I bought a few bags of Mesquite chunks last weekend from a local established firewood seller. Price was $10 per (overflowing) 50 lb feed sack filled with these type of Mesquite chunks.
1) is that a fair price?
2) do I need to remove the bark to use in the KBQ?
Obviously I will split these down using my wonderful new Kindling Cracker to fit the KBQ firebox.
That’s a great price for mesquite…$10. for 50 lbs.? Go for it. I also just leave the bark on, haven’t noticed any difference with or without the bark. Keep in mind mesquite has a strong flavor profile, a little goes a long way.
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Mesquite for fast grilling, not low and slow smoking. I worked in a restaurant where we mesquite grilled lots of proteins. It was amazing, but as noted above, way too strong for a slow cook.
Depending on how you set you poppets any friut or nut wood you use in your kbq will be just fine. Bottom poppet only will produce a smoke profile similar to a pellet grill which is on the light side. Some experimentation should be done.
Given that mesquite is a trash tree in west Texas, I am shocked that they didn't pay you to haul it away... Mesquite is best used for hot live fire cooking.
Given that I've seen numerous "less than sterling" reviews of mesquite here on this very site, I am surprised at the criticisms of tstalafuse 's comment.
Given that mesquite is a trash tree in west Texas, I am shocked that they didn't pay you to haul it away... Mesquite is best used for hot live fire cooking.
jeffdavidson, if I my attempt at humor offended you, I apologize. As I told Meathead, I grew up in west Texas (San Angelo) and people paid to have the wood/trees removed.
As tstalafuse said mesquite is free here. We used it mostly as coals after the fire had burned down for grilling. We used to go to goat roasts with the Wagner ranch cowboys. They would dig a pit in the ground and fill it with mesquite. When it was coals they would lay a big expanded metal grate over it and grill the goat. It was delicious. A live fire steak over mesquite is great. It’s just too strong to use for smoking.
I've never had success in my KBQ using the clean smoke setting. No flavor whatsover. I gathered some green wood to try this season. I avoid fruit trees because there is no way to know the spraying history.
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