Types and Uses for Woods for Smoking

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Harold McGee, noted food science writer states, that there is some disagreement on the value basting which does interrupt and slow down the cooking process. His contention is that for lean cuts that will add flavor but for cuts like brisket or pork butt the internal fat and connective tissue supplies the moisture. The meat protein it is fully cooked at 160° internal, but the connective tissue is not broken down so the cut would remain tough. The other side of this equation is that without the connective tissue and internal fat a brisket would be tough and dry taken to the internal temperatures that we cook it. No amount of external fat could make up for the situation.

Basting can add flavor but has no value within the context of this discussion for moist final product. If you look at what gets basted it is only the outer edges of the brisket. Using the fat cap as a shield against the moving hot air of cooker is more effective use of the resource.

Barding is the use of bacon placed over or around a cut of meat to lessen the effect of heat drying the exterior of the cut. If you look at cooking brisket fat side down it is in essence playing that role in the cooking process. But unlike barding it does allow for bark to be formed on the lean side of the cut.

Jim
 
Harold McGee, noted food science writer states, that there is some disagreement on the value basting which does interrupt and slow down the cooking process. His contention is that for lean cuts that will add flavor but for cuts like brisket or pork butt the internal fat and connective tissue supplies the moisture. The meat protein it is fully cooked at 160° internal, but the connective tissue is not broken down so the cut would remain tough. The other side of this equation is that without the connective tissue and internal fat a brisket would be tough and dry taken to the internal temperatures that we cook it. No amount of external fat could make up for the situation.

Basting can add flavor but has no value within the context of this discussion for moist final product. If you look at what gets basted it is only the outer edges of the brisket. Using the fat cap as a shield against the moving hot air of cooker is more effective use of the resource.

Barding is the use of bacon placed over or around a cut of meat to lessen the effect of heat drying the exterior of the cut. If you look at cooking brisket fat side down it is in essence playing that role in the cooking process. But unlike barding it does allow for bark to be formed on the lean side of the cut.

Jim

Thanks for posting. This is what I agree with.
 
Which wood is good
I've been asked numerous times, which is the best wood to smoke with. Here is a very good explanation that should help you in your choices.
For me I always use lump charcoal in the firebox and add hardwood chunks for more flavor during the cook. I use an offset pit and lump charcoal is easier to regulate than an all wood fire. Of course building cabinets I usually have a good supply of woods to choose from.

Appropriate Smoke Woods

A variety of sources on the Internet indicate that all the woods listed below are suitable for smoking most any type of meat, poultry, or fish. The most popular and widely available smoke woods are oak, hickory, mesquite, pecan, apple, cherry, and alder.
Generally speaking, you want to use only hardwoods from fruit-bearing or nut-bearing trees. In my experience, fruit woods tend to impart a lighter smoke flavor, while the nut woods produce a stronger smoke flavor. If I could choose only one smoke wood, it would be apple, which seems to complement most everything I barbecue.

acacia, alder, almond, apple, apricot, ash, bay, beech, birch, butternut, cherry, chestnut, cottonwood, crabapple, fig, grapefruit, guava, hackberry, hickory, kiawe, lemon, lilac, madrone, manzanita, maple, mesquite, mulberry, nectarine, oak, olive, orange, peach, pear, pecan, persimmon, pimento, plum, walnut, willow

Woods To Avoid

The conventional wisdom is that cedar, cypress, elm, eucalyptus, liquid amber, pine, redwood, fir, spruce, and sycamore are not suitable for smoking. Some people say that sassafras is also inappropriate for smoking, yet it is available from some mail-order wood suppliers.

When in doubt about a particular smoke wood, play it safe--don't use it until you confirm with a reliable source that it's OK for use in barbecuing.

Flavored Smoke Woods
Retailers sell a variety of flavored wood chunks and chips. Some are made from old wine or whiskey barrels, while others have just been soaked in wine or even Tabasco. Flavored woods add an interesting aroma to the smoke coming out of your cooker, but you'll have to judge for yourself whether they do anything for the flavor of your barbecue.

Logs, Slabs, Chunks, Chips, And Pellets

You'll find smoke wood available in all these forms. In retail stores you'll most likely find chunks, chips, and pellets. Chunks will vary in size from small pieces to fist-sized pieces. Chunks burn slowly and release smoke over a long period of time, and are the choice for most smokers

Chips burn hot and fast, releasing smoke in a quick burst. If you use chips, you will have to add them several times during the cooking process, whereas with chunks you can add them just once at the beginning of the process. To prolong the smoke from wood chips, they are often placed in a pouch formed out of aluminum foil and put directly on the hot coals. Small holes poked in the foil allow the smoke to escape.

