The first thing to think is
what kind of wood to use, depending on whether to counteract the smoke they
send out.
Think of smoking woods as
occurring in a continuum from mild to heavy. In the mild side, there are fruit
trees, such as strawberry, peach, cherry and pear, which may add the sweetness
to your friends, but which are delicate enough to be used for lighter food,
such as poultry or beef, and often pork. Birch is a smidge thicker, and an apt
option for more deeply seasoned fish, Birch smoked salmon.
In, The middle portion of the
range is made up of trees such as hickory, pine, pecan and oak. They're perfect
with pork, and solid enough to hold up to beef and game meat.
Ultimately, the best wood of
all is in the division of all its own: mesquite. This may be an essential wood
to smoke with if you do so in moderation.
"Using mesquite like you
might use chili peppers,". "It is to be found in conjunction with
certain ingredients only for a short period of time."
That contributes to the
greatest error that most people make: over-smoking their food. Although
smokiness can lend a diabolical richness to food that can turn a decent hunk of
flesh into a transcendental meal, too many barbecues have forgotten that when
it comes down to it, their guests want to eat meat, not smoke.
"In general, you're not
supposed to smoke for more than half the cooking time. "Just quit.
Otherwise, you risk overdoing it." People often seem to realize that
smoking is not only about adding spice, it's about bringing an appealing glow
to the food. Hickory and oak are so common mainly because they lend a
"truly deep, heavy, mahogany flavor" to meat.
And there's nothing wrong
with a little mix-and-match for the very experienced. If you are able to play,
consider utilizing various woods with varying strengths at the same time.
Common variations involve hickory with apple or hickory with cherry, which
improves the game of mild fruit trees while offering the meat a rich,
golden-brown finish.
"The most extreme
smokers, or the match pit leaders, fall into the act of mixing the woods the
same way you combine the spices.
If you wanted to kill two
birds with one stone and cut down the nasty tree in the backyard to keep your
smoker well fed this summer, bare in mind that certain woods aren't intended to
smoke food. Keep away from the more resinous trees, like pines, that can easily
make your food inedible. And don't always cut the green branch off and stick it
on the coals, either, for most of the same reason.
If the wood is not too
resinous or green, let it season until you use it. Arrange in a well-ventilated
row, ideally in strong sunshine and not directly on the ground, then let it dry
for at least a month before usage.
"You will notice that it
has a stronger scent and burns a little smoother for you.
Usually, you'll use
chunk-sized bits of wood in your smoker, which won't become cinders until your
pork shoulder gets above room temperature. Yet wood chips have a position to
play as well: whether you're grilling something that cooks on a standard
charcoal grill.
And as for the age-old
argument on whether or not to soak your wood until you dump it on the coals, is
squarely on the no-soak side, noting that the heat of the coals evaporates the
water before it has a chance to influence your grain.
"That doesn't even make
a difference.
