Mesquite ..................

Lots of kerosene, er.. mesquite in west Texas and New Mexico; that's where I was introduced to it many moons ago.  I love the unique flavor of it, but easy to oversmoke, if not careful.
 
We have a steakhouse down the mountain a ways that grills big thick rib-eyes over burning mesquite logs. I was a little apprehensive about the flavor when seeing the grill....however the mesquite was roaring clean with hardly any smoke and the steaks had a mellow flavor to em.  When Mesquite gets smokey though.....a little really goes a long ways.............

The moral of this rambling is wood flavor profiles are usually different when burning hot and clean vs smoldering/smoking........... just sayin  8)
 
smokeasaurus said:
I run a small hot mesquite fire in my off-sets. I have tried only mesquite this way and i have observed hardly any flavor from it...only heat. This is because the fire is burning clean and hot. I add fruit wood for smoke/flavor.

Electric Smokers smolder wood in a oxygen starved environment. Woods like mesquite and black walnut do not lend themselves to this type of smoker due to the harsh smoke they produce......I usually use a pc of hickory or oak and one pc of fruit, this will calm down the hickory/oak. Burn rate and the type of smoker will affect the tastes certain woods impart to your protiens.....imho......... :D

Hey Scott, I use oak/maple mix and love the flavor. Also learned from a Dinners-Drive-in and Dives show that Gates BBQ restaurant in K.C. uses oak/maple for all their smokes.
 
smokeasaurus said:
Oak and maple sounds like a killer combo......and what makes it better I got plenty of both  8)

I think if you try it you will like it. I use it pretty much on all my smokes especially on brisket and pork butts. On Ribs is hickory and cherry, with either 1 or 2 kingsford briquets pending on my mood.  :D  ;)
 
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