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Told You I Would Do It

The dining room table was clean just like I said it would be and we ate our first dinner at home on Friday night!  The kitchen was clean too but it can’t stay clean.  Too many things find their way onto the countertops.  I’ll get it cleaned for good by the end of this week, I hope.

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Smoked ribs, potato salad and homemade baked beans.  We’re under a burn ban for the drought so I called the fire department to make sure it was ok to use the electric smoker.  I figured it was but since one of us has already gotten a speeding ticket (and it wasn’t me!), I figure I surely didn’t need to be fined for burning during the burn ban.

My favorite woods for smoking are cherry and apple and we have lots of that and yes, we moved it with us, but it’s buried in the storage building Vince rented.  Mesquite trees are everywhere here – they’re kinda like kudzu in that you just can’t get rid of them.  I went out and found a dead branch and broke off one tiny little smidgen of a piece.  I think it smells like stale cigarette smoke and don’t like using it but til we find apple or cherry wood, that’s about my only option.  If the apple/cherry doesn’t surface soon, I’ll probably buy some and add more to our collection!

I wonder if I can smoke meat with pecan.  There are so many pecan trees around here.  I’ll have to research that when I get internet again . . unless someone wants to tell me if it’s good/safe or not to use pecan in the smoker.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I’ll be interested in knowing about pecan. No mesquite for this born in Texas gal!

  3. Great progress at your house. I don’t like mesquite, bht I do like apple or cherry to smoke pork or turkey.

  5. Yes, a lot of people use pecan wood. I would say use it sparingly…same with mesquite. too rich if use too much. But it is safe.

  6. This born & raised in Washington state gal LOVES apple-wood smoked meats….fish, turkey, chicken, hotdogs, who cares!

  7. also meant to say that I have neighbors who wait for my pecan trees to drop a limb. lol

  8. A lot of people around here use pecan. I love the flavor of it a lot. Wish I was closer to come eat with you.

  9. I thought there was a ban on moving wood out of Missouri? There is a huge billboard by my house that says “I promise I won’t move Wood from Missouri”.. Some kind of bug or something?? Not sure and maybe cherry wood and apple wood don’t carry that bug…

    • The wood we brought is wood we bought from the cookshack folks and it’s sealed in plastic buckets with gamma seal lids and has been stored in our basement.

      • oh…i had no idea they sold wood sealed like that. Rich always just goes and cuts it down..lol I learn something new everyday!

        • Well we all learn something new every day- I didn’t know they sold wood like that either!

  12. Oh, by the title of the post I thought you were going to tell us you had driven across that bridge. lol I’m glad you got enough put away to cook. Home cooked food is always better! Have a great day.

  13. nice that you can use your smoker. We were on a burn ban for awhile so I just never got around to doing any cooking outside. now we are out of the burn ban but will be traveling soon so doubt I will get any done now.
    Karen

  14. smart thinking to call and check with the fire dept.
    I know you feel better now that you’ve got a home cooked meal on the table.

  15. I smoked a brisket today and thought of you while I got it ready. 🙂 Yeah for the smoker!
    I’m with Pat C, us WA girls like our apple wood!!

  17. I commiserate with the speeder 🙂 I got my first speeding ticket ever here in Texas. I was just going the speed of the traffic and lo and behold I got pulled over. I was horrified as I am usually very cautious about my speed. Now I just let them pass me by doing 80 and 85. Better them than me !

  19. We use pecan, hickory, cherry, apple, and mesquite when we use the smoker. Love them all. As some one said, with mesquite you don’t need to use as much. Vince will get to know where the police usually hang out. And with school starting beware!

  20. This Texas born girl can’t stand mesquite. We have used pecan but our faborite is hickory.

  21. Pecan is one of my favorites! You just might like it too. I’m glad to see you getting all back in “home” mode. I’ve been away from a computer for about two weeks so I haven’t read any blogs. I just popped in to see you with a clean table and a design wall, Way to go!

  22. Pecan wood is excellent for smoking or bar-b-que. That’s what my dad always used and his bbq was the best! His bbq sauce was oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and whatever spice he was in the mood for, and occasionally a little beer added. I’m hungry now!

  23. Yes, fruitwood is good. We have two bags of mesquite, but I won’t let my DH use it when we’re doing salmon. Speaking of which, how about alder? (Washingtonians: if you’re in the Puget Sound area, that will be familiar!)

    • Alder is really great for smoking. During the logging era, it was considered a trash tree. Now is high valued for smoking and cabinetry.

  24. Yep…pecan wood is excellent for smoking pork, poultry or fish. Yum…just thinking about it makes me hungry!

  25. Last week I tried a BBQ place in Austin called Green Mesquite–I’m guessing that name wouldn’t grab your attention in a positive way 😉

    They smoke all kinds of meats–no idea what kind of wood they use, but the restaurant really did have a nice, slightly smokey fragrance–not at all like cigarette … and they had fried okra on the menu which took me back to my childhood.

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