Wood Smoking Flavor Table

[Attjack]

What do you think? Is this a valid guide for which wood pairs well with what?

[Potkettleblack]

Surprised by the no apple on cheese. Common in Wisconsin.

I currently use Maple-Hickory-Cherry on everything. Works fine.

[Steve R.]

Give me oak, hickory and cherry, in that order, and I'm good.

[Attjack]

I'm sitting on a ton of apricot.

[Huskee]

I love apricot wood. Good stuff.

[Mudbeaver]

Doesn’t sound very comfortable............ sorry

[Gator Lau]

It looks like one mans opinion. It’s as good as anybody else’s. I like the warning - I didn’t know a couple of those were bad. Personally, I use many - some for different foods; some for different recipes. I don’t know how much it helps, but it gives me an excuse platform.

[Potkettleblack]

Two guys, possibly one flavor profile...
I've had chicken with mesquite, and it works nicely, and really, anything that you do hotter than 300 or so, the flavor of the smoke doesn't matter... #Science!

[Spinaker]

True statement my friend. Potkettleblack

[RustyHaines]

I welcome the various opinions when taken as a general guide. But I love mesquite for poultry.

[Huskee]

I'm sorry, I hate to be a negative Ned, but these charts are very subjective and at the mercy of their creator (read: baloney). DO NOT take this to the bank and make future smoking decisions based on it. I've smoked amazing briskets with apple. I do most of my smoking with ash (not fit to even be included), and I've done awesome salmon with peach.

[Potkettleblack]

Whoa there, Huskee. Folks will get us confused.

[surfdog]

True that. Apple gets used around here a lot because a bunch of it was available...and everything has been tasty.

[Scout789]

Well said!

[Nate]

I like pecan... oak always seems like the safest bet though.

[JeffJ]

I prefer turtle.

[Spinaker]

I honestly never put much value in things like this. I have found that as long as your fire is hot and clean, any hardwood will do. I have used oak on every meat group with no problem. Sure, maybe you don't want to use Mesquite on white fish, but that is about it. In my opinion, quality and type of smoke is much more about fire management.

More on all of that here, if you are curious.

[EdF]

In your KBQ, you might even get away with mesquite white fish!

[Santamarina]

Yep, a clean burn is more important than the type of wood.

[jfmorris]

I’ve smoked about all meats with oak, hickory, mesquite, pecan or apple wood at one point in time or the other, and never had any complaints. It all depends on what I have on hand. Right now I have oak, apple, and hickory on hand. Made a great butt and some great ribs recently with hickory, although I usually use apple for pork. I just couldn’t help myself and had to mix things up!

[JakeT]

Any thoughts on that link Spinaker posted in regards to the climate and soil the wood is grown in? For instance, I live equidistant to a wood source in the Sacramento area, and a source in the Napa valley. I wonder if the flavors of oak wood I get in Napa will be better than Sacramento. I think definitely worth the effort of getting a wheelbarrow full from Napa to give it a shot anyway.

[JGrana]

When I first started smoking, I tried to follow some of these kinds of charts. Over time and wood availability I pretty much use what I have a lot of - hickory, cherry and apple. Sometimes I luck out with some maple and oak.
In the end I found that most anything I smoke, be it brisket, shorties, chicken, pork and veggies - with the woods I have available come out great. I use a KBQ so that helps a bit!

[Steve R.]

Which is strong evidence that a small hot fire is key.

[Daniel Leigh]

Has anyone ever tried using olive wood ? I have a ton of olive trees but cant get cheap access to much else.

[MBMorgan]

Has anyone ever tried using olive wood ? I have a ton of olive trees but cant get cheap access to much else.

Welcome from Colorado, Daniel ... never tried olive wood myself, but if you google "bbq smoke olive wood" you'll see that plenty of folks like it a lot.

[texastweeter]

All i need is an oak/mesquite mix for beef, hickory for pork, pecan for chicken, and a fruit wood for fish, veggies, or cheese. Maybe some alder for salmon in particular.

[EdF]

Sounds like a great protocol to me!

[Lock Stock and Barrel]

Where do alder trees grow?

[texastweeter]

Lock Stock and Barrel all over the world.