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Just smoked a brisket with pecan wood for the first time
I used a full bag of pecan chunks on my offset, and the smoke flavor came out way too strong and almost bitter. My buddy in Austin said I should have mixed it with oak. Has anyone else had this happen with pecan?
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robertcarr3mo ago
Had a different experience last time. Used straight pecan on my brisket and thought it was perfect, not bitter at all. Maybe it was the fire management or the wood quality.
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claire_grant342mo ago
Honestly, I've never had a bitter brisket from pecan, and I use it straight all the time. That bitter taste people talk about has to come from something else, like dirty smoke from a choked out fire. If your wood is fully lit and burning clean, pecan gives a sweet, mild flavor that's hard to mess up. Maybe the problem is rushing the fire at the start instead of the wood type itself.
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jordancarr3mo ago
Honestly, I'm with the original poster on this one. Straight pecan can totally get overpowering fast, especially on a long cook like a brisket. That bitter note usually means the smoke was too thick, maybe from not having a clean fire. I always mix it with a more neutral wood like oak or even some charcoal to keep it steady. It gives you that nice pecan smell without the punch in the face.
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ray_williams3mo ago
Yeah, the "clean fire" point from @jordancarr is key. But something else I've noticed is the bark thickness on the meat itself. A really heavy bark from a rub can trap more of that stronger smoke, making the bitter taste worse, especially with pecan. If I'm going with a stronger wood, I'll go lighter on the pepper in my rub. It lets the smoke flavor in without it getting stuck in a crust that holds all the bitterness.
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