Smoking Foods
For questions ask in the newsgroup: alt.food.barbecue
Subject: Re: Wood Types
Author: Michael Freeman
Date: 1998/08/12
Forum: alt.food.barbecue
the following: courtesy of Lloyd
BBQ WOODS
On the subject of BBQ woods, I have found the best
results to be from nut and fruit bearing trees, cut down
from 6 months to 2 years old. Like Oak, Hickory, Mesquite,
Pecan, Peach, Pear, Apple, Apricot, & Maple to list a few.
These are the safest types to use for cooking. I have found
that wood over two years old tends to produce a dirty taste
in the food more often than not. Wood can be cut down whole,
and split after five or so months of seasoning. I recommend
spliting three days or so before cooking with it.
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ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Hard to find
commercially. Good with fish, pork, poultry and light-meat game
birds.
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APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good
with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.
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ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor, available white or
black. Good with fish and red meats.
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BLACK WALNUT - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter
wood like hickory or mesquite. Can be bitter if used alone. Good
with red meats and game.
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CHERRY - Mild, fruity, but slightly bitter if it comes from
chokecherry trees. Good with poultry, pork and beef (turns skin
brown).
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GRAPE VINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity.
Expensive. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.
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HICKORY - Most commonly used. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor.
Good with pork, ham and beef.
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LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood
and lamb.
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MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry,
cheese, and small game birds.
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MESQUITE - One of the hottest burning. Strong earthy flavor.
Good with beef, fish, chicken and game.
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OAK - Lighter version of mesquite. Red oak is good on ribs, white oak
makes the best coals burning longer. Good with red meat, fish and
heavy game.
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ORANGE - Light and citrusy. Good with pork and game birds.
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PECAN - A cool burner. Nutty and sweet. Tasty with a subtle
character. Good with steaks, ribs and cheese.
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HERBS & SPICES - Don't forget you can add soaked garlic, peppers,
onions, herbs and spices directly to your fire. Good with all meats
and vegetables.
You can use some woods green for cooking, but under
no circumstances should you to use green mesquite for
smoking. It will produce a bitter taste in the pit for years
that cannot be sandblasted out. People have used this
before because they saw someone in a restaurant using it.
That was grilling with it, not smoking where there is top
capturing the bitter smoke. That stuff will black your
eyes it's so strong. Also don't use any pine limbs. I saw a
man cook with the heart of pine, promptly promoting some
of the nastiest red splotches all over the skin of the unhappy
diners, making them extremely sick. I think the antigens got in
their bloodstream. Yuck! Stay away from pines......
Try apple chips soaked in water, placed on your charcoals
when you cook duck or goose in your smoker. It will taste
like you rubbed your bird for hours with honey. Delicious...
Also try smoking a cherry pie on pecan wood. Great...
"Let there be Smoke".......See ya in the Great Outdoors.
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And here is something that Bill put together a while back:
WOOD TASTE / FLAVOR BEST WITH
Alder A medium, tart smoke taste Beef Poultry Game
Maple Sweet, hearty smoke flavor Fish Jerky Bacon
Apple A light, sweet flavor Poultry Ham Sausage
Hickory Heavy smoke flavor Beef Pork Game
Mesquite A light, tangy smoke flavor Beef Fish Poultry
Cherry Distinctive and delicious Beef Pork Game Lamb
Pecan A rich, sweet flavor Beef Pork Fish Poultry Game Lamb
Oak Heavy smoke flavor Beef Pork Lamb
Grapevine A strong smoke flavor Beef Poultry
Peach
Pear
Apricot
Acacia Similar to mesquite
Plum
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Hope that helps you out in your search for good information.
Lloyd
Recipes
MMMMM----- Recipe
Title: Dan's Spicy Smoked Spareribs
Categories: Smoker, Barbecue
Yield: 1 servings
8 lb Spareribs; pork, in 4-rib
sections
---dry ingredients---
1 tb Ginger; powdered
1 tb Mustard; powdered
1 tb Paprika
1/2 tb Salt
1 ts Black pepper
1 ts Chili powder
1 ts Sage; powdered
1 ts Crushed red pepper
---basting sauce---
1/2 c Tomato juice
2 Peaches
2 tb Barbecue sauce
1 tb Onion; finely minced
1 tb Bell pepper; finely minced
Juice of one and one-half limes
Directions: To get started, place a handful of hickory or mesquite
chips into cold water and set aside. Parboil rib sections in boiling
water for about ten minutes (this partially cooks them and renders
much of the fat). Remove rib sections and set on wire rack to cool.
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and blend well with a fork. When
rib sections are cool, rub the dry ingredient mixture into the meat.
Stack rib sections, seal in aluminum foil and let them sit in the
refrigerator for about two hours. After two hours, start the coals in
your smoker. Combine ingredients for basting sauce in a blender and
blend until smooth. Transfer the basting sauce to a saucepan and heat
over low heat until it begins to bubble. If you prefer for the
basting sauce to be thicker, mix 2 tablespoons of arrowroot with 1/4
cup of cold water, and mix a little of the mixture into
the basting sauce a bit at a time until desired consistency is
achieved. When the coals are uniform gray, scatter a few of the wet
wood chips over them. Rub grill with a paper towel dipped in
olive oil. Brush ribs with basting sauce and place them on the
grill. Cover with smoker lid (leave vents about half-open). Grill
the ribs for about an hour, turning about every fifteen minutes and
basting as you turn them. Add wood chips to the coals as necessary to
maintain smoke. Serve ribs with warm basting sauce.
Formatted for Compu-Chef by Jess Poling
Posted to rec.food.recipes by Z Pegasus
Adapted by Patti Vincent
MMMMM