Mesquite!?!?!?!?!

[bishop916]

I used mesquite on my pork ribs

...and it turned out great! Mesquite base-smoke with handfuls of hickory, apple and some cherry chips every half hour or so during the '3' of the 321 method.
Good stuff. I tried it due to my family's reaction to the heavy hickory flavor I like and have been using. They appreciated what I'm assuming to be the smoother(?) flavor of the mesquite, not so heavy/tangy.

'Better than last time' my daughter said.
I'm willing to take that one as a biggole thumbs up!!

 

[monty]

I most generally smoke with local maple and cherry. Heavier on the cherry. And I really enjoy the taste a bit of mesquite gives when mixed with these woods.

If doing, bacon, I will add hickory chunks to the cherry/maple and if doing ribs or anything else I will usually go with the mesquite in the cherry/maple. And I really like a heavier add of mesquite on poultry.

Just my take!

Cheers!

 

[white cloud]

I'm with Monty on the poultry/mesquite.

 

[bishop916]

oh yeah - i do my beercan-butt chicken and quarters with mesquite with no complaints, so I got to thinkin' -

- mesquite makes a good smoke in my opinion, so why not give it a shot ... mix it up a bit, add some sweet smoke, good to go!

 

[douglaslizard]

my .02 is mesquite is good on chicken but other than that the folks from texas can keep it.

 

[williamzanzinger]

When I use my bradley and am using the pucks, I like to use 4 hours of cherry with one hour of mesquite finishing . The strong flavor doesnt penetrate all the way but instead compliments the totoal mellowness of the cherry.

 

[bishop916]

I thought the mesquite chunks with handfuls of fruitwood and hickory chips was good mix.

 

[smoke freak]

I mix mesquite with hikory for beef. Somewhat lighter on the mesquite with pecan on pork. Never tried with poultry. Usually stick with mulberry for poultry.

 

[pacnwsteve]

OK, so I am clear up here in Olympia, WA, but I smoke with mesquite from time to time because I think it imparts a nice flavor to meats (pork and beef--never tried it on chicken). I know a lot of folks don't like mesquite. I have a buddy up here who is a die hard texan transplant and he refuses to use the stuff. Maybe it's trauma from his youth. It sounds like you had a good mix of wood. That's the fun of smoking. Try some different wood, get some different results, learn move forward. Glad that the ribs turned out well.

 

[williamzanzinger]

Ever see the sopranos episode when Uncle Junior is at the park for a BBq and hes all pissed off cause Tony is using Mesquite to grill his italian sausage. His mothers like "it makes the sausage taste peculiar"

Its funny that some folks hatered for the stuff is common enough to make it to an obscure diologue on a TV show

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I generally use it for most smokes, sometimes hickory (carefully) as it can be sharp. I have some plum which is great on poultry too. Then, there's the apple, light and sweet, almost must be used with another wood to get a real taste and scent of the smoke...otherwise it just seems to be gone, can't tell I smoked, but, I like it light anyway.

 

[krusher]

if your family is not liking the hickory because af the strongness gett yourself some pecan, the taste is very similiar, but not so overpowering

 

[venture]

I use mesquite, but carefully. It can be sharp. I usually mix with hickory, peach, or pear. But those are just the woods that are readily available to me.

 

[motorhedd]

Good combo bishop...as for me...can never have to much mesquite flavor.Cherry amd maple...the chanel #5 of wood smoke!

 

[meandmytwodogs]

IMHO Mesquite is one of the heaviest, tangyest, least smooth woods for smoking with. WAY too strong a flavor for me.
Never touch the stuff!

Dave

 

[bishop916]

It's AWESOME how so many diffferent styles and preferences are discussed. That's what makes Q so great.. its ALL GOOD!

 

[richoso1]

I've been using mesquite for years and lately I will mix it with apple, cherry, or hickory. Mixing in some fruitwood will bring it down a notch or two. It's all good.

 

[jminion]

I understand that there are folks that are not happy unless they are farting smokerings after eating BBQ but I find mesquite too strong for a lot of mild flavored meats. Beef can be great with mesquite but over powering for many others.

Mesquite lump charcoal doesn't really impart much flavor but mesquite wood for smoke is another case.

 

[jack2u2]

Take the mesquite and burn it down and use it to grill. Can't beat mesquite grilled steaks. For the smoker, I'll stick to hickory, pecan or the fruitwoods.

 

[okie joe]

Yes what a wide responce...before i came to this site...I smoked with wood,thats right wood and lump, the lump hot and the wood was soaked and massive...piled high chips...yes i said soaked....man what a change...why did i cook like that it was how my dad taught me he read a lot and we cooked together...hit or miss sometimes it was good most times........ it was so....over smoked.But that is how we ate it good char on the outside sometimes it was done in middle BBQ Hot and fast was his moto...Well now he fell into reading the packages of chips and how long to soak them mim 30 min to 1 hr at least....some still soak...and that is fine for you if that is how you smoke ....I have found that on my offset charcoaler Brinkman smoking pro,...that Preburning my wood and a good bed of coals wood and lump...and TBS as my goal....my Q is better than what i used to serve to my coustomers...oh my que was smoked all right but now it is smoked and ya can taste the meat not just smoke....Thank all who have helped...the best smokes are to come....still learning all the time.