Oak, Mesquite, Pecan or Hickory? Picking the Right Barbecue Wood | BBQ with Franklin | Full Episode

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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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45 Comments

  7. 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.

  12. 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.

  14. 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

  18. 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.

  29. 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.

  32. 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

  35. 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.

  37. 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.

  45. 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

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