Cherry & Hickory Wood For Smoke?


 
Rusty James

Rusty James

TVWBB Emerald Member
Though about adding a chunk a cherry (along with the usual hickory wood) to my next pork butt smoke.

Does this sound like taboo?
 
Not only is it not taboo, it's a really good idea. I used hickory almost exclusively for quite some time but last spring I got a mixed box of apple, cherry, and peach from Fruita Wood. I have come to really like peach with pork. I think the peach does a better job of working with the natural pork flavor. Hickory can be dominant and somewhat mask the pork. Not that it needs to be completely excluded. I'll sometimes toss in a small piece of hickory but stick with mostly peach and apple. I'd pair cherry more with beef, but I wouldn't shy from using it with pork either if my choice was hickory or cherry.

There's no wrong or right here. Experiment. Have fun with it. Take notes of how much you use of what and follow up with tasting notes, particularly notes of how it tastes the following day. A lot of people have noted that smoke flavor seems muted on the day of the smoke. I've not yet figured out if it's olfactory fatigue or if it just takes a day for the smoky goodness to work its way further into the meat. Anyway, notes are the only way you're going to really figure out what you prefer.
 
Thanks, Jay!

I started using cherry wood just a few months ago, and it really did wonders for poultry, and our holiday turkeys, especially. I saved the turkey drippings for cornbread dressing and giblet gravy, and both were sensational. I can't imagine using another type of wood for fowl at the moment.

Out of curiosity, I smoked four pounds of raw Jimmy Dean pork sausage patties with cherry, and the meat actually had a bit of sweet flavor to it. On the other hand, I'm falling out of favor with apple, but I must try some of the other fruit woods you mentioned. Peach trees are abundant in the upstate of South Carolina, so I may take a trek down there one day.


JayHeyl said:
There's no wrong or right here. Experiment. Have fun with it. Take notes of how much you use of what and follow up with tasting notes, particularly notes of how it tastes the following day. A lot of people have noted that smoke flavor seems muted on the day of the smoke. I've not yet figured out if it's olfactory fatigue or if it just takes a day for the smoky goodness to work its way further into the meat. Anyway, notes are the only way you're going to really figure out what you prefer.
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Agreed.

I think it's a combination of fatigue, too much smoke in the nostrils, and smoke penetration.
 
Rusty, I have fallen in love with the mahogany color I achieve when I use cherry wood to smoke. I have yet to use it on anything else, as I have such a very small supply of cherry. The flavor is somewhat on the mild side making it great for poultry (as you mentioned earlier) so I pair it with pecan, but I have to say, it is definitely one of my favorite smoke woods to use.
Tim
 
I like to go 3/1 or 2/1 when I mix Fruit woods with Nut woods on Pork. I like the flavor Hickory adds to butts, but I wouldn't go 50/50 because the Hickory would overpower the Cherry, so why bother.

Thank's to Kevin K, Cherry is the only wood I use on ground meats like meatloaf , hamburgers etc.

There's a BBQ/ Comp/ Catering outfit out this way which uses Cherry wood only. I've tried it a few times and it's good, but mild, and I think the addition of some Hickory would up the flavor.

Tim
 
Living in Michigan, lots of cherry growers around here, I use LOTS of cherry! Sadly, I’m all out! I need to make friends with some fruit growers and take them some nice pulled pork by way of appreciation!
I am fond of cherry and pecan combination or apple and pecan or oak. Let’s face it, it’s all good in the end.
 
I find that hickory by itself tends to impart a "hammy" taste - particularly if I use too much of it (unless that would be my goal...)

With pork and a 50-50 "mix" of Apple and Hickory - I REALLY like the results, and from what I've been told, Apple and Cherry are pretty similar.
So, go for it and enjoy!
 
Speaking of hickory wood, I've often wondered if the Carolina grown stuff has the best aroma. Heck, they even named a nearby city after the wood, lol.

I've yet to try too much of my local stock yet, although I make sure the white billowy smoke dies down before adding meat to the grill.
 
I think too much hickory is a bad thing. I use 1 piece to 3 of apple.

My (tongue) jury is still out on the cherry wood, but I have some.
 
I think pork cries out for hickory LOL, when doing butts at home I'll go 50/50 hickory and apple. Ribs, I'll go good size chunk of hickory, 2 or 3 chunks of apple and maybe 1 chunk of cherry just for color.
On chicken, I use pecan and apple, not too much though, not a big fan of really smoky chicken. Beef gets some hickory or oak and maybe some cherry.
When I cook butts or briskets at home I usually don't foil, so the color cherry imparts is not that important to me.
I'll also use some sugar maple if I can get my hands on some, usually on ribs.
 
Bob Bass said:
I love cherry on pork ! Especially wild cherry from Fruita. Leaves a delicious mahogany color.
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I'm using the store bought stuff so far, but I can imagine what the Fruita variety tastes like.

I save fresh cherry pits for smoking, and I may try fresh peach pits as well.
 
I've been meaning to try cherry. Split a bunch yesterday making firewood. I make a fair amount of firewood every year.

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