Best wood for smokers?
What is the best wood for a meat smoker?
Can someone give me a link to the different kinds of trees we have in Indiana? I've been trying to learn how to tell the different trees apart, but today I cut and prepared what I thought was hickory for a meat smoker. Turned out it was White Oak.
Can someone give me a link to the different kinds of trees we have in Indiana? I've been trying to learn how to tell the different trees apart, but today I cut and prepared what I thought was hickory for a meat smoker. Turned out it was White Oak.
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Hickory, Bitternut
Carya cordiformis
Hickory, Black
Carya texana
Hickory, Mockernut
Carya tomentosa
Hickory, Pignut
Carya glabra
Hickory, Sand
Carya pallida
Hickory, Shagbark
Carya ovata
Hickory, Shellbark
Carya laciniosa
These are the Hickory trees indigenous to Indiana.0 -
quote:Originally posted by drjew
Hickory, Bitternut
Carya cordiformis
Hickory, Black
Carya texana
Hickory, Mockernut
Carya tomentosa
Hickory, Pignut
Carya glabra
Hickory, Sand
Carya pallida
Hickory, Shagbark
Carya ovata
Hickory, Shellbark
Carya laciniosa
These are the Hickory trees indigenous to Indiana.
Whoa!!! slow down I just learned how to tell what's a maple.0 -
Hickory
Cherry
Maple
I've smoked many a brisket, rack, or loin with these.
Hickory is unbeatable.0 -
Second on the Hickory. I used to have seveeral in my yard before I moved. I would just grab some small branches whenever I was grilling and put them in the fire. Shagbark Hickory is what I had.
CGR,
Go here,
http://www.phyplt.ipfw.edu/GROUNDS/NativeTreesOfIndianaRiverWalk/NativeTreeListByCommonName-Page1-test.htm0 -
I'd stay away from the carya glabra, that's the Pignut Hickory. I just don't like the name. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cubslover
Hickory
Cherry
Maple
I've smoked many a brisket, rack, or loin with these.
Hickory is unbeatable.
whoa[:0][:0]0 -
Hickory is always good, and have had some really good results with apple wood as well.
Apple gives a really good flavor for pork. For beef, I'll use mesquite or hickory. Turkey and chicken get hickory as well.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Cutiegirlracing
quote:Originally posted by cubslover
Hickory
Cherry
Maple
I've smoked many a brisket, rack, or loin with these.
Hickory is unbeatable.
whoa[:0][:0]
Yup, it's that big.0 -
My preference is mesquite. 0 -
2nd mesquite
its not like you going to chop down a tree, and smoke with it right away, go buy what you need, and what available0 -
Best you decide. Go online to E-b. Get a sample pack of various wood chips for smoking. And you won't be dealing with bugs dragging branches back from "out yonder". Best, Joe 0 -
i like hickory and sasafras together 0 -
Mesquite.
You can buy the chips, but they're not so great. Need to cut one down, let it cure in the pasture for 3-4 years, then add small pieces to your charcoal when you smoke.
(But they're not indigenous to Indiana.)0 -
Another vote for Hickory being #1.
Mesquite is good 2 but I think Apple is my #2 choice.[:p]0 -
It all depends on what type of meat you are smoking. Hicory is a good do everything wood. Cherry and Alder apply to some wild poultry better than others, and my favorate, especially living in the highest apple producing county in the nation, is Apple Wood(my cousin hates it when I go cut down one of his 3 year old trees).
Sorry to hear about that White Oak...we use that for aging wine here in the Finger Lakes region too. If you would like some Apple Wood, and some really good recipe ideas, give me a shout CGR.0 -
Railroad ties seem to smoke pretty good and there are lots of them right next to the road. [;)]
Soaked hickory seems to be the most popular.0 -
[:p]4th on Mesquite, once you taste it you will be hooked, no other wood can even compare. try grilling steaks on just mesquite wood [:p] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by JWolf
[:p]4th on Mesquite, once you taste it you will be hooked, no other wood can even compare. try grilling steaks on just mesquite wood [:p]
I'll second that steak grilling....1st time, I think I ate about 400 pounds... have had a little waddle in my walk ever since!!!0 -
I don't smoke wood.
It's just too hard to roll and taking a drag is near impossible.0 -
Apple wood
Jack Daniels charred oak barrels (Academy sporting goods)0 -
I'm sure I'll get cussed for this, but we use hedge (osage orange) with excellent results. 0 -
Australian pine,Black Mangrove,Grapefruit.All woods Indigenous to Florida, and GREAT for smoking meats.Well, accept for the Ausi. Pine.[^] 0 -
Yes, experiment.
And as long as you've already got the oak, why don't you try that? I don't have a smoker, but I use wood for grilling meat. I let the wood in our heating stove burn down evenly, insert a wire rack, and broil in the firebox. I've used all the woods mentioned above except mesquite and hedge,* and they're all good. So is oak. I put a few slivers of bark off to the sides of the stove, where they can get hot enough to put out flavorful smoke, and the results are excellent.
We just had pork chops that way a couple of days ago. Hard to tell from hickory-broiled, actually.
*Edit: I wrote that before I read about Australian pine, black mangrove, and grapfruit.0 -
Those woods may be native to Indiana, but they are not indigenous, which would mean found ONLY in Indiana.
I prefer apple, mesquite, and for salmon, alder. Hickory is a distant third for me, but I do like the nuts, grew up on them.0 -
I do a lot of smoking my own meats in my smoker. I mostly use mesquite & hickory, but I will also use pecan & maple for certain cuts of ham. I have also used apple, but it isn't strong enough for my taste.
Trinity +++0 -
If you know anyone that owns a cabinet, or a furniture shop, ask them to save you their raw scraps of hickory, maple, and cherry.
Ben0 -
Apple, Hickory, Cherry -each depending on what kind of meats your smoking. 0 -
Hickory, apple, mesquite mmmmmmm the hardwood floor guys will have hickory cherry and other raw wood scraps. 0 -
I prefer pecan. Don 0 -
quote:Originally posted by agman1999
I'm sure I'll get cussed for this, but we use hedge (osage orange) with excellent results.
Some of the best steaks I've ever eaten were smoked with hedge. Apple and hickory around here are prominent. Mesquite is good, but not found here.0
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