Wrong place to ask about tropical woods

[slanginsanjuan]

That Mesquite tree discussion got me so excited but the last post was from September. Just ran out and had a burger with some patitas also.

We have a bunch of woods and according to what I already read here....

1. The mango tree bears fruits, seems pretty hard, so it may be the best local candidate for the WBO.
2. The mahogany tree has no fruit and while obviously hard might not yield a great result.
3. But what about the Pana - breadfruit - it makes a fruit..a huge one at that. But the wood isn't hard.

Edgar....ever experiment with anything else? I think you mentioned the Caoba. I have two kinds in my neighbors yard.

I think any of these woods are plentiful by attaching yourself to a tree cutter/gardener.

Also,

4. I like my patitas (pigs feet) cooked and mixed in rice. I don't even mind they soak them in 7up for a day to extract the worms. Protein content goes down but health probably goes up.
5. I like my burgers loose too and have no problem keeping them together on my POS gas grill. I just go for the fattiest cheapest beef I can find. I hate dense burgers.

[buceriasdon]

Here in Mexico caoba is the Spanish word for mahogany. It can vary considerably in hardness depending on where it was sourced. Breadfruit wood is way to soft to be useable. We do have huge mango groves, it's a cash crop, but I very rarely see it as a wood product. Certainly worth a try.
Don

[Woodfiredovenpizzero]

Slang:

I use Caoba (Mahogany) and Roble Blanco (White Oak). Cant find red oak here. I just purchased 3 pounds of apple wood in Home Depot for almost $7 Uf!!! but thats for this years turkey on the WFO. I will heat the oven with caoba and then add the apple chunks for aroma and hopefully flavor.

As far as mango never tried but I think is to soft for a good heat output and pana (BreadFruit) is definitely to soft and moist.

Edgar

[The Dough Doctor]

While on the topic of woods, check around for neighbors with apple, cherry or pear trees, they need to trimmed periodically resulting in a lot of useful smoker wood. Also, after a storm, such as a wind storm or especially an ice storm (fruit trees are typically the most commonly damaged trees) look for damaged trees or tree limbs. As a result of an ice storm here in Kansas a few years ago we had two large pear trees, a cherry tree, a peach tree, and several large limbs from an apple tree available to anyone who wanted them. What was left ended up as firewood in our furnace. It really gave a great aroma in the house!
BTW: Check out the local dumping ground for tree limbs. At ours the city encourages us to help ourselves to all the free wood we want. We can easily get an abundant supply of oak, ash, and fruit tree woods from there too, and if you're into cottonwood, elm and cedar there is a lot of that too, but it's best reserved for the chipper unless you're completely out of firewood.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

[slanginsanjuan]

I just learned mango is part of the poison ivy family and potentially toxic. SO forget that.

So local woods for burning are mahogany and I just learned....almendre/almond.

[buceriasdon]

Thanks for the information on the toxicity of mango wood, I know it's never used for firewood, or anything else for that matter around here. Locally another popular wood for furniture and the like is parota wood, however also toxic and never burnt. Our almond trees here are rather thin trunked and wouldn't produce much fire wood.
Don

[Woodfiredovenpizzero]

Yes I forgot about almendra wood. I burned before but it takes a long period to season. I store the wood in the garage to keep them dry theres always the steam and water coming out of the logs. Good smell however.

[Woodfiredovenpizzero]

While on the topic of woods, check around for neighbors with apple, cherry or pear trees, they need to trimmed periodically resulting in a lot of useful smoker wood. Also, after a storm, such as a wind storm or especially an ice storm (fruit trees are typically the most commonly damaged trees) look for damaged trees or tree limbs. As a result of an ice storm here in Kansas a few years ago we had two large pear trees, a cherry tree, a peach tree, and several large limbs from an apple tree available to anyone who wanted them. What was left ended up as firewood in our furnace. It really gave a great aroma in the house!
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Thanks for the info Doctor. To bad that those kind of trees are virtually not existence in the tropics. There the high cost because of shipping.

Edgar

[Jackitup]

Do you have Guava wood as they do in Hawaii? Very popular for smoking over there.

jon

[Woodfiredovenpizzero]

Yes Guava (Guayaba) also and its a very hard wood, in fact its also used in the "Lechoneras" (Roast Pork Restaurants) as natural charcoal. Haven't tried in the WFO but will consider.

[Chicago Bob]

Slang:

I use Caoba (Mahogany) and Roble Blanco (White Oak). Cant find red oak here. I just purchased 3 pounds of apple wood in Home Depot for almost $7 Uf!!! but thats for this years turkey on the WFO. I will heat the oven with caoba and then add the apple chunks for aroma and hopefully flavor.

As far as mango never tried but I think is to soft for a good heat output and pana (BreadFruit) is definitely to soft and moist.

Edgar

The apple chunks I've used here in NC are very mild, Edgar. Should be perfect for your Thanksgiving bird.

[Woodfiredovenpizzero]

I let you know (and with pics of course) the outcome of this new quest for me...

[Chicago Bob]

Great....thanks.