Bbq which wood

Since we are using wood as our heat source and for flavor, we prefer seasoned wood. Wood that has been dead for a period of 6 months or longer depending on the species. It is difficult for us to find the good seasoned wood we are looking for because almost all of the other BBQ joints in this great state use green wood in their smokers. Why do these smokers use green wood?

Green wood contains a lot of moisture which makes it burn inefficiently. This produces a lot of white smoke and burns longer to give them the flavor they need. But since we here at Saddleback are using the wood for both heat and flavor, we prefer seasoned wood that has been dead for a while. The important part here is to know your smoker and that will help you pick the right wood. What type of wood do we use and why? That crap is treated with chemicals. In general you want to find a good hardwood without a lot of sap.

Nut and fruit woods are great. Since we are in Lansing Michigan, in our perfect world we would use all cherry wood. It produces a light, sweet smoke that we love. The challenge is, it can be hard to find in large quantities seasoned for 6 months or more.

Typically, we use a blend of cherry and either hickory or white oak. Hickory and white oak burn clean and produce a nice even heat because they are very dense. It's just a matter of knowing the fundamentals.

The first thing to consider is what kinds of wood to use, based on how overpowering the smoke they put out is. Think of smoking woods as existing on a spectrum from mild to strong. On the mild side are fruit woods, like apple, peach, cherry, and pear, which might impart that sweetness your friends swear by, but are subtle enough to use with lighter foods like poultry or fish, and sometimes pork.

In the middle part of the spectrum are woods like hickory, maple, pecan, and oak. They're great with pork, and strong enough to stand up to beef and game meats. Purviance's personal favorites to smoke with are hickory and oak. Finally, there's the strongest wood of all, and it's in a category all its own: mesquite. Which leads to the biggest mistake most people make: over-smoking their food. If you haven't used wood before, start small. One of the great things about barbecue is the wide variety of experimentation available to the backyard cook.

Wood smoke is what gives outdoor cooking its outdoor flavor. A great way to experiment with wood is actually on the grill. Instead of risking that hour brisket with a wood you've never tried before, try putting that wood to test on your grill next time you cook up some steaks or chops. Make sure you catch the scent of that wood. If the smoke is bitter and noxious you probably shouldn't be cooking with it. Acacia is similar to mesquite but not as strong. This wood burns very hot and should be used in small amounts or for limited amounts of time.

Alder has a light flavor that works well with fish and poultry. Indigenous to the northwestern United States, it is the traditional wood for smoking salmon. Almond gives a nutty, sweet flavor that is good with all meats. Almond is similar to pecan. Apple is very mild in flavor and gives food a sweetness. This is good with poultry and pork. Apple will discolor chicken skin turns in dark brown. Apricot is great for poultry and pork.

This wood is similar to hickory but is sweeter and milder in flavor. Ash has a light, unique flavor. This wood burns fast. Birch has a similar flavor to maple.

This wood is good with pork and poultry. Black walnut has a heavy flavor that should probably be mixed with other wood because of the bitter taste it can impart.

Cherry has a sweet, mild flavor that goes great with virtually everything. This is one of the most popular woods for smoking. Chokecherry has a bitter flavor and should only be used in small amounts for short periods of time. Citrus woods such as lemon or orange have a moderate smoke that gives a light fruity flavor milder than apple or cherry. Cottonwood is very mild in flavor and should be used with stronger flavored woods.

Avoid green wood. Crabapple is very similar to apple wood and can be used interchangeably. Fruit , such as apple, apricot, or cherry, fruit wood gives off a sweet, mild flavor that is good with poultry or ham. Grapefruit is a mild wood that produces a good, smoky flavor.