What Wood To Use?

This is a matter of personal preference. If you like a stronger smoke flavor, then use a stronger flavored wood and smoke your meat for a longer period of time. Alternatively, if you prefer a more subtle smoke flavor, consider using a fruit wood and smoke for a shorter period of time.

In general, you should stick with hardwoods from fruit and nut bearing trees. I really enjoy apple wood. I don't like very heavy smoke flavors and the apple wood gives a pleasant, slightly sweet, smoke to the food.

That being said, there are some general guidelines on types of wood to use for different meats. Keep in mind that the woods listed below are just the most common and popular types. There are many, many other woods that can be used with great success.

Starting with the "mild" woods. These tend to lend a sweet, light and subtle smoke flavor.

• Alder - Sweet flavor of smoked salmon - recommended for fish, pork, and poultry

• Cherry - Sweet fruity smoke that gives a rosy tint to light meats - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, fish, and game birds

• Mulberry - Sweet, tangy, blackberry smoke flavor - recommended for pork, ham, poultry, and game birds

• Oak - Heavy smoke with no after-taste, gives food a wonderful smoked color

• Orange - Tangy citrus smoke. Great with seafood. Gives food a golden color. - recommended for pork, poultry, fish, game birds and cheese

• Pecan - Similar to hickory but milder and sweeter with a nut after taste - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, fish and game

• Sassafras - Musky, sweet smoke with a root beer after taste - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, and game birds

• Sugar Maple - Very mild, a sweet light smoke - recommended for pork, ham, poultry, cheese and game birds

If you enjoy a stronger, smokier flavor, try one of the stronger woods:

• Apple - Sweet, fruity smoke. Strongest of the fruit woods. - recommended for beef, pork, ham, poultry and game

• Hickory - Bacon flavor, most commonly used and recognized smoke - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, fish and game

• Jack Daniel's - Sweet smoke with aromatic tang, good on red meats - recommended for beef, pork, poultry and game

• Mesquite - Spicy, very distinctive smoke of southwest cooking - recommended for beef, pork, poultry, fish and game

• Savory Herb - Zesty and robust flavors of Italian herbs - recommended for lamb, pork, and poultry

And if you like very intense flavoring, you can try something like black walnut which has an intense smoke that is slightly bitter like walnuts. It is typically used on beef, pork, game meat and venison

Note that you can mix and match your woods as well to get the exact flavor you want. Some of the more popular combinations include:

• Apple and cherry
• Apple and hickory
• Apple and oak
• Cherry and maple
• Cherry and oak
• Oak and hickory
• Oak and pecan
• Oak and hickory and apple