Hello;

Some of my recent wood choices have been : Apple, Hickory, Whiskey Oak,
Regular Oak, California Red Oak & Pecan.
Has anyone "mixed the wood" or started with one wood and finished with
another?

If so what were the results, and was there a noticeable difference?


TIA.

Dimitri

Dimitri wrote:
Hello;

Some of my recent wood choices have been : Apple, Hickory, Whiskey
Oak, Regular Oak, California Red Oak & Pecan.
Has anyone "mixed the wood" or started with one wood and finished with
another?

If so what were the results, and was there a noticeable difference?

I do it all the time, Dimitri. This stuff is so subjective that I hesitate
to say WHAT anyone would notice. BUT, I love either apple or peach mixed
with either hickory or oak; or a pecan and cherry mix. For my 'Q joint, I
will be trucking in loads of pecan, hickory and oak to mix in ratio with the
abundant (and cheap) peach, apple and cherry that I have locally.
Dave

"Dave Bugg" deebuggatcharterdotnet wrote in message
...
Dimitri wrote:
Hello;

Some of my recent wood choices have been : Apple, Hickory, Whiskey
Oak, Regular Oak, California Red Oak & Pecan.
Has anyone "mixed the wood" or started with one wood and finished with
another?

If so what were the results, and was there a noticeable difference?

I do it all the time, Dimitri. This stuff is so subjective that I hesitate
to say WHAT anyone would notice. BUT, I love either apple or peach mixed
with either hickory or oak; or a pecan and cherry mix. For my 'Q joint, I
will be trucking in loads of pecan, hickory and oak to mix in ratio with
the
abundant (and cheap) peach, apple and cherry that I have locally.
Dave

Thanks, I started a picnic with some Hickory and accidentally finished with
some oak - I liked the results. A nice change.

Dimitri

Thanks, I started a picnic with some Hickory and accidentally finished
with
some oak - I liked the results. A nice change.

Dimitri

I have always just used hickory until I got a lot of white oak cheap. I have
been mixing the two all the way through ever since. I have also noticed that
many of the Q joints in my area do the same thing.
I have thought about smoking steaks before grilling and I was thinking that
Hickory or Mesquite are too strong by themselves for a steak. Anyone tried
this? What wood(s), for how long and at what temp? I am guessing you don't
want to cook the steak, just get some flavor in. Then grill it to taste.

ag

In article , "AG"
wrote:

Thanks, I started a picnic with some Hickory and accidentally finished
with
some oak - I liked the results. A nice change.

Dimitri

I have always just used hickory until I got a lot of white oak cheap. I have
been mixing the two all the way through ever since. I have also noticed that
many of the Q joints in my area do the same thing.
I have thought about smoking steaks before grilling and I was thinking that
Hickory or Mesquite are too strong by themselves for a steak. Anyone tried
this? What wood(s), for how long and at what temp? I am guessing you don't
want to cook the steak, just get some flavor in. Then grill it to taste.

My last pork butt was done with a mix of ??,???, and ????. I looked in
my tools bucket and found 4 or 5 foil-wrapped chunks that hadn't been
used, left over from earlier cooks. It smelled like mesquite, oak and
cherry but I really really don't know. I guess you could call it Chunk
Roulette....
Pre smoking steaks has never really worked for me. I like 'em too rare
for that.


monroe(mebbe some ????? in there too)

"AG" wrote in message
...


Thanks, I started a picnic with some Hickory and accidentally finished
with
some oak - I liked the results. A nice change.

Dimitri

I have always just used hickory until I got a lot of white oak cheap. I
have
been mixing the two all the way through ever since. I have also noticed
that
many of the Q joints in my area do the same thing.
I have thought about smoking steaks before grilling and I was thinking
that
Hickory or Mesquite are too strong by themselves for a steak. Anyone tried
this? What wood(s), for how long and at what temp? I am guessing you don't
want to cook the steak, just get some flavor in. Then grill it to taste.

ag

I don't do real Q yet (but I've been hangin' here and learning) but I do a
lot with my Weber kettle. Probably not new but what I do with steaks and
lamb chops is to season the meat and then sear quickly over a real Hot bed
of coals. Take the meat off and throw on a lot of soaked (I know many if not
most consider this a real fox paw) hickory chips on the coals. Meat goes
back on the grill, on with the lid with vents wide open. I get vast amounts
of smoke, moderate heat and depending on the thickness of the meat after
about 10-12 min first side and 5-6 min second side a smoky medium grilled
steak.
John

In article ,
says...
In article , "AG"
wrote:

snip
Pre smoking steaks has never really worked for me. I like 'em too rare
for that.


monroe(mebbe some ????? in there too)


Have you tried throwing the steaks on the smoker frozen?
They ought to take up some smoke flavor by the time the thaw out,
then grill to your taste requirements. Just a thought.

