Bark

[Jerry N.]

I was reading a couple of threads and people talked about removing the bark from their wood. I've got some really great wood this year but they're mostly smaller pieces (wrist size or a little smaller) and taking off the bark seems like more work than preparing the meat.

Do most people remove the bark? If so, any easy way to do it?

 

[Rick Pruitt]

Hey Jerry,

This is one of the "how do you like it" things, I think . Some times I skin my wood , some times I dont.I cut some hickory a few weeks ago . It was 10" or more round, cut it into 1 1/2" , 2"slices, split that and quick dried it in an electric smoker. The bark all but fell off. On the small stuff, keep it in 2'/3' sticks and skin it long ways . The long stick lets you have a safe place to hang on then you just flip it and skin the other end. If you dont see the need to skin it, or you like the bark taste"if you think it gives a taste", well it is up to you . I think I would skin fruit wood. You dont know if or what with it may , in its life time been sprayed with.


Rick

 

[Jim Minion]

I know cooks in the SE that cook with bark.
The spray that is used on fruit trees has to dissipate or the fruit wood not be safe to eat.
Jim

 

[Bryan S]

I never do.

 

[Bruce Bissonnette]

I don't remove mine either Jerry.

 

[Tony Serra]

I only remove the bark if it comes off easy using my hands. If it's real thick I'll stand the chunk on end and chop down on it with a hand axe.

 

[Jerry N.]

Tony,
I did the hand axe thing but I couldn't see losing a finger or worse for the sake of not smoking with the bark on.

Rick,
Peeling it off seems like a good idea. I'll try that and see if it comes off easy that way.

If I can't get the bark off, maybe I'll just get the wood burning before I put the meat on. I'm guessing that any bad taste from the bark will happen in the early stage of burning the wood.