Smoking Brisket with Cherry Wood


 

BruceS

TVWBB Member
Has anyone ever smoked Brisket with Cherry wood? If so, was it overly sweet tasting from the Cherry smoke wood?
 
Not at all, like most fruit woods cherry is a mild smoke. It will give the meat a nice cherry color though.
 
Living in Michigan, there is a significant amount of cherry industry, I use it a LOT! No, I have not found it too sweet by any means. The last brisket I did was a 14# Prime from Costco, full ring (really full!) and a lot of cherry, Just salt and pepper, about 16 hours.
Turned out one of the best, if not THE best, I have ever done!
Fear not the wood of the noble cherry tree, for why else did George cut that one down?
 
I have used Cherry in the past, and like Rich mentioned it does impart a gorgeous colour. Very nice wood to use as far as my experience is concerned.
 
Cherry is my favorite for chicken and turkey. Haven't tried it on beef or pork yet, but I may try it on some sausage patties soon.
 
Going to be using some cherry when I smoke a beef tenderloin later this afternoon. It's a great combination.





BD
 
I often mix in cherry with hickory, and sometimes other woods, for brisket. Works fine, and does give meats good color.

It seems that lots of people think that smoke from fruit woods like cherry or peach will make meat sweet. Just because a tree produces fruit that tastes sweet does not mean that smoke from burning the limbs will be sweet.
 
I have used cherry and the meat was good but I won't use it anymore.
It made my smoker smell like cherry cough syrup for weeks.
 
The cherry was dry, it just left a lingering sweet cherry aroma that reminded me of cherry flavored cough syrup and I personally didn't find it pleasant.
Others might not detest cough syrup like I do or might not make that association and could very well enjoy that particular smell.

I have been using nothing but oak for quite some time and the lingering aroma only reminds me of BBQ.
 
I have a 5 gall pail of chunked cherry that I use for almost everything. I am doing a brisket tomorrow and will be using the Cherry. I also have a bunch of crab apple that needs splitting into small chunks that I will also use. Both are supposed to be a more mile smoke and are recommended for a wide range of meats.
 
I have a 5 gall pail of chunked cherry that I use for almost everything. I am doing a brisket tomorrow and will be using the Cherry.


No complaints about cherry on my end, although I can't remember using it on beef yet. I'm warming up to pecan too.
 
I love wild cherry. It is mild, and does well with hickory or oak. Rich mentioned it adds a beautiful red color, and to quote a well respected member " It's the nut on meatloaf"

Tim
 
I have some cherry and red oak I got from Smokinlicious. I have used all cherry on briskets and it's good. Recently, I've been using a mix of cherry and oak on briskets and that works as well. Cherry also works well on pork butts.
 

 

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