Bill

AG wrote:
I have thought about smoking steaks before grilling...

Well, I wouldn't call it smokin followed by grillin but I do start my steaks
over a medium fire to get a good sear on both sides then move them to
indirect cookin to finish off medium rare with plenty of smoke taste in em.

... and I was
thinking that Hickory or Mesquite are too strong by themselves for a
steak. Anyone tried this?

I always use mesquite for my steaks. As ya say, it's strong, so don't get
carried away with usin a bunch. For the time ya gonna be cookin, 1 nice
chunk oughta do ya just fine.
--
-frohe
Life is too short to be in a hurry

John Droge wrote:
"AG" wrote in message
...


Thanks, I started a picnic with some Hickory and accidentally
finished with some oak - I liked the results. A nice change.

Dimitri

I have always just used hickory until I got a lot of white oak
cheap. I have been mixing the two all the way through ever since. I
have also noticed that many of the Q joints in my area do the same
thing. I have thought about smoking steaks before grilling and I was
thinking that Hickory or Mesquite are too strong by themselves for a
steak. Anyone tried this? What wood(s), for how long and at what
temp? I am guessing you don't want to cook the steak, just get some
flavor in. Then grill it to taste.

ag

I don't do real Q yet (but I've been hangin' here and learning) but I
do a lot with my Weber kettle. Probably not new but what I do with
steaks and lamb chops is to season the meat and then sear quickly
over a real Hot bed of coals. Take the meat off and throw on a lot of
soaked (I know many if not most consider this a real fox paw) hickory
chips on the coals. Meat goes back on the grill, on with the lid with
vents wide open. I get vast amounts of smoke, moderate heat and
depending on the thickness of the meat after about 10-12 min first
side and 5-6 min second side a smoky medium grilled steak.
John

"Vast amounts of smoke" is really not a good idea, John. It leaves heavy
desposits of creosote and particulate matter on your food, which does not
improve taste (and it's not very healthy, either). A thin blue smoke, as is
emitted by dry wood that's burned into embers is far preferable and that's
why most good Qers will recommend not soaking wood before using it to
barbecue. If you're happy with your method, fine, but I suggest you try
time-tested and proven techniques and compare.

Jack Curry

"Jack Curry" Jack-Curry deletethis @cfl.rr.com wrote in message
om...
John Droge wrote:
"AG" wrote in message
...


Thanks, I started a picnic with some Hickory and accidentally
finished with some oak - I liked the results. A nice change.

Dimitri

I have always just used hickory until I got a lot of white oak
cheap. I have been mixing the two all the way through ever since. I
have also noticed that many of the Q joints in my area do the same
thing. I have thought about smoking steaks before grilling and I was
thinking that Hickory or Mesquite are too strong by themselves for a
steak. Anyone tried this? What wood(s), for how long and at what
temp? I am guessing you don't want to cook the steak, just get some
flavor in. Then grill it to taste.

ag

I don't do real Q yet (but I've been hangin' here and learning) but I
do a lot with my Weber kettle. Probably not new but what I do with
steaks and lamb chops is to season the meat and then sear quickly
over a real Hot bed of coals. Take the meat off and throw on a lot of
soaked (I know many if not most consider this a real fox paw) hickory
chips on the coals. Meat goes back on the grill, on with the lid with
vents wide open. I get vast amounts of smoke, moderate heat and
depending on the thickness of the meat after about 10-12 min first
side and 5-6 min second side a smoky medium grilled steak.
John

"Vast amounts of smoke" is really not a good idea, John. It leaves heavy
desposits of creosote and particulate matter on your food, which does not
improve taste (and it's not very healthy, either). A thin blue smoke, as
is
emitted by dry wood that's burned into embers is far preferable and that's
why most good Qers will recommend not soaking wood before using it to
barbecue. If you're happy with your method, fine, but I suggest you try
time-tested and proven techniques and compare.

Jack Curry

Thanks for the tip Jack. How about this. Sear the meat then move the coals
to the side, add dry chips and cook about 15 min per side indirect. I get
real good flavor on birds and roasts doin this. Wouldn't a thick steak come
out like a mini roast?
John

"John Droge" wrote in message
hlink.net...

