The traditional choice for smoking a brisket is hickory, but all of the terrific tasting briskets have their woods turned over by professional firms to suggest others. One of the best woods turned over briskets is pecan wood.
Celebrating our enjoyment of the succulent smoked entrees, ranging from the sweet to the savory, pecan wood has been a pleasurable wood to use. Although it is closely related to hickory, it stands on its own and provides a distinctive and delicious taste. Pecan wood has a light tan color and a richly earthy flavor.
It is heavy duty and can handle all but the most demanding meats. Hickory and mesquite, for example, are vestals to the pecan game. The sweet Sicilian pecan, along with the robust categorically classify it as a bisque. ellingeless pecan wood gaskets are available and make a lovely example of the trade.
How to Smoke With Pecan Wood
If you’re going to smoke with pecan wood, first decide whether you’re going to use chips or chunks. Chips smoke quickly and are easy to work with, but chunks are the way to go if you’re cooking a larger piece of meat slowly. Before placing wood chips or chunks over hot coals, soak them in water for 15 minutes or 30 minutes to slow down the burn.
- Charcoal grill: If you’re using a charcoal grill, heat coals with a charcoal starter. Then, pour the coals into your grill and place wood directly onto the hot coals. For longer smokes, set up a fuse burn with charcoal and wood chips or chunks.
- Gas or electric grill: For a gas or electric grill, place wood chips or chunks in a foil pack or smokebox and place over direct heat. Once the wood begins smoking, move them to the cooler side of the grill and add your food.
- Smoker grills (offset barrel smokers, horizontal smokers, or pipe smokers): Allow the most control over the smoking process. These grills are made for low temperatures, gentle cooking that will leave your ribs falling off the bone. Begin by lighting coals in a starter, open the intake and chimney baffles, and add the hot coals into the firebox. Add wood chips or chunks to the coals.
7 Foods to Smoke With Pecan Wood
- Smoked chicken: Whole chicken smoked over low heat with pecan wood results in flavorful, tender meat that can be served with barbecue sauce.
- Smoked turkey: For a show-stopping Thanksgiving dinner, try smoking a whole turkey with pecan wood to give it a sweet flavor.
- Smoked bbq brisket: Brisket is one of the eight main (or primal) cuts of beef. Over the course of a 12-hour cook, the fat will render and connective tissue will break down, making brisket an optimal choice for extended smoking.
- Smoke Spare ribs: Cooking spare ribs falls between pork butt and brisket in terms of difficulty. They spend the least amount of time in the smoker and will cook at a consistent temperature throughout. However, because they’re a comparatively thin cut of meat, there isn’t as much margin for error. Spare ribs also need a certain amount of trimming during prep—more than pork butt, but not as much as brisket.
- Smoked ham: The ultimate holiday ham is coated in a spice rub, smoked over low heat, then brushed with brown sugar and maple glaze.
- Smoked Pork butt: Pork butt, also known as Boston butt, is a cut from the upper portion of a pig’s front shoulder. It’s a relatively inexpensive and forgiving hunk of meat that you’ll most often see served as pulled pork in barbecue restaurants. The muscle has a lot of connective tissue that needs to be broken down through slow cooking, but it’s also extremely fatty, so it’s less prone to drying out, even at higher temperatures. The relatively forgiving nature of the cut and consistent cooking temperature makes this a great cook for beginners or anyone who wants to practice their fire-maintenance skills.
- Smoked nuts: Crunchy salted nuts take naturally to smoke flavor. Season the nuts with a spice mixture and olive oil, and smoke in a baking pan for 30 minutes.
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