Mesquite chunks

[Big Ir]

Hello everyone,

I have noticed, that not many of you use mesquite chunks in your cooks, at least from reading Chris' let's cook section as well as various posts. I plan on doing a brisket flat on saturday and I would like to use mesquite and oak for the cook, but I don't want the mesquite to be too overbearing. I have never used mesquite, and from what I have read, it is one of the strongest smoke woods. Please post your insights as I can use hickory instead if I get alot of negatives. thank you, Big Ir.

 

[Bryan S]

Yes it is very strong and you don't want to over do it.I used some last weekend and did not like the results. I used 2 fist sized pieces and 2 pieces of peach for a pork butt,it was terrible. I have tried every wood so far except coffee and sasafrass, and the best ones i found are your fruit woods and pecan. In my opinion you can't beat Pecan, Apple, or Cherry. Listed in that order. Just my opinion. I have a 20 lb bag of mesquite here that i don't want and will never use.

 

[Pat Barnes]

Irv,
You might be able to get by with mesquite for a brisket but it is too strong for pork/chicken.
Mesquite has a lot of oil so it gets real hot when used for cooking. It got popular around Texas
during the '90s in the trendy restuarants. It was used to fire indoor grills and pizza ovens. I used it for a while to add to Kingsford for smoke but gave it up because of the bitterness it sometimes imparts to the smoked product. I messed up a bunch of cheese last year which led me to toss my remaining stash. I use oak and/or apple for most stuff these days and am happy with the flavor. Just my experience thiough. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif