My favorite smoking wood and smoking wood combinations for various foods.

[Del_]

A thread for compiling data on what smoking woods and smoking wood combinations people like and use for various foods.

 

[USMC615]

Would be interesting to hear folks' fruit woods they smoke with, rather than the usual woods, i.e. hickory, oak, pecan, mesquite, etc. I've smoke a lot over the years with apple, peach, pear, etc, wood. The type and cut of meats/fish plays a large factor in this equation. Let's see what folks do?

 

[stillhunter]

It's been a long while but I remember reading about and trying grape vine soaked in red wine to smoke a big length of seared venison backstrap and some beef roasts, it was delicious. I cut a length of a thick, wild grapevine while surveying because it was on line and decided to take it home. After a few weeks drying I made thick chips by whittling them off w a sharp knife. Soaked them in some red wine before hitting the coals and the smoke and flavor was very nice. I imagine the vines soaked in grape juice would be nice too. I need to get me some more grapevine...........

Another of my favorite smokes comes from Shagbark Hickory bark. Peal off large pieces of the bark and take it home. It lasts for a long while kept dry. Break it into small pieces about 1", this is easier if you split off strips up and down as the bark was on the tree and break into pieces w pliers. Soak the chips 4-6 hours in water.
It is awesome for smoke grilling hamburgers and about 2 or 3 cups of chips for the burger recipe.
John Grahams Hickory Bark smoked hamburgers
Spread a thick pile of hot coals in the Webber kettle or any charcoal grill w a lid and drop a both hands cupped pile on the coals in the center of the grill and put the lid on, vents open. If you soak the chips in a big bowl of water you can scoop them up w both hands, drain briefly and plop them in a pile onto coals, the wet hands will keep you from singing the hair off and burning your hands.
W the grate off the grill, quickly cover it w burgers leaving a whole in the center were the pile of bark is. In a few minutes the smoke will be blowing out of the vents like a house on fire, then quickly open the grill, lay the grate/burgers on and replace cover w vents open. The intense heat of the thick smoke will cook the burgers very quickly, maybe 3-5 mins. on the first side then flip and cover another few minutes depending on the thickness of the burgers. Medium sized are probly best. These burgers have a strong hickory flavor and taste great alone, on a bun w just a slice of onion and mustard or mayo or cheese and all the regular burger fixins. 2 ,3 or more batches can be smoked in a row before the coals wane and more bark can be added if needed. It's a great way to feed a crowd quickly w some unique tasting hamburgers.
The barks strong smoke is also fantastic for slower smoking bluefish or my favorite, King Mackerel that I've done simply seasoned w salt/pepper or brined w about any way you want. The strong smoke flavor goes well w the strong taste of the Mackeral.

 

[windthrown]

The best wood for smoking that grows out here up and down the Pacific coast is Red Alder. It is also used for firewood here, but it does not have a ton of heat to it. It is also a money tree and the wood is used commercially in making cabinets. I like to burn alder because when I open the wood stove it smells like I am smoking bacon. Alder is the main wood used in pellet grill wood pellets, which are also commonly made out here in the west. It is used for that because it is neutral in flavor.

Another great wood that is common for wood smoking here with all the orchards in the PNW is apple. Apple has a lot of flavor and is mild enough to not be overpowering.
British Colombia and US PNW smoked salmon recipes typically call for using a blend of alder and apple. That is also the most common blend that I use here with wood in my Brinkmann smoker and with wood pellets in my Traeger smoker/grill. I try to keep a stash of alder and apple in my firewood stacks for BBQ, and I always have a bag of alder and a bag of apple pellets around. I buy 100% species specific competition grade wood smoking pellets at a store here for pretty cheap ($8-$10 a bag). I also always have a lot of maple here seasoned for firewood that works well for smoking meats, veggies and cheese with. Yes, meat and fish are not the only things to smoke! Smoked mozzarella is delicious. So is smoked corn. I also have maple pellets that will turn any kind of pork cut into a bacon flavored gourmet feast.

