Red oak

[Harbormaster]

I use chunks in my WSM a lot. Great mixed with cherry.

[PatioDaddio]

Originally Posted by HeSmellsLikeSmoke

The traditional wood used for Santa Maria grills in California is red oak, but I don't think it is the same species that we call northern red oak in the northeast (Quercus rubra).

The CA (tri-tip) variety is actually "coastal red oak", or simply "coastal oak".

John

[mbshop]

yea, here we get three kinds but mostly coastal or valley oak.
i get valley oak. not a big deal, still tastes great.

[Hawg Father of Seoul]

Originally Posted by wjwheeler

I had never used red oak until August.Trigg delivered my Jambo in July and cooked here in a comp. He brought red oak from Texas and placed 3rd out of 61 teams. He gave me the wood that was left. I used it in a comp in Amelia Island and placed 5th out of 41.
I use peach or apple most of the time. IMO the flavor profile of the brisket was the most noticeable difference. We still had a 6th place brisket. I'm back with apple and peach. Red oak isn't easy to find in east TN.

Both times I saw Mr. Trigg's rig there were a couple of splits of post oak there.

Not saying anything except what I saw.

In a former life I was a wood tick. Lucky enough to still know a few that keep me in the good stuff.

[Gnaws on Pigs]

Red oak is good wood. Green red oak does have a bit of a small, but for that matter, nothing smells nastier than green cherry wood. Cherry has a really nasty bitter hydrocyanic acid smell until it seasons.

Another thing to consider: We talk about red oak and white oak. There are a lot of different species of each that are lumped into those categories. Just here in my area, "red oak" can mean northern red oak, southern red oak, scarlet oak, black oak, shingle oak, shumard oak, willow oak, and a few more. "White oak" wood in my area can be actual white oak, swamp white oak, chestnut oak, post oak, or swamp chestnut oak. Each one is a distinct species and area all probably subtly different, but I haven't tried any of them for cooking yet that were bad.

[HB-BBQ]

Originally Posted by Big Ace

Red Oak and TRi Tip are a great marriage.

I'll second that! I like red oak for grilling or smoking. It's cheap and plentiful here but most importantly it burns slow and hot and produces a great coal base for long cooks.

[BobM]

I cut up 4 pieces of red oak into chunks today, enough to fill an old 5 gallon joint compound pail.

Bucket 'o wood.

[caseydog]

Originally Posted by Gnaws on Pigs

Red oak is good wood. Green red oak does have a bit of a small, but for that matter, nothing smells nastier than green cherry wood. Cherry has a really nasty bitter hydrocyanic acid smell until it seasons.

Another thing to consider: We talk about red oak and white oak. There are a lot of different species of each that are lumped into those categories. Just here in my area, "red oak" can mean northern red oak, southern red oak, scarlet oak, black oak, shingle oak, shumard oak, willow oak, and a few more. "White oak" wood in my area can be actual white oak, swamp white oak, chestnut oak, post oak, or swamp chestnut oak. Each one is a distinct species and area all probably subtly different, but I haven't tried any of them for cooking yet that were bad.

Most red oaks planted in my area over the last twenty or so years are Shumard Red Oak. The other very common oak is Live Oak, which is native to North Texas.

I have some large branches aging in my backyard of both Shumard Red Oak and Live Oak -- branches pruned in my neighborhood.

By early summer, I should have enough of both seasoned to do a side-by-side comparison.

CD

[chriscw81]

Originally Posted by BobM

I cut up 4 pieces of red oak into chunks today, enough to fill an old 5 gallon joint compound pail.

Bucket 'o wood.

ive got a bucket like this of red oak and white oak in my garage just waiting to meet fire. i got it from an inlaw that cleared some land in NC not long ago.

[abangs]

Ok, Red Oak test completed. Was very pleased with it. Here is some PRON of the results. Ran the G2 Party at 300 degrees. 2 butts, 3 slabs baby backs, 3 slabs STL's. Very pleased.

[abangs]

Here is a pic of the red oak I used. Not all of it. One thing that I did like is the discs were very dense and produced a very nice smoke for a longer period of time than the hickory I have been using.

[Full Draw BBQ]

I don't want to hijack a thread with a question, but this seems like the perfect place with guys weighing in here.

What is the difference between "Post Oak" and "Oak". If the place I get most of my wood has "Oak"......is that probably "white oak"?

Thanks!

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Originally Posted by Full Draw BBQ

I don't want to hijack a thread with a question, but this seems like the perfect place with guys weighing in here.

What is the difference between "Post Oak" and "Oak". If the place I get most of my wood has "Oak"......is that probably "white oak"?

Thanks!

Post oak, Quercus stellatais, is in the white oak group. White oak is Quercus alba. Post oak grows in central Texas and is used by many of the BBQ Meccas there and is especially good with beef.

[Gnaws on Pigs]

Originally Posted by HeSmellsLikeSmoke

Post oak, Quercus stellatais, is in the white oak group. White oak is Quercus alba. Post oak grows in central Texas and is used by many of the BBQ Meccas there and is especially good with beef.

Post oak (Quercus stellata) actually grows throughout the eastern US, Texas is the western limit of its range. It is really common here in NC, I have several post oak trees on my property.

[Beerbecue]

Originally Posted by PatioDaddio

The CA (tri-tip) variety is actually "coastal red oak", or simply "coastal oak".

John

Almost correct. The common local name is Coastal live oak or just live oak. An evergreen btw.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_agrifolia