# Brisket and wood of choice.



## dbowers25 (Mar 11, 2014)

What is the best temp and time on a brisket? Does time vary by weight? If so whats a good rule of thumb? and how does one know what kind of wood to use for the type of meat being smoked?


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## sirloinoftexas (Mar 11, 2014)

First, welcome and hope you had a chance to stop by roll call and introduce yourself to every one. Here you will find a lot of good tips, people, and most importantly food!
  Second is that you find it not really about time for smoking but IT ( internal temp). But as most will say a good rule of thumb is bout 1.5 per pound or an IT of 196.

As for wood, I use a lot of hickory and mesquite wood and mix in with some apple wood some. Mainly cause I have an abundance of mesquite and apple wood where I live.

And this is just my personal preference, but I like a simple S and P rub on my brisket and  a lil beef base injection to enhance the brisket flavor. As you will soon find out that is has a tremendous flavor without doing much to it.

Can't wait till you attempt it and expect some Qview along with it!


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## dbowers25 (Mar 12, 2014)

SirLoinofTexas:  Thanks! That little bit of info goes along way. I always knew it had to be a certain temp for different types of meat, thats one lf those things I guess I knew the answer all along but just over thought the issue. I will most definitely post my pics on the brisket. Im doing garlic butter and herb injected chicken with cherry wood this coming sunday.


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## bigwheel (Mar 12, 2014)

Well I love mesquite like a hog loves slop..but the mesquite we get up near the Metro Mess smells like a smoldering pile of dirty jock straps to the untrained nostrils. Quite a few folks think I am crazy..but the best Mesquite in the world comes along the Texas Gulf Coast from Corpus to Kingsville. If a person heads South it starts improving a bunch around Wacko. The stuff around San Antone is better than that..but still not quite up to snuff. I know folks who make a living on Hickory wood..and it is mighty good. I think the Hickory nut shells would be the best. Works the same way on Pee Can trees..the flavor is hidden in the nutshells. They are in the same family seems like. Oak is always our friend. Watch out for Black Jack Oak ..it can be skerry when it starts huffing black and white. Best of fortunes on the smoking trail.


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## treym64 (Mar 12, 2014)

I like fruit woods
Apple wood was my favorite


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## dbowers25 (Mar 13, 2014)

Im trying to learn smoke and introduce picky in-laws at the same time. If I screw it up while they are around they will never eat it again. So im going very slow and easy with it. So far so good. Father-in-law loves the smokey flavor just from the charcoll (I dont use lighter fluid) so he might like it more than mom but we're trying.


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## foamheart (Mar 13, 2014)

Pecan goes with anything, its IMHO the most versatile. Oak, Hickory and mesquite are considered hard smokes and normally used only on long cook time meats like briskets, butts, etc. Then you have your lighter smokes most are of the fruit and nuts trees.

Biggest thing to remember about smoke? You will never hear someone say, "I can't eat this meat, there isn't enough smoke on it." BUT the opposite is quite often heard. So in the beginning go light handed on the smoke. A light smoke is delicious, too heavy of a smoke is bitter and really sux. You can increase your amount as you gain in experience and knowledge. Not don't go bust on your first smokes for something silly like too much smoke.

BTW if your dad loves the charcoal taste on meat, he'll go absolutely crazy over Tatonka Dust, its a commercial rub with a charcoal flavoring and lea & Perins. Its really outstanding stuff! My Pop keeps some on the table with the salt and pepper.


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## treym64 (Mar 13, 2014)

Where can you get tatonka dust


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## foamheart (Mar 13, 2014)

TreyM64 said:


> Where can you get tatonka dust


Try the web for Owen's BBQ, I don't remember maybe Todd is selling it now at A-Maz-N products, he's a board sponsor. One of the members here MossyMo could probably hook ya up also.

I would probably try the WWW search for Tatonka, look for Owens BBQ thread. Nice folks and a really different rub than I have had in a long long time.


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## joefrommaryland (Mar 14, 2014)

bigwheel said:


> Well I love mesquite like a hog loves slop..but the mesquite we get up near the Metro Mess smells like a smoldering pile of dirty jock straps to the untrained nostrils. Quite a few folks think I am crazy..but the best Mesquite in the world comes along the Texas Gulf Coast from Corpus to Kingsville. If a person heads South it starts improving a bunch around Wacko. The stuff around San Antone is better than that..but still not quite up to snuff. I know folks who make a living on Hickory wood..and it is mighty good. I think the Hickory nut shells would be the best. Works the same way on Pee Can trees..the flavor is hidden in the nutshells. They are in the same family seems like. Oak is always our friend. Watch out for Black Jack Oak ..it can be skerry when it starts huffing black and white. Best of fortunes on the smoking trail.


I don't know if it's mesquite that they use at down there at Riscky's on Azle (near my Granddad), but that's the best damn brisket I've ever had.  If I can ever learn to smoke like that, I'm hanging it up and declaring myself king.


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## mossymo (Mar 16, 2014)

Using cherry wood will help with more prominent smoke ring on your brisket if that is what you desire.



TreyM64 said:


> Where can you get tatonka dust



Tatonka Dust is a seasoning my wife and I came up with and as others have suggested is available through our OwensBBQ.com website; also if you are on Facebook there is a Tatonka Dust Facebook page with many customer cooks and reviews of the seasoning.


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## dbowers25 (Mar 18, 2014)

Foamheart said:


> Try the web for Owen's BBQ, I don't remember maybe Todd is selling it now at A-Maz-N products, he's a board sponsor. One of the members here MossyMo could probably hook ya up also.
> 
> I would probably try the WWW search for Tatonka, look for Owens BBQ thread. Nice folks and a really different rub than I have had in a long long time.


