Brian Ferdman
Banned
I thought some might appreciate reading the results of America's Test Kitchen's comparison of smoking woods.
Is Smoking Wood Just Wood?
Written: 6/2003
It's easy to find hickory or mesquite smoking wood—is it worth the bother to find something more exotic? And just what is the difference between wood chunks and chips?
When choosing your smoking wood, choices probably seem limited, as most hardware stores stock and sell only the two most popular types: hickory and mesquite. But many grilling enthusiasts swear by harder-to-find, more exotic woods. We wondered if it was worth the bother (and expense) to find these woods. We also wondered about the differences between "chips" and "chunks."
It turns out that both wood chips and wood chunks have a place in the world of barbecue. Chunks, because of their larger size, burn considerably longer. More smoke means more flavor, so chunks are our choice for a charcoal grill. We soaked the chunks in water for an hour to promote smoking and avoid flaming and then nestled them into the bed of burning coals. Unfortunately, when placed on the bottom of a gas grill, wood chunks do not get hot enough to smoke. On a gas grill, you must use wood chips, which should be soaked in water for a minimum of 30 minutes (so they smoke rather than ignite) and then placed in a disposable aluminum pan (to shield them from the lit burner).
With the basics under our belt, we turned to the type of wood. It is best to stay away from soft resinous woods like pine, spruce, and cedar. These needle-bearing trees contain too much sap, making their smoke harsh and foul tasting. We purchased eight different types of hardwood and tested them for flavor differences while barbecuing baby back ribs. The ribs had been brined for 1 hour and were coated with spice rub. We wanted to see how each type of wood smoke would stand up to these big flavors.
We must admit, before testing these woods for differences in flavor, we doubted that we would find many. Isn't wood just wood? One by one, we were proved wrong. Tasters were shocked as well. Here are the eight woods tested, with comments about their flavor.
Apple and Cherry: slightly sweet and fruity
Peach: slightly sweet and very woodsy
Hickory: strong, pungent, hearty
Pecan (the Southern cousin to Hickory): a bit more mellow but similar to Hickory
Maple: mellow, sweet
Oak: very perceptible but not unpleasant acidic note
Mesquite: tangy, but during the long, slow heat of barbecuing that tanginess turned to bitterness
In the end, tasters enjoyed ribs cooked over all of the woods tested, with the exception of mesquite. Each wood has its own personality and gives food a unique flavor; make your choice based on availability and personal preference.
Is Smoking Wood Just Wood?
Written: 6/2003
It's easy to find hickory or mesquite smoking wood—is it worth the bother to find something more exotic? And just what is the difference between wood chunks and chips?
When choosing your smoking wood, choices probably seem limited, as most hardware stores stock and sell only the two most popular types: hickory and mesquite. But many grilling enthusiasts swear by harder-to-find, more exotic woods. We wondered if it was worth the bother (and expense) to find these woods. We also wondered about the differences between "chips" and "chunks."
It turns out that both wood chips and wood chunks have a place in the world of barbecue. Chunks, because of their larger size, burn considerably longer. More smoke means more flavor, so chunks are our choice for a charcoal grill. We soaked the chunks in water for an hour to promote smoking and avoid flaming and then nestled them into the bed of burning coals. Unfortunately, when placed on the bottom of a gas grill, wood chunks do not get hot enough to smoke. On a gas grill, you must use wood chips, which should be soaked in water for a minimum of 30 minutes (so they smoke rather than ignite) and then placed in a disposable aluminum pan (to shield them from the lit burner).
With the basics under our belt, we turned to the type of wood. It is best to stay away from soft resinous woods like pine, spruce, and cedar. These needle-bearing trees contain too much sap, making their smoke harsh and foul tasting. We purchased eight different types of hardwood and tested them for flavor differences while barbecuing baby back ribs. The ribs had been brined for 1 hour and were coated with spice rub. We wanted to see how each type of wood smoke would stand up to these big flavors.
We must admit, before testing these woods for differences in flavor, we doubted that we would find many. Isn't wood just wood? One by one, we were proved wrong. Tasters were shocked as well. Here are the eight woods tested, with comments about their flavor.
Apple and Cherry: slightly sweet and fruity
Peach: slightly sweet and very woodsy
Hickory: strong, pungent, hearty
Pecan (the Southern cousin to Hickory): a bit more mellow but similar to Hickory
Maple: mellow, sweet
Oak: very perceptible but not unpleasant acidic note
Mesquite: tangy, but during the long, slow heat of barbecuing that tanginess turned to bitterness
In the end, tasters enjoyed ribs cooked over all of the woods tested, with the exception of mesquite. Each wood has its own personality and gives food a unique flavor; make your choice based on availability and personal preference.