adding fruit wood chips to pork belly brine?

[daveyd]

anyone recommend doing it? I've heard of adding aromatics, does the wood flavor only come from the smoke?

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

I don't expect it would add much, if anything. Could be wrong, but not in my opinion.

[bbqLuv]

Ditto
Plus it just sounds wrong

[texastweeter]

Snake oil

[bbqLuv]

Big profits in snake oil.

[Spinaker]

Well I am guessing that just like the smoke they produce, fruit wood does not taste like the fruit the tree produces. My guess is that it tastes like what ever sawdust and wood tastes like. I would say your food will have a bark and sawdust flavor.

[Stuey1515]

Fruit wood does not add fruit flavour mate, it adds smoke flavour of various intensities. Don't get caught up in the waffle about combinations of different percentages of wood types etc. Keep it simple and don't overthink it, social media has a lot to answer for IMHO.

[Jfrosty27]

+1

[Huskee]

+2. I can't help but shake my head when I read things along the lines of "I use apple wood for a slight fruity smoke flavor" from professionals (newbies, hey we've likely all been there at some point). It's smoke, ain't no fruity flavor in smoke!

[Huskee]

I wouldn't. And when you say brine, do you mean cure, as in you're making bacon? If so, don't. You don't want to introduce contaminants into anything curing for days.

[Murdy]

If you want fruit flavor, add fruit or fruit juice. If you want smoke flavor in the brine, add liquid smoke. I don't think wood will add much of either.