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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.
During his year-long R&D, Franklyn experimented with cooking techniques, from slow cooking it in the oven to using a charcoal/wood smoker. He soon began asking his friends for tips, including a certain master of the brisket game: Ruben Santana of Bark Barbecue. Much like Santana infuses his barbecue with Dominican flavors, Franklyn did the same, mixing in a hush-hush blend of Caribbean spices to his brisket. He soon began selling it at pop-ups around the city, including at Red Hook’s Strong Rope Brewery and Smorgasbord. But his brisket reached a certain viral status when creator Rob Martinez happened to try it while shooting another video.
"His interview wasn't supposed to be about brisket—that interview was actually supposed to be about the barbecue pigtails. But the brisket happened to be on the grill at the time," he says of the video, which he called the "best barbecue in NYC." And now, you too can find his brisket, and then some, at Time Out Market.
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As of this June, Franklyn’s Caribbean-style barbecue is smoking at Time Out Market Union Square. Naturally, his jerk brisket came along with him, cooked low and slow for 12 hours and slathered in passionfruit sauce. Mouthwatering finds continue, including pulled pork and his spare ribs, plus sides to build a full meal—think Franklyn’s sweet cornbread and mac and cheese. Come lunchtime, Franklyn is offering a killer deal: your choice of a brisket sandwich, a pulled pork sandwich or a two-rib plate, and a choice of side, for just $14.
Franklyn plans to roll out new items periodically at the Market, including his award-winning pig tails and a new creation: brisket spring rolls. Now all you have to do is catch what's smoking at the Market.