Mesquite

[CAJUNLAWYER]

OK. I'll admit it-I LIKE mesquite for bar-b-que'ing! There I said it. Cooked some yard bird last night and just enjoyed smelling the smoke. I cook with other woods like pecan but I just flat out like the small of burning mesquite. And I'm not even from Texas
What woods do y'all like or prefer for cooking???

 

[lkabug]

Cornish hens with apple or cherry wood.
But it's hard to beat mesquite.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Salmon with Alder but I can't find it any more in the Reno area, for some odd reason, only apple, for a light smoke ?

Cherry for ribs or Hickory .

I have yet to buy a bag of the Texas "Mag Smoke" but I hear it is great for large sections of beef that take 12 -20 hours of cooking.

 

[cadmike]

Apple, pecan or cherry are my faves on most any kind of meat.

 

[gregintenn]

Apple for the birds, Hickory for the hogs.

 

[Bro. Dave]

For brisket (and most other critter derived objects) all mesquite gets a little too much creosote flavor for me. A small amount mixed in with the oak can add the essential flavor without overpowering.

Most of the master smoker gurus here in Texas seem to use the abundant post oak we have here in Central Texas.

To the ranchers, mesquite is a thorn ridden weed that greedily sucks the moisture out of the soil.

 

[pharmer]

Hickory, Cherry, Apple. Mesquite is good for a "deep smoke flavor" which chicken tends to require. Joe

 

[glenwolde]

Generally I go with pecan being from East Texas...but yeah....mesquite is always a good choice. Pecan is more popular in East Texas due to its historical availability. You don't see mesquite trees much in far east Texas. But they are just about everywhere else in Texas.

Pecan is the most forgiving wood for smoking. It's difficult to oversmoke with pecan. Hickory you can get too much of sometimes.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

I use hickory, oak, pecan sometimes fruit woods if I can score some. I
assume you are using charcoal as most folks do, the mesquite charcoal
is not charred completely so as to leave some resin and that is what
gives it a strong flavor.
I am a wood burner in my smoker and will occasionally use some home
produced charcoal if I am grilling, not smoking.
When living in Oklahoma I cut mesquite and once burned some that
was a little green, eating the meat from that would set the hair on
your tongue. Well seasoned mesquite wood is great for smoking/grilling
but one must watch it as it burns very hot.
Extra points if you know what setting the hair refers.

 

[zeke]

Have a preference for mesquite smoked, jerk rubbed baby backs on stick burner. Also like hickory.

 

[austintexas]

wood

You are correct, mesquite does burn hot. One year I got a cord of mesquite to burn in the fireplace instead of oak. Big mistake, my wife likes BIG fireplace fires. The fire brick inside survived but the red brick on the outside of the fireplace got all cracked from the heat.
SWCA 892

 

[SAFireman]

Our place has:

Post Oak
Pecan
Hickory
Mesquite
and Cedar

Lord help you if'n you cook with Cedar.....the rest are good to go.

Personally, I like open fire grilling with Mesquite, but low & slow with Pecan or Oak.

 

[MRB1]

OK. I'll admit it-I LIKE mesquite for bar-b-que'ing! There I said it. Cooked some yard bird last night and just enjoyed smelling the smoke. I cook with other woods like pecan but I just flat out like the small of burning mesquite. And I'm not even from Texas
What woods do y'all like or prefer for cooking???

I didn't know there was a bbq wood other than mesquite.

 

[crazyphil]

When I used to fly into Phoenix at about sundown, the smell of mesquite
was all around. I like it too.

 

[Kinman]

Got agree with Mesquite on birds, I can't get Oak pellets for my Traeger. I like the way Pecan works in place of Oak and wonder when Oak is going to come back, its been many months now. I like the fruity woods like Apple and Cherry for thick pork chops, for heavy hog I also prefer Hickory...Alder is preferred for any fish.

 

[walkin jack]

I have been smoking meat for about 55 years. I did a little experimenting along the way. I have used about every kind of wood suitable for cooking. I have played with different combinations. Pecan is a little tart for my taste but it blends well with other woods.

Black walnut (when you can find it) and red oak are my favorite all around woods for smoking any meat. It gives the meat a smooth slightly sweet flavor that doesn't interfere with the taste of the meat. I like Mesquite best for a brisket, hickory or a hickory blend works good on chicken and fish. A pecan blend with red oak is good on ribs. I don't find much flavor using fruit wood. It's not bad but it seems to lack any distinctive flavor.

I've had a lot of fun smoking meats. drank a lot of beer, listened to a lot of good country music and.....burnt the bottom out of 3 New Braunfels Smokers. I think wood smoking meat is an art form and the really great thing about it is that we all can do it to suit our own tastes and methods.
I'm about done with all that now but had my time, and it was a good time.

 

[robvious]

my number one, by far, is pecan.. followed by apple & cherry, then hickory & oak... last is mesquite...
mesquite smells amazing.. but I have not enjoyed the flavor...

 

[Harrison]

I have used mesquite to make some really attractive pistol/revolver grips and for knife handles.

 

[targetchief]

Extra points if you know what setting the hair refers.

That means the temperature was too high on the scalding pan and the hair will not easily scrap off the hog.

 

[charlie sherrill]

I've got Hickory, oak, pecan, and apple on my little farm. I use all, depending on what I'm cooking. I use more green hickory than anything, especially with smoked pork.