Too hot in Arizona

BERRY-BRO · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Hi 'yall, I sell Cooking wood in Arizona, I do alot of grilling, some smoking and a little deep pit BBQing here in the Desert Southwest....There's nothing like firing up the old smoker when it's 120 degrees in the shade!!!
I prefer using wood for my heat source and flavor and since I am in the business I have the convenience of trying all possible wood types imaginable. I pefer the "Nut" woods in General, they include Hickory and Pecan, Oak, Pistachio and Almond....I try to stay away from Walnut as it is a bit too smoky for my taste. Mesquite is much too overrated in my opinion and the fruit woods (Apple, Cherry etc.) burn up much too fast for me. If you like discussing wood for cooking maybe I can offer some pointers, I'll try to respond ASAP to any questions! Happy burning!!!
BERRY-BRO
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Gourmet-Gator · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

Welcome Berry-Bro, I would like to know what kind of smoke flavor do you get from almond and especially pistacio , is it close to anything? I too can relate to firing up in the extreme heat, it gets pretty hot here in Augusta Ga., this is the most humid place I have ever lived. I would much prefer a dry heat to having to put on your snorkle to go outside... Very Happy

BERRY-BRO · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Hi Gourmet-Gator,
Good questions! I have used most types of Nut Woods and here is my simplified take:
Oak has a tendency to be extra strong, I find it works best with red meats and game meats, although the best smoked Salmon I ever ate was smoked on Oak. there are 3 main families of Oak, the White Oaks, the Red Oaks and the Live Oaks, so not everything you can say about Oak may apply to any one type, I will leave it at my generalization.
Hickory is another wood type with many variations, Pecan is actually a type of Hickory in general terms. I call one "wild" and Pecan I call "domesticated" there are over 320 different cultivars of domesticated Pecan. These wood types can be used for any meat, poultry or seafood, In my opinion the "wild" Hickory can be a bit too strong for some tastes.
The Almond wood types are a bit stronger than Pecan and not quite as "harsh" as the Oak, (please, I don't consider Oak as being harsh but it can be very strong). Almond is not as forgiving as Pecan and care should be taken when smoking delicate meats. The Pistachio wood types have become my absolute favorite wood types for top flavor, I have introduced many proffesional chefs to Pistachio and recieved great reviews! Nutty, not Bitter, Strong not Overpowering, these are a few of the descriptions I have gotten....the unfortunate thing is, Pistachio is super rare, I ahve found it in very limited quantities, from what I understand all of the Pistachio groves in Arizona were experimental, planted about 40 or so years ago.....it is not a wood type you want to plan a menu on, it will be too hard to get in any quantity.
I hope some of this helps!
As far as the weather goes, we now have 80 degree days and 60 degree nights, the perfect temp for outdoor cooking!!!!
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Rub N Smoke · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

Welcome to the Ring! I used to live in Apache Jct. so I know its DAMMM HOTTT there. I use Pecan and Hickory.. Happy Q-ing!! Twisted Evil

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Toontroller · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

BERRY-BRO, don't be too hard on the Mesquite. We still got 40 or so bazillion acres of that stuff to put somewhere. Razz

Oh, welcome from one newbie to another Very Happy

BERRY-BRO · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Thanks Toontroller, don't get me wrong, I love Mesquite, it has its place in the cooking world....in my opinion one of the best coal bases! A superb wood for grilling over an open flame and unsurpassed if you're cooking in the ground! For flavor in an enclosed situation it is not my first, second or third choice, some people ONLY use mesquite and produce wonderful results, I happen to think in many cases it is overrated but it is also second to none in other cases. I wish I always had plenty on hand!!!
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BBQCZAR · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

Berry-Bro,it is me BBQCZAR from right down the street on cave creek rd.I have a couple questions fofr you.Are you going to be competeing at Lake Pleasant ?Will you be selling wood at Lake Pleasant ? Do you have any Pistachio left ? Do you have a good supply of apple and cherry now ? I know apple and cherry burn fast,but most all the world champions say to use apple,cherry, and maybe some other type mixed in for smoking.As one world champion said at Memphis In May,"you can never oversmoke meat with apple and or cherry and the flavor is the best" !!! I will be there next week to pick up a load of apple,cherry,pecan,see you then !
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Hoochie-Que · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

Welcome, Berry-Bro -

Would be real interested in hearing back from you about getting ahold of some oak (white oak or live oak) and pecan... I am here in Utah, and not a lot available up here... Being a "native Texan", I am kinda "lost" without those woods up here...

Please email or PM me about how to get in contact with you... If the price and quality is right (how old is most of your wood generally??), AZ would definitely be a lot closer than TX to come rustle some up!!...

Thanks... Cool

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"Jesus Loved Barbeque, Too" - Kinky Friedman

BERRY-BRO · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Hello BBQCZAR,
No, I won't be competing at tha Lake, I am donating abunch of Pecan wood for contestants to use, and Juniper for Ambiance!
Mike will be taking it up there.
Cherry I get once in a long while and as we speak, I'm out! Apple is still available and so is Pistachio! See you next week!
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Hoochie-Que · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

Oops... Just saw your website... My bad... Embarassed

Know where to find/call you now... Would like to know the average age of your wood, though...

Thanks Cool

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Dr. Mike
Hoochie-Que BBQ Team / KCBS CBJ

"Jesus Loved Barbeque, Too" - Kinky Friedman

PatioDaddio · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

Mike - Why don't you just turn that new stick burner into a sage brush burner? Wink

P.S. I left you a link to more Q pics on my "Introduce Yourself" post.