There is also a lot of oak around here, mainly white oak, but I find that oak can overpower foods and I only use it for beef and lamb. Mesquite is similar. I try to let the smoke speak for itself and use less intense woods, like alder, pecan, apple (or pear), and maple. I only get pecan in pellets, as they do not grow them here. My oldest brother uses a lot of hazelnut wood for smoking with. He also planks salmon on cedar. They grow a lot of hazelnuts here, and you can smoke with the wood or with the nut shells. My other brother smokes with a lot of different pellet blends (he has two Traeger Texas grills and built himself a smoke shack in his back yard). He is always making beef jerky and smoking cheeses.

 

[USMC615]

The best wood for smoking that grows out here up and down the Pacific coast is Red Alder. It is also used for firewood here, but it does not have a ton of heat to it. It is also a money tree and the wood is used commercially in making cabinets. I like to burn alder because when I open the wood stove it smells like I am smoking bacon. Alder is the main wood used in pellet grill wood pellets, which are also commonly made out here in the west. It is used for that because it is neutral in flavor.

Another great wood that is common for wood smoking here with all the orchards in the PNW is apple. Apple has a lot of flavor and is mild enough to not be overpowering.
British Colombia and US PNW smoked salmon recipes typically call for using a blend of alder and apple. That is also the most common blend that I use here with wood in my Brinkmann smoker and with wood pellets in my Traeger smoker/grill. I try to keep a stash of alder and apple in my firewood stacks for BBQ, and I always have a bag of alder and a bag of apple pellets around. I buy 100% species specific competition grade wood smoking pellets at a store here for pretty cheap ($8-$10 a bag). I also always have a lot of maple here seasoned for firewood that works well for smoking meats, veggies and cheese with. Yes, meat and fish are not the only things to smoke! Smoked mozzarella is delicious. So is smoked corn. I also have maple pellets that will turn any kind of pork cut into a bacon flavored gourmet feast.

There is also a lot of oak around here, mainly white oak, but I find that oak can overpower foods and I only use it for beef and lamb. Mesquite is similar. I try to let the smoke speak for itself and use less intense woods, like alder, pecan, apple (or pear), and maple. I only get pecan in pellets, as they do not grow them here. My oldest brother uses a lot of hazelnut wood for smoking with. He also planks salmon on cedar. They grow a lot of hazelnuts here, and you can smoke with the wood or with the nut shells. My other brother smokes with a lot of different pellet blends (he has two Traeger Texas grills and built himself a smoke shack in his back yard). He is always making beef jerky and smoking cheeses.

One of my brothers is a Boeing engineer...he spent several years all together in Seattle, Tacoma, etc going TDY there...sometimes upwards of around a year at the time. I can certainly vouch for the alder wood and smoked salmon. He would bring back to Ga, or ship it all the time, many pounds of smoked salmon and many alder wood planks for grillin and smoking. Good eats.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Genuine Cowboy Way To Smoke Meats:

beef brisket and pork ribs - any oak, but for some post oak is preferred

optional - pecan and hickory

chicken - pecan, apple - oak is nice, too if you like it. real nice fresh off the smoker, skin bit dark

salmon - apple, alder, apple/alder

sausage - pecan, oak, oak/pecan

beef steak - open charcoal or oak coals, mesquite on side for good mesquite smoke flavor; very good!

all woods seasoned. stix or bits ie, apple, alder, pecan

 

[Groundman One]

One of the guys we work with takes a moose every year. Back when I was a carnivore, I'd cube up a couple of big bags of mixed apple, cherry, and maple that I got on the job and get some moose sausage and some stewing cubes in return. I probably threw in a six-pack of Guinness too.

Good trade.

 

[diezelsmoke]

Hickory is the most versatile wood to use and to tell you the truth cant tell much difference between woods. Key to smoke taste absorption is to keep the meat under 125* and only need 30 - 45 minutes at that temp. then move your temp up to cooking temp. Smoke is only part of the taste, the rubs/marinades are what really finished it off.

 

[hedge hog]

I really like mulberry!
It's a must try for most people .
A few didn't like it but more loved it


Sent from my MS 441-C using Tapatalk

 

[Del_]

I sell a little smoking wood and once had about a cord or persimmon. I couldn't interest any of my regular customers in it and ended up selling it as firewood.