Should Bark Be Removed?

Some people are adamant about removing the bark from smoke wood, believing that it introduces an undesirable flavor to their barbecue. On the other hand, I know of one gentleman who barbecues using only the bark. I don't bother removing bark from my smoke wood. You'll have to try it both ways and see if you can tell any difference.

Quantity Of Smoke Wood To Use

It is possible to apply too much smoke to meat, resulting in a bitter or overpowering flavor. In general, I've found that the equivalent of 4-12 fist-sized chunks of wood work best for most meats in the smoker. You should experiment with using different amounts of smoke wood to determine what works best for you, depending on if you like a heavier or lighter smoke flavor.

When using a new smoke wood for the first time, I suggest using a small amount for a lighter smoke flavor. You can always increase the amount of smoke wood next time, but there's no way to salvage a piece of meat that's been oversmoked.

Apply Smoke Wood To The Fire

Here are some of the ways that people add smoke wood to the fire.

By the way, don't bother soaking wood chunks before use. It's not necessary as long as you're using decent-sized chunks, and the water doesn't penetrate seasoned wood very much, anyway.

* Place Smoke Wood On Top Of Hot Coals
Most commonly used when firing the cooker using The Standard Method. Distribute the chunks evenly over the fully lit charcoal after putting the meat in the cooker. This keeps you from getting blasted with smoke while adding the meat

* Bury Smoke Wood In Unlit Charcoal
Only possible when firing the cooker using The Minion Method. Bury wood chunks throughout the unlit fuel, followed by a few chunks on top. Distribute the hot coals evenly over the unlit fuel, making sure some wood touches the hot coals to start generating smoke right away.

* Layering Charcoal And Wood Chips
I don't advocate the use of wood chips, because I think chunks burn longer and more evenly. However, some people put down a layer of charcoal in the bottom of the chamber, then a layer of wood chips, a layer of charcoal, and so on, until the chamber is filled to the top. Light using The Minion Method.

Where To Buy

The best smoke wood is free smoke wood! Check with local orchards, golf courses, and tree trimming services, especially after storms. Tell them that your hobby is barbecue and you're looking for a few split pieces of wood, and you're likely to get some for free.

If you have to purchase smoke wood, it's best to buy locally whenever possible because of the high cost of shipping.

Hickory and mesquite chunks are readily available at most hardware stores and home centers. Check Home Depot, Lowe's, Orchard Supply Hardware, Ace, True Value, and other such stores. Better grocery stores will often have these products, too.

You can also find a number of other smoke wood suppliers listed on The Smoke Ring.

Many of the "exotic" woods listed at the top of this page are not available through retail suppliers. Most people harvest these woods from trees on their own property or on a friend's property, or purchase them from orchards and other property owners.

By The Bag, Box, Or Truckload

If you buy smoke wood at retail stores, it will probably come in paper or plastic bags in small quantities sold by weight or volume. This is convenient for those who live in urban areas without a lot of storage space and without access to cut trees or branches.

If you order smoke wood over the phone or Internet, you'll probably have to buy a minimum quantity by weight, usually a 50 pound box or sack of wood. This is fine if you have storage space, and the price of the wood is reasonable, but you'll pay about as much in shipping as you will for the wood itself.

If you're lucky enough to have appropriate smoke wood trees on your property, or know someone who does, you can chop up green logs and branches into chunks for use in your smoker. Never use green or unseasoned wood.

Choosing The Right Smoke Wood

Choosing the right type of smoke wood is an important decision you make each time you barbecue. Each wood imparts its own unique flavor to beef, pork, poultry and seafood. It's also true that certain woods are commonly associated with and go better with certain kinds of meat.

There you have it
 
I tried the link and it took me nowhere. So here is my experience with smoking woods, and no, you don't need a smoker to smoke meats. I do it on a Webber kettle all the time. You just need to understand how to build your fire, and maintain low and slow temps.

Maple - sugar or red, it doesn't matter. Goes great with turrkey, and all fowel. Also plays well with seafood/fish.

Birch - works with pork, is very good with pork.

