Woods For Grilling & Smoking Question

[Bear Foot Farm]

Cherry is one of my favorites

It has a sweet flavor

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Trust me, NO cedar right in the fire. If it's far enough away to smoke, like the planks some put salmon on, it's okay. Tastes like resin, only worse. I'm a Texan at heart and grill only on pecan, hickory, oak and some fruitwood chunks when I want to get fancy. I'm of the huge grill/smoker school, low and slow. DH is more of a Weber fast griller, I'm more the smoker.

Redcatcher, I just caught on that you're using a gas grill. Given that you're not grilling over just wood, you can use any fruitwood as an accent smoking flavor. Nice and subtle addition of flavor.

For marinades that are fast? I use homemade oil and vinegar salad dressing, with lots of spices.

 

[Redcatcher]

Well.....The pork chops came out just right except there was almost no smoke flavor. I am not sure what I did wrong. The hickory planks smoke something fierce after the same length of soaking. There was just not much smoke coming from the twigs.

Ranchhand, I have used salad dressing too and it works great. Even when I get it on sale, it gets a little expensive after awhile. The hickory flavor was awesome and if I could get the apple to do the same, I would save myself about $20 a season on marinates.

 

[cameron]

I use oak almost exclusively. Mesquite and hickory overpower the meat taste a bit much for me. Blackjack oak is my favorite. Burns very hot and for a long time. I will use mesquite when I smoke chickens and ducks tho.

Does cedar contain creosote? I know when we light up a cedar brushpile I get a headache the next day that would knock a mule on his hind end.

I don't do many marinades. Mostly rubs, and I keep em simple. Garlic salt, crushed peppercorns, and a bit of achiote

However, I do occassionally like to use those cajun injectors.

I'm hungry.

 

[geepy]

We use mulberry, and orange wood. We only use the wood with brown bark, no green. Our rule of thumb is, the branch has to be 2 inches or larger. Pecan is also good. As for marinade I'm always experimenting. I do like a good brine when doing fish or poultry.
I like the slow and low method myself. Takes longer but it has more flavor a is juicier.
We never use gas only charcoal and wood.
My hubby makes the beast smoked fresh sausage and bacon.

 

[fuzziebutt]

We use hickory and applewood for smoking. Hubbo grills with it for the flavor, but he uses charcoal for a fire, and puts the wet wood on the charcoal.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Mesquite and hickory overpower the meat taste a bit much for me.

Only if you put too many chips​

 

[La Mike]

Any fruit tree is good and almost any nut bearing tree is good. Pecan, apple and cherry wood are the best IMO also sassafras root. I soak em for hours before using them or put them in green.

 

[Junior]

i agree with La Mike - just about any wood that bears fruit or nuts is good.i don't think i would use walnut or chinese chestnut though.dont use an evergreen - pine , cedar , etc.

pecan is a good wood to use - it is in the same family as hickory.
what i have been using lately is a mix of maple & oak - who says you have to just use 1 kind of wood at a time

?

dont know about sassafras - i would like to try and make some file' powder with it though. Mike,got any tips on making it?

Junior

 

[cameron]

Quote:
Only if you put too many chips

Chips? I use logs. My smoker is 8' long and 3' wide. I just think those 2 woods are pretty powerful for my tastebuds is all. Some people dig it and thats fine too. When I work an event, I smoke with whatever the customer prefers. Most caterers don't give the option.