I love it. I'll bet that firebox doesn't lose too much heat. That's nicer than some of the BBQs I've seen around NC.
Howdy,Here's a challenge for someone: I live in Zambia and have just built a smoker. Being from the U.S., I never paid much attention to tree species or anything of that sort when using smoking woods. Hickory was my go-to wood for just about everything I smoked. Zambia, unfortunately, has no Hickory, so far as I can tell. There is little information about predominant tree species, and those that are listed are not familiar to me.
So, does anyone have knowledge about smoking woods in sub-Saharan Africa? It's worth a free meal and lodging at my place, if ever you're tromping through Lusaka, Zambia.
That's another thing I like about this forum.Howdy,
I moved to Uganda almost 2 years ago and have been working through the same issue. This place is just fresh out of hickory and mesquite. Here is what I have found: Mango works well. It is not too strong, kinda' like apple. It is good on chicken, OK for beef, but a bit weak. Sugar cane doesn't work. It smells good when they are burning in the fields, but gives meat that "burnt pie filling in the oven" smell. Any part of the banana is nasty. It gives a bad smoke. I'm told that avacado is good, but I haven't tried any yet. There is also a fabulous smelling wood that is often used for wood cooking fires out in the villages. It is related to acacia (as is mesquite), but I haven't been able to get my hands on any yet. When I'm out far enough to be where they use it, nobody speaks enough english for me to talk to them about it and I don't speak enough of the local language to communicate. Guava is supposed to be good, but again, I can't get my hands on any yet. I have recently found where I think I can get some avacodo and I also want to try some jackfruit.
Good luck and keep us posted on what you find out.
BBQ Mzungu
Have to try it on a $125 Turkey!UPDATE: Jackfruit is nasty for smoking. Makes a smoke that smells like a grass fire. Avocado is fabulous. I have been using it almost exclusively lately (partly because we moved to a house with an avocado tree that needed some pruning). It makes a good strong smoke that isn't bitter. I'd say a bit milder than hickory, but good for the same things.
BBQMzungu
Hello folks, another Zambian here. Just finished my first self made cold smoker (old propane cylinder with small smoke generator off to the side.)
We farm with sheep and recently started marketing our own cuts, which left me with a ton of unwanted ribs. So this morning I popped in our first lamb bacon.
Not having access to hickory or oak or such, I walked around the farm looking for something I can use to smoke - picked up an old mukwa plank, cut off some chips and ran it through my grinding mill twice to make a rough saw dust. Its running now, hope to sample the first lambacon later today. As you approach the smoker the smell of the mukwa is very pleasant, sweet and spicy. I'll post here after tasting.
Bearcarver, are you still around?
Sorry Bearcarver - I just realised you're not the one living in Zambia, but b-winters. B-winters are you still in Zambia?
Yes I cured the flaps with a mix of salt, brown sugar, cracked black pepper and a pinch of pink salt. I had it in the fridge curing for three days. Like I said earlier, the bacon came out on the salty side. To keep this from happening to my next batch, would it be best to cure it for a shorter time or reduce the amount of salt in the mix? I made sure to rinse the curing mix and resulting brine off pretty good before I left them to dry in the fridge overnight.