Though every style of smoker gives you smoke to cook with, not all smoke is created equal. Let’s look into which woods give off what type of smoke. Hardwoods vs. Softwoods If you do want to use fruit tree wood for smoking, there are a few steps that you can take to prepare it for use: Mesquite:Another popular wood for smoking, but use with caution! Mesquite has an extremely punchy, earthy flavour that can overpower meats if they require particularly long smoking times or have a subtle flavour. Finally, it’s important to know and remember that this tables contents are just opinions! Not concrete fact, just generally agreed opinions, and that some will disagree. Wood

I have been BBQ and smoking multiple days a week for over a decade now, and in this time, I have read dozens of books, hundreds of magazines, thousands of articles, and a handful of forums end to end. The topic of pairing smoking woods to different foods comes up constantly, advice and views vary, and a lot of it comes down to personal beliefs and tastes.You can opt for a dry rub made from herbs and spices or a wet rub made by mixing spices with a liquid like vinegar, mustard, or oil to create a paste.

This is also very nuanced, so you want to be sure you have a solid understanding of smoke and combustion first. Where to get your smoke woodIf milder is more your taste, fruit woods like apple and cherry work fine here as well as maple and pecan. You need to discover what’s best for you on your specific BBQ, using the wood you have available in your specific location and climate, to suit your own tastes. You do this by experimenting and taking notes. We have an article discussing the smoke ring in depth, but I thought I’d summarize it here as it’s such a hot topic and definitely related to this discussion. Season the wood: Once the wood is dry, you can season it by placing it in a dry, well-ventilated area for an additional period of time. This will help to remove any remaining moisture from the wood and improve its flavor. Fish and seafood are the most delicate proteins on this list, so you’ll need to be extremely aware not to oversmoke lest you risk ruining the meal.

However, using your grill may require more attention and effort, as you’ll need to monitor the temperature to ensure consistency. Walnut– Walnut produces a much heavier, beautiful, smoky flavour that can become overpowering if you’re not careful but can also be just about the best-smoked meat if you get it right. We like to pair it with a milder wood like maple to help balance it a little. Beef is an intensely flavored, dark red meat that benefits from and can stand up to a good hit of medium to strong smoke. Especially brisket! For large cuts of pork and beef — such as ribs, pork butt, or brisket — start with three or four fist-sized chunks spread out to light at different times, or start with two chunks and add the third and fourth when your cooker stops smoking.Oak:A wood that provides a mild flavour, ideal for extra-long smoke times. Oak is highly versatile and will complement any meat. If you find yourself needing more smoke after a couple hours, you can throw on a few extra chunks to get your preferred smoke concentration. You have more volume control than you would with full split logs. Chips You Can Mix Two or More Woods A 50/50 mix of oak and cherry is one my favorites for beef, giving fantastic flavor and color. Peach trees grow between 10 and 30 feet high, with a trunk just 5 to 8 inches wide, with a wide crown with flat to upward pointing branches.

Also at these temperatures, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide combine with oxygen to form nitric oxide, which joins our vapor mix and is a key ingredient for the smoke ring many of us love, and which we explore in more detail in a section below. Cherry: “Cherry is a mild, fruity flavor. It’s good for poultry, pork, anything that’s got a little bit of fat to it.”

Lumpwood Charcoal

If you are using a smoker that has a separate wood tray or box, you can simply add more wood to the tray as needed. If you are using a grill or smoker that does not have a separate wood tray, you can add wood directly to the coals or to a wood chip tray that is placed over the heat source.