Page 24 - May 2021 Barbecue News Magazine

bbq staple
Is Post Oak the King of Cue?
Post Oak originally got its name
from western cattle ranchers in
the early 1800’s. They needed
strong and straight wood to
make the fence posts to keep
cattle in. The branches and
wood from the local oak trees
worked very well and became
collectively known as Post oak
wood. Post oak wood is a very
durable and is highly resistant
to rot and decay and can last for
decades. Post Oaks’ strong
branching habit makes it resist-
ant to damage from wind and
ice and easy to identify during
winter months when the ranchers would stockpile their materials. After the ranchers cut the limbs and trees to make the fence posts, they would use the scraps to fuel campfires and cook their meals over. Post oak will give you consistently high heat and add a slightly spicy smoke flavor to your food. It has a very distinctive smell and mixes well with larger cuts of beef like brisket or beef ribs. The Post Oak smoke profile has been synonymous with Texas Barbe- cue for over 100 years.
Post Oak or Iron Oak (Quercus Stellata) is found from mid- Atlantic to the south-east and into Texas. These trees are drought resistant and grow well grow in the sandy iron rich soil of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Because of the harsh conditions and the trees and plants in the cross-timber re- gion grow very strong and were known as ‘forests of cast
Sponsered by B&B Charcoal
By: Ed Riley, BBQologist
iron’. Post Oaks can grow in tough, rocky conditions and can survive scorching summers, bit- ter cold fronts, and are very drought tolerant. Post Oak nat- urally hybrids easily with many other species which makes it difficult to generalize. There are a variety of species of oak trees in the region that including the Sand Post Oak (Quercus mar- garetta), Blackjack Oak (Quercus Marilandica), Swamp Post Oak (Quercus Similis) that share the post oak name and characteris- tic strength.
Because so many people are working from home and the availability of restaurants is still severely limited there has been a literal explosion of outdoor cooking. With the in- creased outdoor cooking activity comes an increased focus of all things BBQ. Everything from grills to meats to fuels has undergone revitalization of interest. Post Oak wood flavor is a great example of regional barbecue style and taste. Many people in the south Texas also add cherry wood chunks near the end to give your barbecue a deep red look and sweet tangy tasting finish.
BarbecueNews.com - 24
MAY 2021