On another point: Are any of you that smoke making coals by burning off the gasses and then moving the 'coals only' into the grill? Once any type of wood is to the coal stage it shouldn't be adding any flavor to the food since basically it's just a hunk of carbon at that point. It's a good way to cut back on bought charcoal. Just tossing it out there for discussion. I'm not a smoker myself but do sell a little smoking wood.

 

[beentown]

I do comps/charity cooks and will be opening a "Q" truck soon.

Here are my preferences, in order...

Cherry
Apple
Oak
Hickory

Hickory is the most available and used the most. Longer dry time but will be the most requested by restaurants. I prefer cherry as it is a lighter smoke and has a different flavor than hickory, which makes my "Q" different. I really like apple also but it is harder to get enough.

Great thing about apple, pear and cherry is that it is ready for use in under 6 months.

My smokers eat about 3 cords a year...

 

[USMC615]

I do comps/charity cooks and will be opening a "Q" truck soon.

Here are my preferences, in order...

Cherry
Apple
Oak
Hickory

Hickory is the most available and used the most. Longer dry time but will be the most requested by restaurants. I prefer cherry as it is a lighter smoke and has a different flavor than hickory, which makes my "Q" different. I really like apple also but it is harder to get enough.

Great thing about apple, pear and cherry is that it is ready for use in under 6 months.

My smokers eat about 3 cords a year...

View attachment 482932

Nice setup...

 

[beentown]

Nice setup...

I like it alot. I will get a bigger one once I get the "Q" truck on the street. Here is a YouTube link of a walk around of it.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I sell a little smoking wood and once had about a cord or persimmon. I couldn't interest any of my regular customers in it and ended up selling it as firewood.

On another point: Are any of you that smoke making coals by burning off the gasses and then moving the 'coals only' into the grill? Once any type of wood is to the coal stage it shouldn't be adding any flavor to the food since basically it's just a hunk of carbon at that point. It's a good way to cut back on bought charcoal. Just tossing it out there for discussion. I'm not a smoker myself but do sell a little smoking wood.

I only smoke with an offset smoker. I do like to also cook over hot oak and mesquite coals... but that is more grilling. I do like open fire cooking a lot....

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I really like mulberry!
It's a must try for most people .
A few didn't like it but more loved it


Sent from my MS 441-C using Tapatalk

>I really like mulberry!

I have never heard of it. interesting. I assume it is a hard wood? is smoke like hickory or more like apple? what meats do u like to smoke with it?

 

[hedge hog]

It is a rich flavored smoke and maybe you might not like it but who knows.
I sell oak,pecan,and hedge as smoking woods .
One year I was setting on 5 cords of mulberry for firewood and some didn't like it because it pops big coals out way bigger than hedge as it has sparks.
So one day loaded the up smoker with mulberry and was impressed.
Have a few guys that have electric smokers and any wood I sell them I trim all white sap rings off so there is just heart wood.
Pork butt and brisket is good , chicken can get a little strong for me so I put a little hedge or oak with it.
Never tried fish or ribs yet.
Mulberry is a related to hedge so that is were the popping comes from.
Most people get burnt out there choice woods so I throw mulberry at them.


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[Joseph Chang JR]

I do a lot of smoked salmon & was told to strip the bark off the Alder wood so not to get a bitter taste in my salmon. I never tried it w the bark on, for fear of ruining the taste. It makes for a lot of extra work if the bark doesn't come off easily. Anyone else have this problem?

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I do a lot of smoked salmon & was told to strip the bark off the Alder wood so not to get a bitter taste in my salmon. I never tried it w the bark on, for fear of ruining the taste. It makes for a lot of extra work if the bark doesn't come off easily. Anyone else have this problem?View attachment 485253

no, when using oak... wood and bark. some may not agree, but a very exp smoker made mention... and seemed like a winner to me. been doing it ever since. I just leave the bark on. alder, for salmon, I get in clean chips. but I wouldn't worry, just try some. see if it changes the taste.... nice batch of salmon there... I really like salmon, got some vac wrapped salmon still in refer I did last yr. turned out great...

Welcome to the AS. where in Hawaii are you?...looks like you are from Washington, but now in Hi... both places near and dear to my !!

some of my salmon smoking down here in so Tx... 50# King Salmon... how do you like your salmon cooked best?