Why Wood is so Important !!!

Why is Wood so Important.

In the Meat Smoking Business, Wood is the Root of what we do !!!

                                                   Photo Credit to: LawnPatioBarn


At Smoke It Up BBQ we cook over hardwoods to create a balance of spice & wood smoked flavor on our meat products. The flavors that we infuse through fire, and the chemistry that takes place between smoke & spice in the cooking chamber all revolve around the sourcing of the best quality hardwoods for cooking (there's no charcoal or propane in our firebox).

Nothing beats the flavor from a naturally burning product. Properly dried and stored, each wood type lends its own aroma & flavors, whether it be mild, floral, strong, smoky, fruity, sweet, sour etc. Each one offers it own special qualities for cooking.

*** PS. Do not cook with or over woods such as: Pine, Fur, Spruce, Redwood, Cedar (burning), Cypress, Elm, Sycamore or Conifer - Many of these woods combust a poisonous gas or residue which can harm you.

While I enjoy experimenting with all different flavors of cooking wood, I have found three types of wood that I feel compliment both pork & poultry equally (Smoke it up's primary meats) and lend excellent individual qualities to both proteins. Cherry, Hickory & Pecan.
I use a blend of all three (when seasonally available) to create our unique flavor & smoke profile.

Cherry Hardwood - Mild, light in flavor & fruity, can be sweet or bitter depending on the tree. Great with pork, poultry or beef. Adds a beautiful color to pork & beef. Very high aroma content. Pairs well with other hardwoods. (Find some with some deliciously sweet cherry sap !!! mmm)

   Photo's: Smoke It Up BBQ

Hickory Hardwood - A very common smoking and cooking hardwood. Very strong in flavor (think bacon) and can be overwhelming if to much is used (think about drinking liquid smoke). Works great with pork & beef, and sparingly on poultry & eggs. If hickory burns to hot it can become slightly bitter on the meat (careful !!!).

Photo's: Smoke It Up BBQ

Pecan Hardwood - Limited & becoming hard to find.  Deliciously sweet with a mild nutty aroma, burns hot and quick. Can be used in place of hickory. Works great with pork, beef, poultry, cheese & seafood.




*** Extra ***
(Maple Hardwood) - Very smoky, sweet and mild. Earthy in aroma but has a maple syrup sweetness that pairs nicely with poultry, seafood (meatier fish) and pork (pork belly).

There are many other great cooking woods out there such as Apple, Citrus, Plum, Apricot, Peach, Mesquite, Walnut & Oak. These will be discussed at a later date (great for flavoring poultry & sausages !!!).

When it comes to cooking wood there are thousands of variables; wood chips, chunks, sticks, logs, split or whole? Dry wood or soak your wood? The possibilities are endless, so tryout whatever you can get your hands on, or whatever you can fit in your grill or smoker.
Keep records of your protein cooked, woods used, variables, temps & weather to help keep
consistent results & learn from your cooking experiences.

Happy Smoking !!!

Kelham