Stopped by a roadside pit in Lockhart and had a weird thought

I was at Smitty's in Lockhart last weekend and realized the smoke ring on their brisket was perfect but the bark was almost too dark. Does anyone else notice this trade-off at the old school spots?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliot_grant3812d ago

Nah the dark bark is actually a feature, not a bug at Smitty's. That's what happens when you cook with post oak and let the fat render down long enough lol.

oliver_mitchell12d ago

Yeah the dark bark is part of the deal there. But I gotta push back a little on the post oak thing. Smitty's has been using a mix of live oak and pecan for years now according to the pit crew I talked to. The really dark color comes from the protein breakdown not just the wood. When you let brisket go long enough at those temps the sugars caramelize hard and the fat cap renders down deep. The smoke ring will always be a little less visible when the bark gets that dark. Thats just physics. It's not a flaw it's what gives Smitty's that almost burnt earth flavor.