Everyone swears by pecan wood but I think it's overrated for brisket.

I've been doing competitions for about 6 years now and I keep seeing people act like pecan is this magic bullet. Last month at a cookoff in Austin, I had 3 different guys tell me I was wasting my time using post oak. Thing is, I've tried pecan on maybe 15 briskets over the last 2 years and every single one came out with a bitter edge that just doesn't happen with oak. Pecan burns hotter and faster too, so you get less smoke flavor and more acrid stuff if you're not watching it like a hawk. I know Myron Mixon and some of the big names use it, but for my pit and my process, post oak gives me a cleaner bark every time. Has anyone else noticed that pecan hype seems to be more about what's trendy than what actually tastes better?

2 comments

2 Comments

sagey6927d ago

The 'pecan is magic' thing reminds me of how everyone went crazy for kale a few years back. Just because something's trendy doesn't mean it's actually better for what you're doing. I've seen the same thing happen with grills too. Everyone swears by traegers now, but a good old weber kettle still puts out just as good food if you know how to use it. It's like people forgot how to just learn their own gear and trust their own tastebuds.

wyatt_ross2726d ago

Man, you hit the nail on the head. It's the same with everything now, not just food or grills. People get all caught up in what's supposed to be better instead of just learning the basics and trusting their own gut. I see it with tools, with cars, even with how people fix stuff around the house. Everyone's chasing the newest gadget or ingredient like it'll magically make them a pro, but half the time it just distracts from actually developing the skills that matter.