A Guide to Smoking Woods

I believe that when man discovered fire, his next discovery was burning wood and cooking food over it. That's how long smoking wood has been used to impart flavor to food. I know of no one who doesn't love a smoked rack of ribs or wouldn't appreciate the flavor of a smoked salmon.

These smoke flavors can easily be achieved with your own backyard grill. If you're fortunate enough to own a smoker, then you're all the more prepared to create a smoke flavored treat. For those of you with only a grill, follow me. All is not lost. Many quality barbecue recipes can be accomplished on the average grill.

Smoke flavor can easily be achieved on a grill with a foil packet. Using heavy duty foil, lay out a piece twice the size of your grill grate. Use wood chips, rather than chunks and spread them out over half of the foil. Fold over and crimp the edges. Using a fork, pierce several holes on one side of the packet. This will be the top where smoke can escape. Place the foil directly on top of the coals or on top of the diverter plate(right under the cooking grate) if using a gas grill. Remember to keep the holes you punched in the packet facing up. Once your smoking wood packet begins to smoke, place your food on the grill and put the cover on.

Some people may recommend that you soak the chips in water, but I disagree. Soaked wood chips take longer to start smoking and in most grill applications, your food is not going to be on the grill that long. Let's get that smoke started! Two additional considerations must be kept in mind when using smoking wood on the grill. Eventually, wood will do what wood does when put on a fire source...catch on fire. Grease drippings from meat may accelerate this. Keep a spray bottle of water handy to put out any flare ups. I use apple juice in my spray bottle. I like the flavor it imparts to food. Experiment with other types of fruit juice. Additionally, keep in mind the foil packet will reduce the heat reaching your food to some degree. Plan and adjust your grilling time accordingly.

When choosing smoking wood, choose wood that is seasoned. That is, wood that is at least aged for 6 months to a year. The popularity of smoking wood has made things easier as far as finding it is concerned. Most home improvement centers and even many grocers now carry the more common smoking wood. For some of the more rare smoking wood, sources are readily available through online sources. I befriended the owner of a tree service. He lets me know when he's going to trim or cut down a tree that I can use for smoking. One fruit tree can supply me with several years of smoking. He's happy that I'm hauling it away and I'm happy to find the wood. It's just one source I use to track down smoking wood.

Each type of smoking wood imparts a different flavor. You'll need to understand the flavors and which food goes best with each. Most serious smokers mix a combination of woods in order to achieve a particular result. First time smokers make serious mistakes. They fail to understand the flavor of meat. Meat itself, is tasty. Don't undermine it with extreme smoke. As with any spice, use sparingly. Smoking wood is also a spice. Less is sometimes best. Champion barbecue Guru Paul Kirk calls it a "Kiss of Smoke". I translate the "KISS" to mean...Keep It Slightly Smoked! Let the meat do the talking.

Without further ado, let's dive into the various types of smoking wood that we use in fine barbecuing.

Alder
A light and slightly sweet smoking wood. This wood comes from the Pacific Northwest and has been traditionally used for fish, especially Salmon. Great for seafood, as well.

Apple
A medium and somewhat sweet smoking wood with just a hint of a fruity flavor. This is one of my favorite smoking woods, although I do mix it with other types to achieve a particular flavor that I'm after. An excellent choice for pork and poultry. My top choice for smoking pork ribs, pulled pork or bacon.

Cherry
Similar to apple, this smoking wood is just a bit more robust than apple. Works well with beef, pork and poultry. I mix cherry with equal amounts of apple and oak for my smoked Thanksgiving turkey.

Hickory
The big daddy of smoking wood. Hickory is the traditional wood used in most Southern-style barbecue. An excellent choice for pork ribs, pulled pork, or beef brisket. Hickory will impart a stronger smoke flavor, so use discretion when using this smoking wood. Some tastes find it too strong. Most barbecue cooks tend to mix it with a more milder smoking wood such as oak.

Mesquite
The other big daddy of smoking wood...if you're from Texas. This wood is the most powerful of all smoking wood. Mesquite has a very strong and robust flavor. Best used with beef and larger cuts of meat. Of course, it's often the choice for Texas beef brisket. Too much of this smoking wood will render your food inedible. Go light and mix it with other smoking wood until you get a better feel of mesquite's power. I may throw a chunk, or two onto my Thanksgiving turkey fire if I'm feeling a bit rebellious. A chip, or two on the grill adds a nice southwest flavor to a steak...just go easy!

Oak
This is probably the second most common smoking wood...if you're not from Texas. Oak produces a medium smoke flavor that goes well with any food. It's stronger than most of the fruit woods, yet more mild than hickory or mesquite. Oak is the key ingredient in adjusting smoke flavor. It tones down the heavy bodied varieties and firms up some of the more mild smoking woods.

Peach
I tend to be somewhat partial to peach smoking wood due my to family roots in South Carolina where I can easily acquire tree prunings. It's similar to apple, yet more subtle in flavor. I prefer this smoking wood alone with fish, seafood and chicken breasts. It can be softened with a bit of alder or beefed up with some oak or apple. Works well with sausage, pork chops and pork tenderloin. A great choice when grilling for that "KISS".

Pecan
The same description for peach applies to this smoking wood. The flavor has a more nutty taste than peach. Another great choice for grill use. Pecan is one of my favorites with poultry. Chicken, duck, game hens and goose flavor out nicely with pecan.

Barrel Wood
When barrels expire and are no longer useful for aging, they are oftentimes cut up and sold as smoking wood. Wine, whiskey, and even hot sauce are aged in these barrels. Made of oak, these barrels are impregnated with the flavor of the product that was aged in them, or are they? I've tried wine and whiskey barrel smoking wood, but not enough to say. That's the fun part of Quein', experiment! Go online and find a barrel smoking wood. You never know what you might discover.

In closing, I'd like to share how I was able to understand the flavors of smoking woods. I have several buddies who share my passion for the Tennessee Vols football team. On one particular televised game day, I invited them over. Armed with several chicken breasts, I cooked them individually using the grill method. Two breasts per smoking session using five types of wood. I then cut them into strips and readied them in a pan for a quick oven reheat at half time. No spice or seasonings. I wanted to taste the smoke on an otherwise bland chunk of meat. Not only was I able to savor the various flavors, I also received input from other taste preferences.

You'll soon learn that nothing about barbecuing is etched in stone. Although this guide discusses the more common smoking woods, there are other varieties that you could experiment with. Every barbecue cook has their own theories and practices. With some experience, you too will develop your own. Smoking wood is a key piece of the barbecue puzzle. Take some time to learn the various flavors wood gives to meat and you'll be well on your way to some great eats.