Chop the pecans and shred the cheddar cheese, if needed.
Cut up the butter and add it to a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it start to melt and then stir in the pecans, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Continue stirring and let the mixture come to a boil. (It should take a couple of minutes, but make sure you don't burn the nuts.) Take the pan off the heat right away and let it sit to cool off while you make the cheese filling.
In a medium or large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, Liquid Smoke and seasonings.
Stir in the shredded cheddar with a wooden spoon.
Scoop the butter pecan mixture onto a sheet of foil about 11 or 12 inches wide and spread the nuts out a bit in a horizontal rectangle.
Gather the cheese filling into a ball and place it onto another sheet of foil about 11 or 12 inches wide. Use your hands to shape the cheese filling into a log about 8 inches long and even on top. Wash your hands well.
Make sure the pecan mixture isn't still hot (you don't want it to melt the cheese), but it can be a bit warm. Use clean hands to carefully transfer the cheese log onto the pecan mixture. Use your hands to scoop up some nuts and cover the log, gently pressing the coating into place. Try to cover any bare spots.
Wrap the cheese log in the foil and chill it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to firm it up before serving. (See notes for make-ahead options.)
Serve with flat pretzels or crackers of your choice. Store leftovers wrapped in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, as long as the ingredients you used won't expire during that time.
Notes
If the pecan cheese log has been in the refrigerator for hours and has gotten firm, take it out of the fridge for 30 minutes before serving it, so will be soft enough to spread. You also could defrost it for a few seconds on the lowest setting in your microwave to soften it.Make-ahead options:
You can make the cheese log without the nuts and refrigerate it up to a week ahead of time, as long as you check the expiration dates on the cheese to make sure it will last. Wait to add the pecan crust until the day you'll be serving it, so the pecans don't get soft.
It's best to freeze a cheese log without the nuts. Wrap it tightly in foil, then place it in a zip-top freezer bag for up to a month. Thaw the cheese log in the refrigerator, make the pecan crust and add it when it has cooled off.