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PSA: I just found out how much wood some famous pitmasters actually use per cook
I was watching a deep cut interview with a pitmaster from a big Texas joint, and he said they go through a full cord of post oak for a single holiday weekend of briskets. A full cord! That's a stack of wood 4 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long. I always figured they used a lot, but that number blew my mind. It made me think about my own little backyard smoker and how I fuss over a few chunks of hickory. It puts the scale of real pro operations into a whole new light. The logistics of sourcing, storing, and burning that much wood cleanly is a skill in itself. Has anyone else come across a fact about the behind-the-scenes work that really surprised them?
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the_charlie2mo ago
Holy cow, that's insane. I get stressed just trying to find a bag of decent wood chips at the hardware store. Guess my backyard brisket is more of a cute hobby than a real cook.
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wilson.sam2mo agoMost Upvoted
Man, I feel you @the_charlie. My last brisket was so dry I had to serve it with a side of gravy just to make it chewable. I spent all that time and the thing still came out looking like a leather boot. My neighbor's dog wouldn't even eat the leftovers. It's a humbling hobby for sure.
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caleb2622mo ago
That scale is absolutely wild! I saw a video once where they showed the wood yard for a famous place, and it looked like a lumber company, not a restaurant. It really makes you appreciate the sheer amount of work that goes into every single plate.
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