Best wood for brisket?

BluesnBBQ · June 2000

It's been a while since I've done brisket, and I have a lot of time on my hands this weekend. I have a smallish (4.5 lb) brisket rubbed and ready to cook. I'm either going to start it late tonight or early tomorrow morning.[p]In the past I've done them with oak, and they've turned out fine. I think Nature Boy has used pecan (a wood I'm really growing fond of), and apparently in Texas they swear by mesquite. I'm thinking of a mixture of oak and pecan. Would that make it too smokey, or produce a strange smoke taste because of the combination?

Cat · June 2000

BluesnBBQ,[p]Have you considered mixing hickory or pecan with a fruit wood like apple? The combo is really nice.[p]Cathy

Nature Boy · June 2000

BluesnBBQ,
Cat has a great suggestion. I have never tried hickory with beef, but just a little mixed with pecan or cherry would probably have a very nice complexity.[p]Mesquite is always great with brisket, but in a league of its own as far as flavor. You can't go wrong.[p]Where did you get your chunk-o-chest?? Fat cap?? Cost? How does it look?? Did you hit the Laurel Main Street butcher??[p]Happy smokin.
NB

BluesnBBQ · June 2000

Nature Boy asks:[p]Where did you get your chunk-o-chest?? Fat cap?? Cost? How does it look?? Did you hit the Laurel Main Street
butcher??[p]No, I bought it at Shopper's Food Warehouse. I wasn't looking for anything special, just a decent sized brisket I could barbecue. It was the last one they had. Not much fat on it, but I think what it has will do. [p]Shoppers usually has good prices for meat. This week they have bone-in NY Strip family packs on sale for something like $3.79/lb. [p]I've never used mesquite for a low n slow cook - I've heard that it cna get bitter if you use too much. I already have some partially burnt oak chunks from last night's steaks, so I'm leaning toward oak, with maybe a hanful of Jack Daniel's chips (which are also made from oak).

Nature Boy · June 2000

BluesnBBQ,
Oak is also great. Man, I haven't cooked one since eggfest![p]Thanks for the info on the brisket. I shop mostly at Shoppers and I asked the butcher about their briskets and fat caps. He said some of them trim them off all the way, some just trim part of it. I guess it depends who is workin...they also put it fat down in the styrofoam, and wrap it so you can't tell. Maybe I should ask them to open it for me so I can look! Or just stand there in the isle ripping the packages open. [p]I am going soon...must have chunk-o-chest.[p]Have fun.
NB

Best wood for brisket?

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