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Post by Wayne Copeland on Jul 5, 2005 18:51:07 GMT -5
Man has been cooking over burning wood and coals for more than a few years. I realize that every good BBQ cook has his/her favorite woods that they use in contests, so I will address the folks that are somewhat new to smoking meats. First of all, use only hardwoods and fruit bearing woods---never, ever use cedar, pine, spruce (soft/evergreen) woods in your smoker! These woods are not meant to cook with, and besides ruining your meats, they will completely ruin your cooker. You will never be able to get the smell out of the cooker, no matter how many times you take it to the car wash. Second, stay away from green wood, as some types can impart an equally unpleasant flavor/odor (mesquite). Try to stick with white oak, hickory, pecan, apple, cherry, alder....almost any fruit/nut bearing wood will usually be OK if it is seasoned. Now, how do you know if it is seasoned you ask...well, a good rule of thumb is wood that has been cut for at least 9 months...but this can be deceiving, as wood will season much quicker if it is allowed to dry out in Texas verses Juneau, Alaska. If the ends of the wood are starting to turn black, and if there is no visible moisture when you scrape it, it is probably ready to cook with. But remember, try to stay away from woods that are over 2 years old, as they can impart some bitterness in the smoke. Wood smoke is a flavoring asset and can be used with several types of wood at the same time...Chef Paul Kirk uses 60% oak, 20% hickory & 20% apple wood in every contest he cooks in. I figure his knows what he is doing since he has won over 500 cook-offs! But he also uses a lot of charcoal for his heat source...anyway, experiment with what you have available and talk to other cooks as they will be glad to share their ideas with you.
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Post by Wayne Copeland on Jul 31, 2005 13:26:57 GMT -5
I have heard that some viewers have tried out some different types of woods while smoking meats and there is one tip I think is worth sharing--Cherry wood is best used at the end of the cooking process. The reasoning behind this suggestion is that although Cherry wood imparts a very nice, sweet flavor and that dark red appearance to your meats, it will turn the juices bright RED if used too early or entirely through the cooking process. The consumer of your meat will get the idea that the meat is not done when they first bite into it and see the "bloody looking" juices running down their finger tips...even though you assure them it is just from the Cherry wood, you wont get very many people to finish eating it.
Tip: I like to use Cherry wood about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before my meats are ready to come off the pit. I will add the Cherry for the last 45 minutes when cooking chicken. Remember, woods are for seasoning the meat and a little bit of Cherry goes a long way!
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Post by Smokey on Feb 10, 2007 12:28:50 GMT -5
Wanyne, do you soak your wood and if so, how long. I use wood chunks because you can buy a giant bag at heb for about 7 bucks. I usually soak them for about an hour or so. Also, where the hell are you finding apple and cherry wood? All I can find around here is mesquite.
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Post by Wayne Copeland on Feb 13, 2007 2:07:44 GMT -5
I never soak wood, unless I am going to add a little flavor while cooking in the Hasty Bake...it just keeps it from catching on fire and burning up too quickly. Apple and cherry can be bought at that specialty woodyard in Ft. Worth, but it is expensive. Did you get in touch with the names of the folks that run the BBQ houses in town and find out who their wood supplier is? If so, call them and order smoking wood and can the bag of wood chips....WC
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Post by Smokey on Feb 21, 2007 19:29:22 GMT -5
The traditional woods for smoking are HICKORY and OAK. Here is a list of woods suitable for smoking:
ACACIA - these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. A very hot burning wood.
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.
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.
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.
CRABAPPLE - 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.
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 and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
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.
SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.
WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.
BBQ List members report that wood from the following trees is suitable for smoking: BAY, CARROTWOOD, KIAWE, MADRONE, MANZANITA, GUAVA and OLIVE. The ornamental varieties of fruit trees (i. e. pear and cherry) are also suitable for smoking.
Other Internet sources list the wood from the following trees as suitable for smoking: BEECH, BUTTERNUT, FIG, GUM, CHESTNUT, HACKBERRY, PIMIENTO, PERSIMMON, and WILLOW.
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Post by Wayne Copeland on May 8, 2011 17:51:12 GMT -5
I would like to recommend that you all try red oak with hickory the next time you smoke if you can get red oak. I tried 3/4 red oak and 1/4 hickory...it was pretty good and the hickory did a really good job of mixing with the red oak.
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