ago, I started making Halibut piccata. I sautéed the fish and used a recipe for Piccata sauce a guy posted that he got from his Italian Grama. Probably make it once a week. The dish tasted amazing the first time I cooked it, but over time it has gotten even better, as I have become more proficient in both my sauté technique and my sauce making. Along the way I learned a number of things. One, for example, came from a chef friend of who has a Tapas  place in town. Instead of adding butter and flour to a sauce as independent ingredients as the recipe directs, He suggested I take a table spoon of butter in the palm of my  hand, add a table spoon of flour over the top of the butter  and mash the two  ingredients into a soft mass and add that to my sauce, rather than adding the ingredients individually without combining them first. I found out that flour added by itself tends to thicken the top of the sauce and won't give it a consistent texture and sheen.  Simple thing, that gives a dramatic and  much  better result. Working repeatedly on this one dish has given me skill that easily transfers to a number of other  dishes I make, and has improved my overall cooking  results immensely. Practice through repetition is key in my book. Also, I remember a saying I heard somewhere, "a good cook can make an amazing dish with an old cracked pan over a can of sterno" Kinda like the old dusty violin in the hands of a master. 

 

[John Setzler]

1 hour ago, Smokingdadbbq said:

 

I agree and disagree a little... an offset burning properly combusted wood vs. a Kamado Joe choking on wet wood chips for example won't get you the same result as Franklin..... BUT thats where knowing how to properly use a Kamado gets things back to nearly identical to the average person.

 

 

 

I understand the difference between how offsets cook and kamados for sure.  My point is that you can learn to cook a brisket from franklin's videos regardless of what kind of smoker you are using.  The problem with Kamados is not where you put the wood but how much of it you put in.  Its gonna smolder in a kamado at smoking temps no matter where you put it.  Pulling it through hot coals is gonna have minimal impact since said coals are smoldering too. 

 

PS - soaking your wood chips or chunks is also a waste of time   

 

[Smokingdadbbq]

28 minutes ago, John Setzler said:

 

I understand the difference between how offsets cook and kamados for sure.  My point is that you can learn to cook a brisket from franklin's videos regardless of what kind of smoker you are using.  The problem with Kamados is not where you put the wood but how much of it you put in.  Its gonna smolder in a kamado at smoking temps no matter where you put it.  Pulling it through hot coals is gonna have minimal impact since said coals are smoldering too. 

 

PS - soaking your wood chips or chunks is also a waste of time   

 

100% agree. Don’t used chips or soaked myself, just making a comparison 

[pr0wlunwoof]

I like Aaron's free videos allot. I stumbled across him when I was building my reverse flow offset. He had a video about how to make hinges which came in very handy. Down to cutting the door to the smoker after the hinges were welded on to make it easier to handle. His technique is definitely tried and true and he tells you what he likes and doesn't like about certain setups.