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My first smoke in the new year!!!


 
B

Brian Bo.

TVWBB Fan
I haven't smoked since Thanksgiving when I did about 100 wingettes on the WSM.

I just prepped my 4lb brisket with some rub, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and rum. It's going on Saturday morning!

I have some hickory logs and some oak logs as well. I have some mesquite, cherry, apple, and maple laying around, but I'm tempted to try the oak for the first time ever. I love me some hickory - it's probably my favorite wood...but please convince me to try the oak. Will I regret it? Do any of the woods I listed above taste anything like oak?

Can anyone hook me up with some great info?

Cheers.
 
Recently I did a chuck roll using almost exclusivly oak, 1 chunk hickory and 3 chunks of oak. It turned out very well, matter of fact I'm defrosting some of it right now and it smells great!
 
Hey Brandon, after some googling earlier today, I noticed many people use the hickory/oak combo. I've never had oak before, so I kind of wanted to try it alone so that I could see what kind of flavor it gives to the meat.

Is oak generally used all by itself? If not, I'll chunk up both woods and use equal amounts for Saturday's smoke.

Is oak just as popular with pork (shoulder or ribs) as it is with beef?
 
I've been using oak for heat when I grill steaks ever since I ate at George's Steak Pit in Sheffield, Alabama last year. One of the best steaks I've ever eaten and they grill over oak logs.

I think it adds a subtle nutty taste, not as much smoke flavor as hickory or pecan, but very pleasant.

Others may have different experiences, but those are mine.

Also, I was listening to an old podcast of a Barbeque Central Radio Show from July 19th (?) and the host interviewed a guy who uses cooks on WSM's and he recommended using oak, or hickory or as he put it - whatever else is free.

Pat
 
Brian, I think that Oak is a little more mild then hickory, If you want to get a true taste/smell of it then, surely, use it by itself.

I like to add a little fruit wood for pork, but oak/cherry or oak/apple would be great.
 
Hmm, interesting. I may use 75/25 oak to hickory. I'm really looking forward to it! I guess I'll just find out the hard way!
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By the way, I miss Alabama. I was down there about 4 months ago. I still have some of that sauce I purchased at Dreamland!
 
My last 3 briskets were cooked over Red Oak. I only ever use 3 woods on Briskets. First choice is Pecan, but been out for a year now. Second choice is Red Oak followed by Mesquite for a change of pace. Oak is a great choice for all things beef. I use it on 95% of my Tri-Tips I cook.
 
I'm already getting hungry!!!

Hey Tim, just wondering whereabouts you are from. Are you on the Derby side up near Derby High or the other side of Derby, near Rt. 34 toward Orange?

Have a wood source nearby? I picked up some wood yesterday for about $4 (~10 logs).
 
Near the new Lowe's there on 34?

I got the wood in Milford. I stopped there on the way back from my gym which is down the road. There's a Lowe's there off of exit 40 I think it is.

I chunked a few earlier this evening. I'll be using one big chunk of hickory and two chunks of oak.

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And tomorrow's deal!
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It'll go well with my Porter!
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By the way, Tim, where do you get your pork butts around these parts? I usually check the local Stop and Shop in Ansonia but have no luck getting a fresh butt. I usually see the picnics on sale there for $1.29/lb, which I don't feel like cooking. Too big.
 
Ya I'm right near the new Lowes on 34... I get all my meats either at Statewide Meats on Long Wharf or at Ferrarro's in New Haven.
 
For me the oak is "the bbq flavor" that i'de always had before I bought my smoker. I used a lot of hickory/apple/cherry etc. but I knew oak was different when I cooked w/ it. I started noticing more and more (on television and reading) that a lot of pits are throwin whole chunks of nothin but oak in there, and thats probably why I recognized the taste. All woods are killer to me. I personally think the apricot is pretty unique, im still on this apricot wood roll, that I can't get off of. (although I ussually mix it somehow w/ something else.)
 
Thanks, guys.



I just picked-up two butts. One 6lb and one 7lb. Planning on having them ready for the Super Bowl tomorrow. The only problem is I have a brisket on right now...When the brisket is almost done, I plan to put the butts on. These things are going to take me long to cook. I've only smoked one butt and that was over the summer. Took about 9hrs.

How long should these two butts (13lbs combined) take to cook if I cook them at ~250F?
 
Between 225 and 250, 7-8 pound butts take me 13-15 hours. Of course, your mileage may vary. Every smoker is just a tad different, as is every piece of meat.
 
Hey Jim.

I decided to throw just one of the butts on the smoker because some company ended up canceling for tomorrow. I just put the 6.15lb butt on the smoker so we'll see how that goes. It has been on for about 15 minutes and the temp has been holding well ~240.
 
Devoured it.

http://rem.alexsark.com/bbq/brisk09-2.jpg

http://rem.alexsark.com/bbq/brisk09-3.jpg

http://rem.alexsark.com/bbq/brisk09-4.jpg

This was a "high-heat" cook...mainly due to my temps getting out of control early, even with the outside temp at 24F and some wind. I cooked this brisket (4lb) for three hours at an average temp of 310F. Took it off of the smoker at 154F internal temp and finished it off in my oven at 300F for one hour, foiled.

This thing came out awesome. Easily my tastiest brisket. I marinade it in rum, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. I put together my own rub which consisted of cumin, onion powder, minced garlic, paprika, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes.

I've also had a butt cooking for almost six hours now. Another six hours to go and I'll pull it. That's going to be tomorrow's meal for the Super Bowl. I have the vinegar-based sauce all ready to go!!!

Pic after 3.5hrs of cooking:

http://rem.alexsark.com/bbq/pp-1.jpg

http://rem.alexsark.com/bbq/pp2.jpg

This was the first time I've used chunked wood. Chunked it myself with the sawzall, as the wood was cheaper to purchase as logs. I picked up some hickory and oak. For the brisket cook, I used what is seen in the picture below. About 3/2 ratio of oak to hickory. Some of the oak is buried under the coals. The smoke flavor was AWESOME. I dipped a piece of the brisket into the sauce I set aside for dinner once or twice, but it tasted so good, I neglected the rest of the sauce.

http://rem.alexsark.com/bbq/fuel1.jpg


I'll throw up some pictures tomorrow when the pork butt is all finished. Setting the alarm clock for 1-2am so I can take this thing off of the smoker.
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I figure if oak is good enough for a french chardonnay its good enough for my beef.

I use apple/hickory/oak combo for my beef, I love the way the oak adds a bit more to the flavor then just the other two. Unfortunately, I haven't found a good local source for it yet.
 
man what a good looking brisket, I love the coursness of your rub. you look like a great cook! how'd that rub come out for you taste wise? keep it up!
 
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