Jase Franklyn has always been known as the grill guy of the group. Coming from a barbecue family, Franklyn learned the ins and outs of the trade from his mother, who would grill up pork, chicken and fish during the holidays at home in Tobago. When Franklyn moved to the States to pursue a degree in computer science, the love for grilling didn’t leave him, and he became the de facto BBQ guy for parties and birthdays. He gained a following among friends who encouraged him to start a business.
So in 2017, Franklyn officially founded Jase’s BBQ, first selling barbecue out of his backyard in Brooklyn, and then from the Rockaways when he moved in 2019. His starting menu leaned into Caribbean classics: rice and peas, jerk and barbecue chicken and pig tails, served grilled and caramelized in BBQ sauce. But brisket? That wasn’t in the cards, citing that the dish was “so American.” However, when the pandemic hit, he decided it was high time to experiment, taking him on a year-long journey.
“Brisket…it could be simple, but it could be technical. If you don’t know anything, it’s going to be technical,” says Franklyn of the dish…