For a barbecue joint, the type of wood being used makes all the difference
The process of cooking barbecue involves several different factors, including smoker type, the wood used and the quality of meat. The decisions that a barbecue entrepreneur makes with regard to these factors can be more or less adjustable.
The choice of smoker is less adjustable because of the investment factor — once you’ve spent $15,000 on a new smoker, you are mostly stuck with it. If it’s not cooking the way you like, you can make minor adjustments by adding tuner plates (brick or metal slabs that control heat and air flow). But assuming a limited budget, you can’t just replace your smoker with a completely new one.
The type and grade of meat used is more adjustable. On a daily basis, you can try a Prime vs. Choice grade brisket and adjust your long-term procurement based on your preference and feedback from customers.
With regard to the wood used to smoke meat, this would seem adjustable, too. If you start out cooking with post oak but decide to try something different, like mesquite, you just change your order with your wood supplier and start cooking with that — right?
In reality, the type of wood a pitmaster chooses at the opening of his or her restaurant will likely be the same type of wood he or she is using decades later. Why? Because that wood becomes a “flavor signature.” If you change the wood, you change the essence of the barbecue joint.
Which means choosing a type of wood to use is a crucial decision for the budding barbecue entrepreneur. Several variables factor into that decision: type of wood, moisture content, cost and availability.
There’s a reason pitmasters are constantly asked what type of wood they use. The answer they give provides clues to their philosophy about barbecue and how they cook it.
For instance, pitmasters who use post oak imply they prefer a milder, sweeter smoke flavor to complement the meat. They probably cook for a longer time — 14-18 hours for brisket — to slowly build up the flavor imparted by the post oak.
Pitmasters who use a stronger-flavored wood, like mesquite, may be signaling that they prefer the smoke flavor to take precedence over the flavor of the meat. In order to achieve that, they may blast the brisket with high heat and a lot of smoke, using a shorter 6-8 hour time frame and a “fast cook” method.
In general, the decision is between the milder, sweeter woods, like oak and pecan, and stronger-flavored woods, like hickory and mesquite.
Another factor is the moisture content of the wood. “Green” wood, or wood that has just been cut from a live tree, usually has a higher moisture content. Because it takes more energy to burn green wood, the fire produces a heavier amount of smoke. This can produce barbecue that tastes oversmoked or acrid.
Ideally, the pitmaster should procure wood that has been “dried” or “aged” such that it has a moisture content of about 20 percent. Dried wood will burn intensely and efficiently, producing the clean or “blue” smoke that imparts the most pleasing flavor.
Finally, cost and availability are considerations. For example, oak and pecan are plentiful in central and southeast Texas, which guarantees a stable price and consistent delivery.
When it comes to wood, the barbecue entrepreneur should stick with what works. Oak in any of its varieties — post, red or white — offers a combination of benefits that will ensure success. The flavor of post oak is tried and true in Texas barbecue, it is readily available at a reasonable cost, and many providers can deliver it with a specific moisture content.