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BBQ Related Topics => BBQ Recipes => Beef Recipes => Topic started by: azchoctaw1 on June 13, 2009, 12:30:11 pm
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Hey Folks,
I have alot of Pecan but thought about Apple for a change.
I just picked up Brisket's from French's Meat Market in Scottsdale.
It is a TRUE meat market.
Not smokin till tomorrow.
Any suggestions on smoke is appreciated,
Azchoctaw1
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personally, I'd go with the pecan, holding the apple back for pork or chicken. I'm off mesquite, finding it too harsh and easy to overuse. I'm still itchin' to try mulberry or orange/lemon/grapefruit/grape. Again, I'd likely save the citrus for chicken or pork.
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All three will work on brisket but you need to be aware that each has a different strength.
Mesquite is the most powerful of these three woods and it is very easy to over smoke meat when using it. Although some people, like Roger Wagner of Thee Pitts Again in Glendale, use it on all meats, I find that mesquite is best on beef.
Pecan is middle of the road in terms of strength, works well on all meats but can overpower the more delicate flavors of pork and poultry if you use too much. Pecan is domesticated hickory so it has some of the same flavor characteristics as hickory but is not nearly as harsh.
Apple is the lightest of the three woods you mentioned, also works very well on all meats but can sometimes leave beef with a lighter smoke flavor than you might want. Apple works best, in my opinion on pork and poultry but many people use it on everything.
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Well said Vince..........
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I now consider myself educated. Nice, brief primer on smoking woods.
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Well it's not a matter of which one, it's a matter of which combination. I would not include mesquite in any bbq I do. Now grilling is different story...I prefer it.
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My first try at smoking I used Kingsford mesquite charcoal and mesquite wood chips to do three ribs, big pork loin roast and a tri-tip. It was almost un-edible....way to much smoke. Then I found this site and got some smarts (some)...
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I would say Vince said it all in a nutshell!
Pecan will give you everything Apple gives only stronger and it will also last much longer, even two or three times longer. Don't forget Oak, it is also a premier smoking wood!
My rule of thumb for rating smoking woods is the Nut woods on top, then the Fruit woods followed by the Bean woods....Nut woods include: Hickory, Pecan, Oak, Pistachio etc.... Fruit woods: Apple, Cherry, Plum, Citrus etc.... and Bean woods (Legume): Mesquite, Iron wood, Ebony etc.... the last group is best used as the coal base, although a few have mastered the use of Mesquite in their smokers. Thomas
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I agree with Vince. Pecan is a good middle of the road wood to use on most meats. I prefer to use pecan wood when I smoke some meat.
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Mesquite, like anything BBQ takes practice. I use it for a change at home every now and then and my briskets come out just fine. It was the rage in Texas for quite awhile and you can still find strictly mesquite joints. If your not used to eating it or don't know how to cook with it, it can not only add a bitter taste, it will burn up your meat.
I will say all the legendary Que joints in Texas use either Oak, Hickory or Pecan for their briskets. So take from that what you will.
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go pecan.. if you are grilling a nice steak..mesquite.......... apple is really good with salmon
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Personally, I find that the brisket stands up nicely to the hot flavor of the mesquite. That is what I use. It defiantly adds a BITE that the other woods just don't seem to have. Oak is another great wood to use on mesquite. A combination of the two compliments each other very well, with a more Oak than Mesquite in the beginning until you get a good feel for mesquite. What type of cooker are you using anyhow??
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Understanding what each type of wood is "best" on is only part of the process. What is really fun about smoking is that you can mix and match all kinds of woods to come up with a flavor that you find really pleasing. The only taste that matters in the backyard is yours so experiment and have fun!
Although my supply has dwindled, at one time I had all these different woods in my backyard. And I used them all!
Red Oak
White Oak
Hickory
Mesquite
Apple
Pecan
Cherry
Pistachio - Still one of my personal favorites
Grape
Olive
Alder
Maple
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What, no mulberry? I still want to get hold of some of that...
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Being an import from the Pacific Northwest, I Love Alder. mixed with Oak it is great on pork, it is #1 for Salmon with Apple being #2.
VQ220-
Nice stash, do you have lug locks on it? (Sorry Mike, I couldn't resist)
Tell us about the Pistachio!
Jeff
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Well it's not a matter of which one, it's a matter of which combination. I would not include mesquite in any bbq I do. Now grilling is different story...I prefer it.
I am on the same page. Won't let mesquite near my smoker, but burgers and steaks....only way to fly.
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At the classes at BBQ Island, Chris Marks cooked everything with a cherry wood. There were a lot of happy people eating it there.
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Thank yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!,
Wow what some great answers to make you want to BBQ everyday.
Which is what I am doing since My lady is seeing the GrandBaby in Louisianna.
Heat on the outside not the inside.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
azchoctaw1
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Thank yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!,
Wow what some great answers to make you want to BBQ everyday.
Which is what I am doing since My lady is seeing the GrandBaby in Louisianna.
Heat on the outside not the inside.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
azchoctaw1
Barbecuing by yourself, and you didn't call anyone?
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All the woods sound great, unfortunately I am highly allergic to walnut and pecan. So I make do with mesquite, oak, hickory and apple. I have found apple to be one of my favorites as of late. Had a very bad experience with mesquite on a pork roast one time. Way too much smoke for the taste. Now, I am eager to try grape that sounds great. Someone once told me plum and peach were pretty good too.
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All there is is mesquite. Mesquite and knowledge. And for a few grand I might tell ya that the way to use it is.........
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Preach it BBqjoe. I haven't had any problems with mesquite since I learned witchcraft and sorcery. Small price to pay to master the BBQ...........
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Does anyone know anything about Pear wood????? I have a Pear tree that died & I was going to try some of that, but it would be nice to have a clue before-hand. ???
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Oooh baby! I've heard stories...supposed to be absolutely sublime...
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Great topic!!
The answer to your question is....All of them. Unfortunately, especially for those of us trying to learn the art of smoking and BBQ, there is no easy answer-YOU GOTTA PRACTICE! I've had one brilliant experience with mesquite brisket. Seven others sucked a$$ and I can't say what the difference was other than outdoor temperature (the winner happened back in April but the internal temp of the smoker was NO different!!!).
So, I've given up trying with mesquite, I want to love you but you make it soooooooooo hard :) I've got other weapons in my arsenal that aren't so Goddang high maintenance :P
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Keep Red Oak, Pecan, Apple and Cherry in your arsenal, experiment with different combos and you can't go wrong, in my opinion.
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Pear wood is swell; much like apple, as you would expect. Up in Prescott Valley, I have pear, two kinds of apple, two kinds of cherry, and a maple tree...plus grapevine and blackberry twigs. All the prunings smoke well. But when I cook brisket, I just use mesquite lump. Pecan is good, too. In Texas, they often use oak, as well as mesquite.
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Up hear in Flag, Oak is about all I can get my hands on so I have been using that. Not bad at all. It doesn't seem to be as dense as the Pecan I have been using, so I have to use more. Other than that, good stuff.
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Understanding what each type of wood is "best" on is only part of the process. What is really fun about smoking is that you can mix and match all kinds of woods to come up with a flavor that you find really pleasing. The only taste that matters in the backyard is yours so experiment and have fun!
Although my supply has dwindled, at one time I had all these different woods in my backyard. And I used them all!
Red Oak
White Oak
Hickory
Mesquite
Apple
Pecan
Cherry
Pistachio - Still one of my personal favorites
Grape
Olive
Alder
Maple
Pistachio is one that we use often and we have a good contact local
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Have you tried this one bellow from Cosmogrill brand? I was told it goes good on brisket