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Smoking brisket with oak vs hickory taught me something about patience

I spent 3 years using hickory on every brisket at my backyard setup in Austin. Got good bark but it was always a bit harsh. Switched to oak after a buddy who cooks at Franklin's told me to try it. The smoke flavor came through way smoother and the meat stayed moist through the whole stall. Any of you guys switch woods and notice a big difference?
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3 Comments
charles_young92
...and the funny thing is I actually learned that lesson with pork ribs before brisket. I was dead set on using mesquite because I liked the smell in the bag so much. First rack came out tasting like I smoked it with a tire fire. Swapped to pecan on a whim after reading some random blog at 2am and it was night and day. Smooth flavor that actually let the meat taste like meat instead of just smoke. Now I mix woods depending on what I'm cooking but I definitely get why going simple with oak changed your whole game.
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grant478
grant4785d ago
Funny how the SIMPLEST swap teaches you more than years of stubborn effort.
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jakewhite
jakewhite5d ago
Hard to argue with $30 and an afternoon fixing your whole cook, @grant478.
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