I love checking various barbecue websites because I like food that is cooked on the barbeque. Everything tastes better and it’s a different type of food presentation than what’s cooked in the oven. I really love it when food has been smoked. Yes, I know it takes a bit for it to be smoked and then finish cooking but the flavor is astonishingly good. The task of actually doing the smoking requires patience and knowledge about the best woods to use for whatever meat you want smoked as well as the type of barbecue grill you have or the smoker that you are using.
Here to share tips and tricks about smoking food is Blake Dan, the founder of GrillSimply.com. He has an array of tips, tricks, and suggestions for you on his website!
“Tips on the Best Wood to Use for Smoking”
By Blake Dan, founder of GrillSimply.com
Throughout my barbecue journey, I’ve certainly had both successes and failures with smoking wood. Over time, you naturally get a feel for each wood’s smoke, and you learn a lot from the not-so-good experiences. Recently I’ve put together the ultimate guide to the best wood for smoking in 2020 which covers:
– How wood burns, and the phases of combustion
– How wood, fuel type, and smoke influence flavor
– The best wood types to use to bring out the best in each different meat.
Although personal preferences do come into play here, it’s important to understand the fundamentals behind smoking wood, and the natural flavor pairing each wood brings to different meat types.
How Wood Influences Flavor
All-natural, dried hardwood always yields the best results when used for smoking. The wood is primarily made up of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and a small portion of other minerals. The amount of each depends on the wood species or subspecies, and also more general variables such as age or climate.
The cellulose and hemicellulose are compounds of carbohydrate sugars and lignin gives the wood its strength. When the wood begins to smoke and combust, the reaction of the minerals and compounds within the wood give off the classic smoky aroma and flavor.
How the Type of Fuel Influences Flavor
Heat from charcoal, gas, electric, or wood/wood pellets add different properties to the combustion byproducts, which does affect the flavor of the meat. The actual smokey and traditional barbecue flavor mostly comes from the smoke produced by the wood, but each fuel type does contribute different compounds into the smoke.
– Gas: natural and propane gas are common forms of fuel for the everyday grill or smoker. The gas can be ignited when exposed to air, producing water vapors, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. This naturally doesn’t add a distinct flavor to the meat while cooked. Therefore the smoke produced by wood chips will provide a clear flavor.
– Charcoal: Charcoal, an almost pure carbon fuel made from burning wood for a long term with low oxygen levels. Charcoal can be burned at a very high temperature, exceeding 1100°F. It’s definitely the most traditional fuel to use when smoking, as when it burns it produces byproducts which add to the unique and smokey tastes of barbecue.
– Electric: Cooking using electricity, relies on the heat from a metal coil. As there is no flame at all there are no added minerals to the smoke and no added barbecue flavor. You can still find success utilizing wood chips, but it produces less of a smoky flavor.
Which Wood to Use for Different Meats
The graph below is from GrillSimply.com and it’s very easy to use!
Best wood to pair with beef:
Beef has a savory and rich flavor. Many different types of woods can be used for smoking beef, but woods like oak or hickory impart the strongest smokiness and therefore are best at producing the traditional barbecue flavor. Both oak and hickory can also be blended with woods like apple or cherry if you prefer a bit of sweet or fruitiness with your beef.
Smoked beef brisket
Best Wood to Pair with Pork
Pork has a naturally salty taste, and most cuts can be quite lean. Pork does pair well with many different types of wood, but it’s always great with sweeter or fruiter flavors. This is why you often see many pork dishes accompanied with apple, plum, or other sweet sauces.
Apple and maple woods are the most popular choices, as they bring sweetness and milder smokey flavor which blends well. If you prefer a stronger smoke, oak can be used by itself, or even blended with your favorite sweet wood.
Pork ribs have a different composition of fat and meat than other pork cuts. Ribs are quite forgiving in that they are great with most flavors. One of the most popular woods to use is hickory which tends to bring a rounded smokey, and bacon-y sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the ribs.
Best Wood to Pair with Chicken
Chicken provides a great canvas for a smokey flavor. Apple and cherry woods really stand out as their naturally sweeter, and their more subtle smokiness doesn’t overpower the chicken during longer smokes.
When smoking smaller parts of the chicken, such as the wings or the legs, you tend to smoke it for a shorter amount of time. It’s best to use woods that have a more naturally stronger smokey flavor, so you can still impart a good smokiness in a shorter period of time. So the best woods for smoking chicken wings or legs are oak or hickory.
Final Words
It’s important not to overthink the smoking wood flavors. If you’re a beginner it’s much better to stick with a single wood, something well-rounded like hickory, just to learn the fundamentals of smoking. Many enthusiasts get preoccupied with trying to get the best pairing. Once you are experienced, choosing the right wood will feel natural, and you will tend to find your favorites.
Blake Da is the founder and content creator of GrillSimply.com
If you have questions or ideas that you would like to run by Blake, please visit his site here
Thanks to Blake Dan for all these great tips on smoking meat!
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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