Tag Alder- great with fish, pork, hot dogs, and beef

Apple - great with turkey, chicken, cornish hens, pork butt, ribs, kielbasa, bratwurst, knockwurst, riged bologa

Cherry - same as apple

White oak - great with beef and game meats

Cedar - great with seafood

Hickory - use with pork belly, or fatty pork.

Mesquite - good with everything, IMHO

Walnut/Pecan wood/hulls- great wit poultry, and gamey meats, such as lamb and venison

Actually, most of these woods will work with most of the foods. I am particular about cedar, and hickory, as they have strong flavors that don't play well with everything. And we haven't touchr which woods work with veggies, or even which veggies are complimented by smoke.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I've used cherry, oak, alder, and hickory in the Cameron Indoor Cooker/Smoker that Katie H recommended.

The chips sold for such indoor smokers are more like larger chunks of sawdust chips and they are fairly expensive. Oak is very common in this neck of the woods and I've thought that when my present supply runs low, I'd bring home an oak branch after a storm and use a drill to turn it into dust chunks.

Chief, you mention walnut/pecan hulls. New idea to me and I love it. Sailing the interweb suggests pistachio and almond shells can also be used. Always have walnuts pecans, and almonds on hand. Been looking for an excuse to add pistachios to the pantry.
 
I tried the link and it took me nowhere. So here is my experience with smoking woods, and no, you don't need a smoker to smoke meats. I do it on a Webber kettle all the time. You just need to understand how to build your fire, and maintain low and slow temps.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Yep! I have owned a few dedicated smokers, but I get the same results from my Weber Kettle, and it is more appropriate for the the smaller amounts of meat that I smoke.

I just restocked on Hickory chunks today. That is my favorite wood. They had Post Oak (which I haven't seen in stores before), and almost bought a bag. I may go back for a bag. Post Oak is very common with Texas BBQ, especially in South and East Texas where those trees are abundant.

CD
 
Although I haven't tried it yet, Karen ordered some Manuka chunks for me. Manuka is native to New Zealand and Rascal recommended it to me. It was available from Amazon when she ordered it.
 
Quite a lot of New Zealand salmon (lox) is smoked with manuka: good. Lived in New Zealand for a while and go back often.

Here in Wyoming, I use a Weber Smoky Mountain cooker. For bacon, I use hickory, pecan, or apple.

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For pork butts, hickory, pecan, or mesquite. For pastrami, apple or maple.

For cold-smoking salmon, I cut alder by the river and bark it first. I cobbled together a cold smoking rig that uses the Weber kettle to hold the fish and an old breadbox with an electric hotplate to generate the smoke.

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A neighbor tore up some big serviceberry bushes while plowing snow, and I've been trying that as a smoking wood: mild and rather nice.
 
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I'd offer this from one of my many other culinary websites:

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Smoking Woods and their Flavor


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[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Here is a list of woods with details of what they can do for various meats:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] (not all of these will be available in your part of the world) Remember, taking woods across state lines is prohibited in many states now due to insects & plant born diseases.

Alder, Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

Almond, A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.

Apple, Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.

Apricot, mild, sweet flavor. Good on fish, poultry, pork.

Ash, Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.

Birch, Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

Cherry, Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the
best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor. Professional Pit Masters often use
Cherry in conjunction with Hickory.

Citrus, lemon, grapefruit, orange, nectarine light fruity flavor, good with fish, poultry, pork and beef.

Cottonwood, It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of
other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don't use green cottonwood for smoking.

Crab apple, Similar to apple wood.

Grapevines Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

Hickory, Most commonly used wood for smoking--the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor.
Good with pork, ham and beef.

Lilac, Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.

Maple, Smoky mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

Mesquite, Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning woods.

Mulberry, The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.

Oak, Heavy smoke flavor--the Queen of smoking wood.

RED OAK, is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the
best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork,
fish and heavy game.

Orange, Lemon & Grapefruit - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

Peach mild, sweet flavor. Good on fish, poultry, pork.

Pear A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

Pecan Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with
poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.

Plum, mild sweet flavor. Good on fish, poultry, pork.

Sassafras is mild and sweet and works well with pork.

Smoking wood is usually soaked in water for a few hours before cooking. Often Grill Masters wrap it in foil and then use a fork to pierce small holes in the foil. This controls the smoking of the wood and inhibits it from catching fire and creating soot, which could adversely effect the taste of the meat.
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for those that don't believe you can properly smoke something on a Webber Kettle, I offer these pictures:


Apple, and Maple were the smoking woods used.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 

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