Low & Slow Ledger brisket.top

By wood

Which split does what, and every log cooked over it.

Oak

Oak 5 entries

Workhorse. Long burn, neutral-to-savoury smoke.

heat medium

DateCutWood CookerWeightResult
14 Oct 2026 Brisket flat, cured for pastrami Oak Insulated cabinet 11.2 lb / 5.1 kg Deep pink to the centre, peppery crust, slices paper thin4.6/5 2 Oct 2026 Whole packer brisket, foil boat Oak Offset stick burner 11.9 lb / 5.4 kg Crispest bark of any wrap method tried this year4.7/5 25 Sep 2026 Beef plate short ribs (dino ribs) Oak Offset stick burner 7.9 lb / 3.6 kg (3 bones) Slice held together on the fork; the best single bite on the ledger4.8/5 12 Sep 2026 Bone-in beef chuck roast Oak Offset stick burner 7.1 lb / 3.2 kg Cubed, sauced and returned: burnt ends without buying a brisket4.6/5 11 Aug 2026 Whole packer brisket Oak Offset stick burner 14.1 lb / 6.4 kg Clean bark, flat slightly dry at the thin end4.5/5
Hickory

Hickory 4 entries

Bacon-like punch. Keep the split count low on pork.

heat medium-high

DateCutWood CookerWeightResult
29 Sep 2026 Smoked meatloaf in a bacon weave Hickory Insulated cabinet 3.3 lb / 1.5 kg Bacon lattice crisp on top, sides soft; sliced clean at 2 cm4.3/5 15 Sep 2026 Two spare racks, membrane on and off Hickory Insulated cabinet 9.3 lb / 4.2 kg (2 x 2.1 kg) Identical texture; the membrane rack was 6% heavier and saltier outside4.4/5 6 Sep 2026 Skin-on pork picnic shoulder Hickory Ugly drum smoker 10.1 lb / 4.6 kg Skin turned to leather; meat underneath was excellent4.2/5 21 Aug 2026 Brisket flat, separated Hickory Insulated cabinet 5.7 lb / 2.6 kg Even slice, faint smoke ring, no bark crunch4/5
Pecan

Pecan 3 entries

Hickory with the volume turned down and a nut finish.

heat medium

DateCutWood CookerWeightResult
11 Oct 2026 Lamb rib rack, frenched Pecan Ceramic kamado 3.1 lb / 1.4 kg (8 bones) Pink to the bone, smoke barely visible but clearly there4.4/5 21 Sep 2026 Whole packer brisket, dry brined 48 hours Pecan Gravity-fed charcoal 13.0 lb / 5.9 kg Best flat texture of the year, bark a shade pale4.8/5 16 Sep 2026 Bone-in lamb shoulder Pecan Ceramic kamado 5.1 lb / 2.3 kg Pulled into long strands, more savoury than pork and less sweet4.7/5
Apple

Apple 6 entries

Sweet, thin smoke. Default for poultry.

heat low-medium

DateCutWood CookerWeightResult
16 Oct 2026 Pork tenderloin Apple Pellet grill 2.4 lb / 1.1 kg (2 pieces) Juicy at the thick end, chalky at the tail3.8/5 27 Sep 2026 Whole turkey Apple Offset stick burner 15.7 lb / 7.1 kg Breast at 74°C when the thigh hit 82°C, with a 25-minute ice-pack head start4.5/5 23 Sep 2026 Two bone-in pork butts Apple Insulated cabinet 19.8 lb / 9.0 kg (2 x 4.5 kg) Held four hours and still served at 63°C4.5/5 11 Sep 2026 Baby back ribs Apple Kettle with snake 2.9 lb / 1.3 kg Clean bite, bone bare, two and a half hours start to plate4.6/5 9 Sep 2026 Bone-in turkey breast Apple Insulated cabinet 6.0 lb / 2.7 kg Moist to the last slice, and it needed every degree of the brine4.6/5 13 Aug 2026 Bone-in pork butt Apple Bullet water smoker 9.0 lb / 4.1 kg Bone slid out clean, bark stayed crisp through the wrap4.7/5
Cherry

Cherry 5 entries

Adds mahogany colour faster than it adds flavour.

heat low-medium

DateCutWood CookerWeightResult
8 Oct 2026 Duck breast, skin on Cherry Ceramic kamado 1.5 lb / 0.7 kg (2 breasts) Skin rendered but not crisp; the fat layer was still 5 mm thick4.1/5 14 Sep 2026 Whole chicken, spatchcocked Cherry Kettle with snake 4.0 lb / 1.8 kg Skin crisp all over, breast at 74°C and legs at 82°C at the same time4.7/5 8 Sep 2026 Full spare ribs, untrimmed Cherry Bullet water smoker 5.1 lb / 2.3 kg Fall-off-the-bone, which is the failure state for ribs3.9/5 2 Sep 2026 Brisket point, cubed Cherry Bullet water smoker 4.9 lb / 2.2 kg Sticky, glossy cubes; sauce reduced further than intended4.5/5 23 Aug 2026 Whole skin-on pork belly Cherry Kettle with snake 7.1 lb / 3.2 kg Skin crackled, but the lean layer under it was overdone4.3/5
Maple

Maple 1 entries

Mild and slightly sweet; good for cheese and fish.

heat low-medium

DateCutWood CookerWeightResult
5 Oct 2026 Pork loin, dry cured for back bacon Maple Insulated cabinet 5.3 lb / 2.4 kg Even pink cure, slices at 3 mm for sandwiches4.6/5
Mesquite

Mesquite 1 entries

Very hot, very assertive. Short cooks only.

heat high

DateCutWood CookerWeightResult
18 Sep 2026 Tomahawk ribeye Mesquite Ceramic kamado 3.5 lb / 1.6 kg Edge-to-edge medium rare with a 2 mm crust, no grey band4.9/5
Alder

Alder 0 entries

Delicate, almost savoury. The salmon standard.

heat low

No published entries in this group yet.

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