Seeking Advice for Types of Wood to Use for Smoking Bacon

[Nicolaus]

I have smoked bacon several times now on my KJ Big Joe III.

Once I used 20% Hickory and 80% Applewood. All the other times I used 20% Hickory and 80% Cherry Wood. While both flavors came out very nice, I much prefer the Cherry to the Applewood.

I’m about to smoke another 20lbs of bacon on Saturday and I would appreciate any and all ideas for types/combinations of wood to use. Here are the types of wood I have on hand presently:

Hickory
Texas Post Oak
Mesquite
Bourbon Barrel Oak
Pecan
Sugar Maple
Cherry
Applewood
Apricot
Orange
Plum

I have been using Meathead’s calculator for the curing process, and I have a question about that as well. I know that the amount of salt (indicated by Meathead’s calculator) which goes into the brine can be increased.

Here is my question: can the amount of sugar (indicated by Meathead’s calculator) be reduced or is that amount required for the efficacy of the curing process?

[barelfly]

I like sugar maple and have used that a number of times. I try to pair the wood with what I’m using as a rub on the slab of belly. If I have brown sugar, I usually use sugar maple or a fruit wood. If it’s a savory style bacon, I’ll use oak. And there are times where I do a mixture of fruit wood chips as well.

I’m not sure on your sugar question. I have my thoughts, but don’t want to point you in one direction in the event I’m off on my thinking

[jfmorris]

I'm a traditionalist I suppose, and prefer 100% hickory for my bacon smoking. The fruit woods just don't give it that traditional smoked flavor in my mind...

I have reduced the sugar in the brine significantly. The sugar doesn't matter for the curing process - only the Prague powder #1 for the cure. We too don't like the bacon overly sweet.

[texastweeter]

Agreed. I also put a heavy coat of corse black pepper on the outside.

[Panhead John]

+1 on the black pepper. Also, just before your bacon is done frying, sprinkle a little Lawry’s Garlic Salt on one side, flip once! 👍

[CaptainMike]

This is what I do as well. Keep it simple. I too hit it with a dose pepper as well as an occasional light dusting of cayenne.

[texastweeter]

Hickory is what I use on my bacon

[Panhead John]

Can’t beat hickory smoked bacon!

[CaptainMike]

Yep, we hicks have to stick together.

[Jerod Broussard]

Hickory on everything....200%, the trees live a double life.

[jtw]

As long as you don't mess with the curing salt, sugar won't affect the cure at all, just the sweetness at the end. - I find that some of Meathead's recipes end up sweeter than I prefer. He calls for 4-6 Tbsp (55-84g) of brown sugar per 3 lbs of pork, but I use the low end of that (by weight, I use about 60g of brown sugar). You could probably cut that down even more, but there's probably a point where the finished product isn't as good even if it's fully cured.

[Santamarina]

I cook just about everything with oak, but as many have said, it’s hard to go wrong with hickory for bacon.

A couple years ago my wood guy talked me into a wheel barrow full of almond. Didn’t do any bacon with it, but it was very nice on pork ribs and shoulder. Mellow, like a fruit wood, but not as sweet. I recon it would be nice on bacon too!

[JoeSousa]

I usually use a combination of apple and hickory. No specific ratios or anything, I just grab a couple chunks of each and throw them in.

[captainlee]

Hickory or a combo of hickory and cherry. I use that combo quite a bit.

[Livermoron]

Hickory's often the big go-to, but I like to mix things up and use apple or pecan (which can be described as "hickory lite...")