Type of woods to use for smoking?

[Jenise]

I have to admit that I've not managed to give a lot of thought to what wood to use for smoking, other than to wonder what differences I'd detect between apple and cherry, say, when I'm some place that sells those cartons of wood for this purpose.

Our smoking career began upon our move to the Pac NW nine years ago with the gift of a smoker that came with a barrel of alder freshly cut from the gifter's sister-in-law's house near Seattle. And just about the time that stash ran out many years later, they miraculously showed up with another barrel so we've never used anything else.

However, at the point where we thought we were about to run out, I picked up one of those cartons I just mentioned, and it was mesquite. It was in a TJ Maxx store or some close-out kind of place like that--I didn't have a choice of woods, Mesquite was all they had. And it has been in the pantry ever since, undisturbed until yesterday when Bob grabbed it to smoke our chickens because the barrel of alder for some reason got pushed to a place in the garage inconvenient to access without moving a car. (Guys--does this sound familiar? )

Judging by what we had last night, and presuming the wood itself and not the smoker is entirely responsible for the difference, I'm thinking mesquite's too strong for chicken. It's the smokiest smoke-flavor I can remember, almost overwelming. It made me want a BBQ sauce or something to tame it where I'm normally loving my chicken natural.

So for those of you who smoke your own meats, do you use different woods? If you do, what guides your choice?

I use apple for everything I smoke because I have a very old apple tree in the back yard and there are always branches available. Hickory is also very good. A few years ago I brought some back from my B-I-L's in TN.

I use hickory. Primarily due to a couple of 200+ year old hickories on the homestead and the nearby woodlands. Apple is nice, but no supply is readily available.

I use hickory for pork; mesquite for beef, apple for chicken and turkey, and cherry for lamb.

We use apple, oak, cherry, hickory, and a few others but mesquite is just too strong for me. I really can't tell the difference between the different ones. I just like the smokiness of it all. The mesquite definitely gives you the stronger flavor. I usually buy from someplace in WA, the wood comes in neat little chunks and bagged. It is handy for Gene to keep in the cabinet under his grill.

I use apple, cherry, alder, hickory, pecan, oak and peach. Peach is especially good with pork. I've also had grape vines, which I use to smoke/grill beef. When you can get it, always buy a piece of old oak barrel wood that has been used to age wine. You can get that on occasion from a winery that may have some barrels that have been handed down for years and have seen their last season, due to rot or some other condition that makes them no longer usable for aging. Had a piece of that only once. Used it on beef. Yum!! All of the fruit woods is depending on what I can beg up. But my go-to vendor for woods is Barbequewoods.com. Great selection at good prices.

[Jenise]

I use apple for everything I smoke because I have a very old apple tree in the back yard and there are always branches available. Hickory is also very good. A few years ago I brought some back from my B-I-L's in TN.

Hmmmm...maybe I should try apple. I know of a tree.... Compared to other woods...sweeter, milder, spicier?

[Jenise]

I use apple, cherry, alder, hickory, pecan, oak and peach. Peach is especially good with pork. I've also had grape vines, which I use to smoke/grill beef. When you can get it, always buy a piece of old oak barrel wood that has been used to age wine. You can get that on occasion from a winery that may have some barrels that have been handed down for years and have seen their last season, due to rot or some other condition that makes them no longer usable for aging. Had a piece of that only once. Used it on beef. Yum!! All of the fruit woods is depending on what I can beg up. But my go-to vendor for woods is Barbequewoods.com. Great selection at good prices.

Thanks for the link. And you remind me, a friend gave us some oak 'chips' (actually, they're dice) that he uses in wine making, so oak wood soaked in wine. We have looked forward to using it for smoking, but keep forgetting it's in the outside freezer.

[Jenise]

I use hickory for pork; mesquite for beef, apple for chicken and turkey, and cherry for lamb.

Wow, you've got it all dialed in.

You agree that mesquite's stronger, then? I see Karen thinks so too.

Chiming in late to the party, I use fruit wood (apple, cherry) for game birds and salmon (alder's not readily available here in flyover country), mesquite for boldly flavored Tex-Mex type 'cue and our rendition of jerk chicken, and hickory for all things pork. I once tried hickory smoking a pheasant, but it ended up tasting too much like bacon (I can't believe that I'm writing those words). In order of boldness, I'd put mesquite at the top, followed by hickory, then the fruit woods. Oak I'd put on a par with hickory and maple with the fruit woods.

Mark Lipton

I'd say you got all the info dialed in now.

One thing to think about: mesquite is the most pungent; it's also a wood that burns really, really hot, so be careful when you're cooking with it as it can overcook and dry out the meat. It's also way too pungent for veggies if you're doing those (fruit woods best for those).

Alder is the best for salmon if you can get it. Plank roasting is great for salmon too. If you're doing the real, buried in the ground salmon bake, then fresh cut apple branches are great as one of the "layers".

Fruits: for an interesting side dish or flavor boost for sauces, slow smoking fruits and teas can be intriguing.

[Jenise]

Chiming in late to the party, I use fruit wood (apple, cherry) for game birds and salmon (alder's not readily available here in flyover country), mesquite for boldly flavored Tex-Mex type 'cue and our rendition of jerk chicken, and hickory for all things pork. I once tried hickory smoking a pheasant, but it ended up tasting too much like bacon (I can't believe that I'm writing those words). In order of boldness, I'd put mesquite at the top, followed by hickory, then the fruit woods. Oak I'd put on a par with hickory and maple with the fruit woods.

Mark Lipton

So Hickory=bacon. I should have surmised that already since it's often mentioned on the packages; so, come to think of it, is apple. Or at least one really good uncured bacon that Trader Joe's sells.

But thanks to you, Hoke and everybody else who responded: you've told me what I need to know.


Jenise's task list:

Save the mesquite for beef or ribs
Steal some apple branches from Casa Ugly
Buy other woods to experiment with

I use cherry more than anything else, good supply, which seems to impart a sweet with mild spice flavor. Apple is similar but less spicy. I rarely use mesquite or hickory Jenise because they impart too strong of a smoke flavor for my tastes.

Drew

[Jenise]

I use cherry more than anything else, good supply, which seems to impart a sweet with mild spice flavor. Apple is similar but less spicy. I rarely use mesquite or hickory Jenise because they impart too strong of a smoke flavor for my tastes.

Drew

I'm sure there re mesquite being too strong. However, I'm thinking back to a "rib-off" contest among friends at Bill Spohn's house last summer. My ribs were the least smokey, but had the most complex spice rub which had a great thru-flavor in the meat. Another guy's were the direct opposite and quite wonderful--less complex but smokier, and I remember wondering how he got that kind of flavor with less actual smoking time. Obviously, the answer's the wood, and I'm betting he used hickory or mesquite.

Love the idea of spice, so cherry's now on my to-buy-and-try list.