Hoochie-Que · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

Hey, John... Yeah, I hear sage brush has one terrific flavor to it... Ranks right up there with aspen, cedar, pinion, and framing lumber to produce an "unforgettable" Que... Razz

You know, at this charity chili cook-off I participated in a couple of weeks ago, I cooked next to a couple of other "smokeheads"... Great guys just like you (I must admit my "luck" has really been great in terms of who I have been cooking right next to as of late!!)... Anyway, they found a wood mill guy who pretty much just works with cherry... And he gives them all his scrap for free... So they clued me in on this - so as long as he keeps working with cherry, I'll have some to smoke with as well for free!! You might want to look around up there in Boise for someone similar... They were smoking a tri-tip while cooking their chili, and the cherry they had produced a great aroma and flavor...

Thanks a lot for the additional photos!!... Sure missed not being able to be there in Boise this past year - but I will be there this next year... Man, you sure seem to like to get up there on that stage a lot!... Cool

We are working towards a comp up here in Park City this next summer as well... Sometime in mid to late June possibly... You think you Idaho boys might be interested in coming down and seeing how we Que with a little altitude??? Cool

On a side note, my mom had emergency open heart surgery today... Things are going well tonight, but was most unexpected... Will be travelling home to Lubbock (TX) in a few days once she gets to doing/feeling a little better...
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Dr. Mike
Hoochie-Que BBQ Team / KCBS CBJ

"Jesus Loved Barbeque, Too" - Kinky Friedman

PatioDaddio · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

Mike - First, I wish your mother the best in her recuperation. I have had more than a few family members walk the same path. Of course, that does not bode well for me as I creep up to 40 this December. I'm sure y'all will take good care of her.

I am a huge fan of cherry. I use a 50/40 mix of cherry and hickory for all my competition cooks. The other 10% is BBQr's Delight Jack Daniels pellets. In fact, my neighbor had a cherry tree they wanted to go away and I offered to cut it down for them. I now have enough cherry to last me about three competition seasons. I recommend calling any local orchards and ask to relieve them of their trimmings. Apple is a very close second.

Take good care of you and yours,
John

PatioDaddio · Posted: Oct 19 2006 Post subject:

P.S. If there are calls to be had in Park City, I'll be there! I think that would be a great location for a competition. Make it happen brotha!

Gourmet-Gator · Posted: Oct 20 2006 Post subject:

Hey Berry Bro, thanks for the info, you said pistachio is rare but you also said in another message its available, would and could you possibly set some aside for me and give me a price? I love the nuts so I'm curious to try the wood. Im do site prep for a living and got hold of a bunch of plum trees that I LOVE. Have you ever tried this wood?

BERRY-BRO · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Hello Gourmet-Gator,
I have used an ornamental Plum for a coal base but never the fruiting variety. The Plum tree is in the same family as Cherry, Apple, Olive, Almond, Peach, Pear, etc. this family is called ROSACEAE or Rose Family, there are sub-groups within this family and the Plum belongs to the same one "amygdaloideae" or "prunoideae" as does Cherry, Apricot and Peach......all of these are great for cooking with.....I would assume the Plum to be no different, maybe slight flavor variations or different burn rate???
Back to Pistachio, I say it is rare because I actively seek it out and in the past 31 years of dealing in cooking grade wood, I have found 4 small orchards in Arizona, this year is the first year in 7 years that was able to cut and process some of it, roughly 30 cords, of which 20 were sold immediately to a proffesional meat smoking operation, leaving me with about 10 cords for sale..........my regulars that have tried it, have for the most part bought 1/4 or 1/2 cords of it immediately after trying it!!!
I typically don't ship wood out of state because the freight is prohibitive but if you know of someone coming through the Phoenix area that would take it back to you let me know and I will set some aside for you....the current supply would most likely be gone about Thanksgiving time.
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Hoochie-Que · Posted: Oct 20 2006 Post subject:

Berry-Bro, do you deliver as far as Page, AZ (about 280 miles, according to MapQuest)? What kind of delivery charge might I be looking at for that distance for 1-2 cords of wood?

Also - just how "aged" is your oak and pecan?

Thanks... Cool

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Dr. Mike
Hoochie-Que BBQ Team / KCBS CBJ

"Jesus Loved Barbeque, Too" - Kinky Friedman

BERRY-BRO · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

We carry Pecan in all stages of seasoning, from green-green to bone dry.
The Oak is typically sold 6 month cured....you have to remember that any wood sitting in our storage yards is sitting in temperatures that exceed 110 degrees daily for at least 3 months....it dries faster than in a Kiln.
I am not delivering that far this time of year, we are currently very busy and soon to be super busy!!! We do deliver distances but it would have to be 4 cord loads or larger and the gas and mileage is prohibitive for most consumers, the best idea is to have it picked up from our retail yard in Phoenix.
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BBQCZAR · Posted: Oct 30 2006 Post subject:

bump !!! LOL !!
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AZBarbeque · Posted: Oct 30 2006 Post subject:

Hey Berry Bros, welcome over here finally, great to see you on more of the forums. Thanks for all your help and expertise, it has been invaluable.

For anyone close enough to Arizona to visit Berry Bros, I highly recommend them. Great people, great supply of different woods and lots of great information.

See you soon....
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