"Jack Curry" Jack-Curry deletethis @cfl.rr.com wrote in message
om...
John Droge wrote:
"AG" wrote in message
...


Thanks, I started a picnic with some Hickory and accidentally
finished with some oak - I liked the results. A nice change.

Dimitri

I have always just used hickory until I got a lot of white oak
cheap. I have been mixing the two all the way through ever since. I
have also noticed that many of the Q joints in my area do the same
thing. I have thought about smoking steaks before grilling and I was
thinking that Hickory or Mesquite are too strong by themselves for a
steak. Anyone tried this? What wood(s), for how long and at what
temp? I am guessing you don't want to cook the steak, just get some
flavor in. Then grill it to taste.

ag

I don't do real Q yet (but I've been hangin' here and learning) but I
do a lot with my Weber kettle. Probably not new but what I do with
steaks and lamb chops is to season the meat and then sear quickly
over a real Hot bed of coals. Take the meat off and throw on a lot of
soaked (I know many if not most consider this a real fox paw) hickory
chips on the coals. Meat goes back on the grill, on with the lid with
vents wide open. I get vast amounts of smoke, moderate heat and
depending on the thickness of the meat after about 10-12 min first
side and 5-6 min second side a smoky medium grilled steak.
John

"Vast amounts of smoke" is really not a good idea, John. It leaves
heavy
desposits of creosote and particulate matter on your food, which does
not
improve taste (and it's not very healthy, either). A thin blue smoke,
as
is
emitted by dry wood that's burned into embers is far preferable and
that's
why most good Qers will recommend not soaking wood before using it to
barbecue. If you're happy with your method, fine, but I suggest you try
time-tested and proven techniques and compare.

Jack Curry

Thanks for the tip Jack. How about this. Sear the meat then move the
coals
to the side, add dry chips and cook about 15 min per side indirect. I get
real good flavor on birds and roasts doin this. Wouldn't a thick steak
come
out like a mini roast?
John

Opps I wrote this before seeing frohe's post * that makes sense..never
mind*
John

John Droge wrote:
"John Droge" wrote in message
hlink.net...

"Jack Curry" Jack-Curry deletethis @cfl.rr.com wrote in message
om...
John Droge wrote:
"AG" wrote in message
...


Thanks, I started a picnic with some Hickory and accidentally
finished with some oak - I liked the results. A nice change.

Dimitri

I have always just used hickory until I got a lot of white oak
cheap. I have been mixing the two all the way through ever since.
I have also noticed that many of the Q joints in my area do the
same thing. I have thought about smoking steaks before grilling
and I was thinking that Hickory or Mesquite are too strong by
themselves for a steak. Anyone tried this? What wood(s), for how
long and at what temp? I am guessing you don't want to cook the
steak, just get some flavor in. Then grill it to taste.

ag

I don't do real Q yet (but I've been hangin' here and learning)
but I do a lot with my Weber kettle. Probably not new but what I
do with steaks and lamb chops is to season the meat and then sear
quickly over a real Hot bed of coals. Take the meat off and throw
on a lot of soaked (I know many if not most consider this a real
fox paw) hickory chips on the coals. Meat goes back on the grill,
on with the lid with vents wide open. I get vast amounts of smoke,
moderate heat and depending on the thickness of the meat after
about 10-12 min first side and 5-6 min second side a smoky medium
grilled steak. John

"Vast amounts of smoke" is really not a good idea, John. It leaves
heavy desposits of creosote and particulate matter on your food,
which does not improve taste (and it's not very healthy, either).
A thin blue smoke,
as
is
emitted by dry wood that's burned into embers is far preferable and
that's why most good Qers will recommend not soaking wood before
using it to barbecue. If you're happy with your method, fine, but
I suggest you try time-tested and proven techniques and compare.

Jack Curry

Thanks for the tip Jack. How about this. Sear the meat then move the
coals
to the side, add dry chips and cook about 15 min per side indirect.
I get real good flavor on birds and roasts doin this. Wouldn't a
thick steak come out like a mini roast?
John

Opps I wrote this before seeing frohe's post * that makes
sense..never
mind*
John

You might try using wood chunks, rather than chips, since they won't burn up
immediately. Another good trick is to wrap a chunk of wood tightly in a few
layers of tinfoil (punch a couple of pinholes in it), which will cause the
wood to smolder instead of burn. When you're done, unwrap the package and
you have made charcoal.

Jack Curry