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## dbowers25 (Mar 18, 2014)

I just got me a bottle of Tatonka Dust, cant wait to try it.


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## deuce (Mar 18, 2014)

dbowers25 said:


> What is the best temp and time on a brisket? Does time vary by weight? If so whats a good rule of thumb? and how does one know what kind of wood to use for the type of meat being smoked?


Here is a link to a chart I found awhile back with some general info on different types of wood and meat it works with. I personally use hickory for almost everything.

http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/Downloads_files/SmokingFlavorChart.pdf


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## foamheart (Mar 18, 2014)

dbowers25 said:


> What is the best temp and time on a brisket? Does time vary by weight? If so whats a good rule of thumb? and how does one know what kind of wood to use for the type of meat being smoked?


They pretty much been answered already, let me try and make it simple, since I have been told numerous times by family I am simple minded.

Best temp is low and slow, 220 works.

Does time vary by weight, well of course it does.

Good rule of thumb, Cook it till its done, till it passes the toothpick test or by using an establish cooking procedure using a meat thermometer.

Wood, I break wood into three groups, hard, medium, and light. Hard is generally for long smokes, medium can handle long and short, and light for shorter smokes requiring a lighter smoke flavor. I am sure I will be corrected but, hickory and mesquite are hard, Pecan other nuts most generally are medium, and your fruits are lighter. I tend to not use citrus, don't know why other than so did my Pop.

Now Totonka Dust...... Prime ribs, porterhouse, I even did a brisket with it that is on the boards here somewhere. Start gentle handed, and you'll be able to add more.


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## bigwheel (Mar 18, 2014)

JoeFromMaryland said:


> I don't know if it's mesquite that they use at down there at Riscky's on Azle (near my Granddad), but that's the best damn brisket I've ever had.  If I can ever learn to smoke like that, I'm hanging it up and declaring myself king.


If you think Risky's has good brisket..you would want to slap somebody's Mama if you ever tasted mine..lol. I will say its always consistent. Never smelled any mesquite smoke flavor from what they sell. Maybe a little hickory or oak perhaps. About half the bbq joints in town buy their briskets from them. I rank Pee Can wood in the same class as mesquite and hickory..of which it is a kissing cousin..meaning them three can be "assertive." I do not punish any of God's Creatures by trying to warm them to death at 220. If it aint near 250 or higher..I aint gonna mess with it..less for making jerky.


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## motochief (Mar 18, 2014)

I like a combination of Mesquite and Hickory(70/30) for brisket and I always try to keep the temp at 225 and plan for 1.5 hours per pound.


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## bigwheel (Mar 18, 2014)

Ok..another math major. The time vs temp thing is for making girl scout cookies..and aint conducive to turning Gods Creatures into bbq. get a grip..lol;. Figuring from them GPS co-ordiantes...you are what we call a  Good Guy around these parts. Thanks so much for your Service to our Country Sir!  Hoisting a toast in your honor as we speak..also praying a bit. Salud! to you and our other Warriors.


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## bigwheel (Mar 18, 2014)

TreyM64 said:


> I like fruit woods
> Apple wood was my favorite


I love apple too..that is apparently why the sapling got accidnetly killed by the high dollar weed eater one time..good point. Now if somebody want to get real special try some old growth large bore Plum sometime. It will knock off your knickers.


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## aggie94 (Mar 20, 2014)

I use Oak on everything, basically because that's what I have, but that's also what the classic barbecue places in Central Texas use.  Cherry wood sounds like it would be great, how did your herb chicken come out?


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## noboundaries (Mar 20, 2014)

Obviously woods for brisket is a matter of personal choice.  I've done them with fruits woods (too light a flavor), mesquite (not my favorite but makes my wife go weak in the knees), and hickory (my hands down favorite but my wife's second choice).  I have not tried oak yet.  I switch back and forth between hickory and mesquite on any beef we smoke from briskets to chuckies to beef ribs, etc.


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## kenosando (Mar 20, 2014)

Noboundaries said:


> Obviously woods for brisket is a matter of personal choice.  I've done them with fruits woods (too light a flavor), mesquite (not my favorite but makes my wife go weak in the knees), and hickory (my hands down favorite but my wife's second choice).  I have not tried oak yet.  I switch back and forth between hickory and mesquite on any beef we smoke from briskets to chuckies to beef ribs, etc.


I've never personally smoked a brisket myself (newbie here), but I have had briskets smoked a variety of ways, and mesquite is always a good choice for me, but .... I've always known it to not be straight mesquite wood. Usually a pecan or oak is mixed in, or you could even do hickory + mesquite, and you and your wife would be happy. More experienced smokers will probably testify to this, but mesquite burns too fast to be used on larger cuts of meats, so you might could combine mesquite with hickory, oak, or pecan (which burn slower) and slowly move away from mesquite into a pure hickory/oak/pecan. Just my logic, which hasn't been field tested.


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## 58limited (Apr 6, 2014)

Aggie94 said:


> I use Oak on everything, basically because that's what I have, but that's also what the classic barbecue places in Central Texas use.  Cherry wood sounds like it would be great, how did your herb chicken come out?


Aggie94, I've tried other woods and like them but I keep coming back to Oak as well - all those places in Central Texas convinced me of that. The few times I have the time to do a brisket I use local oak. Cherry and Apple wood is great on steaks and pork though, you should try them sometime. Gig'em!


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