When you’re cooking with fire, you’d better have good wood. Aaron covers the major types of wood used in Texas BBQ, gives some tips on building a fire, and shows a twist on using smoke for more than cooking meat. [Originally premiered in 2015]
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BBQ with Franklin
Pitmaster Aaron Franklin takes a boisterous road trip of BBQ culture — the people, the places, and of course the food. Ten half-hour episodes celebrate the traditions and storied histories passed down through the generations, as well as those breathing new life into this distinctly American culture.
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At :30 seconds in might show you why he prefers oak
just cut down a mulberry tree the other day. going to try it out on some pork sonce its all over Indiana and people are always trying to get rid of them.
Swishy white bun is also not a UK thang
I know Texas has great bbq but I am proud to say the best pitmasters are in desoto county ms
Awesome video; Extremely informative. thank you!!!
In Cali, we often use hickory and red oak.
Oak and hickory have to be the most universal. Fruit woods for pork and chicken. Madrone is also good if you're in the West. Mesquite is great for fish, but good in other meats when mixied.
that man loading up the wood will live many years!
Pecan wood from my trees here in Missouri
Pecan is good. Hickory is good but can be overdone.
But, Post Oak is the best….. in my opinion
Wish we had access to wood here on Alberta Canada. Thanks
Pecan use it in a side small smoker/ grill. Only use pecan after a year or so one took about 18 months that smoker / grill will start to smell like syrup sweet amd sugary pecan only for over a year. After that if you live in Texas or similar place just the hot sun hitting the smoker will smell like syrup and sweet awesome bbq.
He’s a tool.
Your local hardwood is what is best. He keeps saying Pecan wood is mostly east texas, I wonder if hes actually from texas seeing as pecan trees and pecan orchards grow everywhere in Central Texas wet bottoms
I find pecan gets better the longer it cures.
I use cherry apple and misquite blend. Never used oak but want to try it
the next best thing to post oak in my experience has been ash. burns similar. tastes similar. smells similar. very good alternative if you can't find good oak.
This must be a little older than 3 months! I about lost it when Ron showed up. Worked with Ron on a fun dinner at my coffee bar a few years back up in Washington. He started an excellent brewery in Washington called Garden Path. They're truly excellent, and Ron knows his stuff. But he's been in Washington since at least 2019, and this video was published in 2023, so the timelines are a little spoopy here.
Whether I use an offset or direct grill I always use a blend of mesquite and oak. A western hill country blend. I also use pecan when I can find a few fallen branches. But then again it is a blend.
I would like to find the names of the songs used in the series? Are they available?
What happened to Cherry or Apple
OAK IS KING
My wife finds it very weird as to why I like to sit by my smoker just looking at the thermometer.
Maple baby, my favorite as of now. Simply because i haven't been smoking very long. Maple.. what doesn't go good with maple smoke?
The best breakfast scramble egg with brisket
The scene with the hammock had me cracking up..
PNW is apple and cherry. Of course we have oak, maple, alder and beech as well. Much more subtle than mesquite and hickory.
Absolutly love the dutch oak and beech
Having done BBQ myself for a few years, I feel I have a right to an opinion of this subject and yes, we all know what that's like, so? Pecan, Ashe, hickory, white oak are great. I avoid red oak and any evergreen wood. Now, Mesquite? I know down in Texas and north of Texas and the southwest area people seem to love Mesquite, why I have no idea. I can smell it long before I can see the cooker and to me it just kills the flavor of the meat and overpowers the flavor of the rub, sauce and the meat to the point all you can taste in Mesquite.
In fact, all the reason that I avoid red oak and evergreen woods are summed up in the very same reason I dislike and avoid mesquite. They just ruin the flavor or the meat. And yes, I know, they love it that way down in Texas and that is fine by me. If you like it then more power to you.
Did you ever try beech wood? Please let me know ❤
Sensible chuckles
In the 70s in San Antonio BBQ always meant brisket, sausage and Fajitas. If you were more country you'd have tripas. Guacamole and Pico de Gallo was as common as German potato salad… and don't forget boracho beans
haha thats awesome
Ron Extract, REALY? 💯💯💩💩💩💩🤢🤢🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'm east of DFW where there is post oak, pecan, and mesquite, that grow naturally. I have been experimenting with different woods for years. To me, hickory is king. But I have to go into eastern OK, Arkansas, and Missouri to find a lot of it. Pecan would be my next favorite.
Pecan is actually in the hickory family of trees. So is pignut hickory, mockernut hickory, and a few others. Mockernut is the most abundant hickory in OK, TX, AR, MO. Hickory produces a sweet and peppery fragrance. It is hard to beat, but you have to age it correctly and not use it wet or after a rain. Pecan can likewise be very finicky and you have to limit how much bark goes into the mix and make sure it is good and dry.
Post oak is my favorite all-purpose wood for the smoker. I start all fires in my smoker with post oak. It is a very friendly wood, easy to burn, not finicky, and rarely causes any trouble. The smell is a nice and gentle, neutral oak smell. It is very nice, but it simply doesn't hold a match to hickory or pecan in terms of that sweet, beautiful smoke. All of this is my opinion, obviously.
Apple wood would be near the top of my list, but it only grows way up north and west for the most part. But it smells amazing and I wish we could grow it here in Texas.
I can see why Franklin is laughing. $5,150 Franklin BBQ Pit
Take $400 off. Now $4,750 through the end of the year .
$275 Pit cover
🤑
Here in Central Texas we have different soil types that post oak grows in. Sand, Red clay, Black Clay, and Caliche. It effects the wood, and the flavor you get when smoking. Also have some different sub species of mesquite that I only use for grilling with.
sorry Americans but i prefer my aussie timbers. iron bark, red gum, blue gum, paper bark are delicious flavours and very stong
If anyone who like anything smoky then I suggest you try some Mexican Mezcal in my opinion I choose Mezcal over tequila any day off the week and twice on Sunday
That person running that chainsaw,should never do so again!
I like all the wood choices but what I’m interested in is what NOT to use.
I’m guessing
Conifer woods
Walnut
Eucalyptus
Camphor
Anything else?
Im in Fresno, Ca. We have plenty of Almond, peach, and nectarine.
Great flavor!
I am a pecan, hickory and apple wood kinda guy.
Ja Rule huh…lol
East Texas here. Have done a lot of smoking with Pecan and White Oak as we have tons of it here.
I have had the privlidge of trying many different woods, having a contact in the tree trimming business.
IMO, mesquite compliments chicken the best, oak and pecan for beef, and I lean towards pecan for pork. I don’t see a lot of hickory here (hour north of Houston) but would like to give that a try.
Mixing in fruitwoods with the oak and pecan are 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
It’s hard to come by but Black Walnut is pretty darn good with beef too