Eating out isn’t always a great experience, and it’s costly!
You could save at least $3,000 a year by making dinner yourself instead.
Do you love to grill, smoke, or cook over the fire? Mastering the art of smoking meat is a delicate process, and it all starts with selecting the right wood.
Why does the type of wood you choose matter? It’s all about the flavor. The wood you choose to smoke with is what’s going to give the meat its unique taste. With so many different types of wood out there, how do you know which one to use?
So glad you asked! We’ve created this guide on what woods are best for smoking to help make your decision easier.
1. Bacon Flavored Hickory for Smoking Chicken
Are you planning on cooking chicken? Then hickory could be the perfect wood choice! Hickory trees are part of the deciduous tree family. When you’re smoking meat with hickory, the bacon flavor will be apparent from the smoker to your plate.
For the best results, smoke with hickory for at least an hour. It also helps if you have a smoker with an adjustable damper. That way, you can control the airflow and maintain even temperatures throughout your cook session. When it comes to preparing the meat, it’s best to use a dry rub that includes paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
When you go to buy hickory wood, you’ll need a few things. You will want to know how much hickory you need and what the size of wood is, ie: the number of logs or chips that should be used for smoking.
You can buy your hickory in splits (logs cut into two pieces), chunks, or chips from suppliers. Look for suppliers who specialize in hardwood products like charcoal. Specialized suppliers tend to have reliable sources and quality control measures in place.
When buying wood by the bag, get ready for sticker shock! Weighing about fifty pounds per cubic foot on average and can easily cost $70 per cord, plus tax! The cost gets prohibitive when ordering online unless you’re just doing some experimenting with cheaper cuts like scraps or small splits.
2. Cherry and Applewood Meats to Smoke
Next, cherry and applewood are the top choices when you’re looking to liven up your meal. Both kinds of wood help meats have an explosive, fruit-like flavor.
However, cherry wood is a little more versatile. It can be used for anything from pork to beef and even lamb! Applewood typically works best with poultry, but it also has an amazing smoky flavor that will give your dish the perfect kick.
The trick to smoking with cherry wood is to find the right balance between heat and smoke. Too much of one and not enough of the other will give you an underwhelming flavor, so it’s important to find that sweet spot!
The same goes for applewood – keep your smoker at a steady temperature (around 250 degrees) while adding more wood as needed. You’ll know when it’s done because meat has a beautiful caramelized color on its surface with enticing smoky aromas in the air.
As long as you follow these steps, smoking can be easy-breezy for anyone who is looking to make some delicious meats this winter or summer!
3. How to Smoke With Pecan Wood
Pecan wood is great because it gives the meat a special taste. Pecan woods are best used with certain meats like chicken, duck, or pork butt (pork shoulder).
The grill should be set up to accommodate the type of cooking being done – different grills have different setups so choose one that meets your needs. When smoking pecan wood, use enough charcoal briquettes around the coals to keep them burning evenly throughout the whole process without being too close to extinguishing any flames.
There are many benefits to using pecan as a fuel source for smoked meats such as less ash and more flavor than other types of hardwoods.
When you smoke duck with pecan it only takes one or two hours before the meat is cooked enough. Don’t worry about keeping my smoker on all night and waking up in the middle of the night to turn it off.
After cooking your duck, it’ll go great with some pecan-smoked corn on the cob. Pecan smokers are usually easier to control than other types. They require less fuel to heat up and maintain their temperature throughout cooking time.
The consistency makes them perfect for beginners who want a consistent temperature without having too much experience trying different modifications each time you cook something new. With this type of smoker, you have to pay close attention to the meat.
4. Maplewood Flavors
Looking for savory sweetmeat? Maplewood can be the perfect solution for you.
Smoke meat with maple wood is a popular technique in Alberta and Nova Scotia. In Alberta, smoking Bison with Maplewood is a favorite choice.
It has become more common throughout North America, but it is usually used as a finishing flavor to make an already smoked dish taste even better- not the sole smoking fuel.
Maplewood is known for its sweet smell. Maplewood entices people to eat what they are cooking before it’s done because of how appetizing that aroma smells! The sweetness compliments beef well since many roasts have been prepared using this type of smoky flavor. If you’re looking for something new try smoke meats with Maplewood today! We find that Maplewood is also the best wood for smoking turkey, chicken breasts, pork tenderloins, and bacon.
Start Smoking Meat
It can be really fun to experiment around with different types of wood for smoking meat. Maplewood is great for sweetmeat like pork, hickory makes meat have an irresistible bacon flavor and pecan wood is perfect when you’re cooking meats like duck.
Once you’ve chosen a type of wood that fits the kind of meat you want to smoke, it’s time to visit your butcher because they’ll know which specific cuts are best suited for each particular type of meat smoker or grill! If you’re looking to learn a few more tips, why not read another article?