Smoke'n with Oak?


 
J

Jody Phillips

New member
Just curious what the thought is on using oak wood for smoking pork, and what other wood flavor it most closely resembles? Spare Ribs and Butts mainly. I see it recommended for types of wood to use for smoking, but never actually see anyone using it. You always see Hickory Smoked, Apple Wood Smoked, Mesquite etc but never Oak Smoked?

I have a ton of oak and just hate to buy hickory or apple if the oak works just as well...

Thanks!
 
Welcome Jody,

Give the oak a try! Hickory is the classic pairing with pork, but certainly other woods will work. I too have a lot of oak on my property so I use it quite often. You might consider cutting back on the amount of oak used based on what you're smoking as it is a fairly strong flavored smoke.

Paul
 
Check out the "All About Smoke Woods" article on the virtualweberbullet web site.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html

"Oak is one of my favorite smoke woods. It goes with just about any barbecue meat. It has a medium smoky flavor that is stronger than apple and cherry, but lighter than hickory. As a result, it mixes well with these three woods, but also works great by itself. It has a dense, tight grain and a color ranging from almost white to yellow to red."
 
I use Oak all the time on Pork and it works great. I've found some local Hickory and Pecan but not much. If the wood is hard, local, and free it's my kind of wood.
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I have an unused stack of firewood that contains red and white oak. Does anyone know if there is a difference in quality of smoke?
 
For Boston Butts, my family preferrs the taste of the Pecan mixed with Hickory. One thing that I have learned from a decade of using my Bandera, is that Pecan burns a little cooler than Hickory and Oak, and a whole lot cooler than Mequite.

For pork ribs, my family preferrs Apple or Cherry. The smoke is much milder, and sweeter. It is noticeable.

For beef ribs, I go with either all Mesquite, or mix it with Hickory.

When I do poultry (Chicken or Turkey), I mix Apple with Pecan, or Cherry with Pecan.

One other thing that I would offer, both Oak and Hickory are great when not overused........ie, not too much smoke after the meat gets to over 100 degrees or so. Cool meat takes smoak better than hot meat. Too much smoak of any kind late in a cook takes away from the taste.

Welcome aboard Jody Phillips, this site has the answers to questions that you haven't even thought of yet. Great ideas, and great people.
 
JOdy, I use white oak all the time. It is a real robust and hearty smoke. I use it on butts and brisket. I use a lot on the butt because your going to shred or pull it any way so it'll get all mixed together. I would temper the amount if you are doing chicken,fish ,ribs,meatloaf,etc. In this case a little goes a long way. I combine hickory and oak on the butts and brisket. Love the aroma coming off the WSM.
 
Thanks for all of the input. I think one of my problems previously on my old COS was using way to much smoke in addition to very inconsistent temps. I want to get started on a positive note with the new WSM, so all of the advice is greatly appreciated!

So if I use the Oak on my Spare Ribs, should I go with about six ounces or like two small chunks for the whole smoke?

Also I'm very impatient and really don't think I'll be able to season the smoker, before using it...
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jody Phillips:


Also I'm very impatient and really don't think I'll be able to season the smoker, before using it... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No need to season the WSM. You might keep a close eye on temperatures the first time or two, though. Some people find that they run hotter the first couple of times (mine didn't as far as I can remember). Also look out for air leaks around the door, or where the sections fit together, which can also contribute to hotter temps. In my opinion, if you have a fire in the WSM, you should have some meat in there, too.
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Jody,

Welcome to the board! I am a big fan of oak. I use it with pork, poultry, and beef. It's a great all around smoke. With beef, I sometimes mix it with a little mesquite, and with pork, I sometimes mix with apple. Often, I use it alone.

But I've used it with steaks, burgers, sausage, duck, pulled pork, spareribs, back ribs, short ribs, chicken, duck, pork chops, pork shoulder steak, and hot dogs.

Next week, I'll use it with turkey.
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As for amount to use, I think 3-4 small chunks of oak with your spare ribs is a good, moderate amount. Always keep that top vent 100% open though.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Does anyone know if there is a difference in quality of smoke? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mike,

I buy mine from a store, so it's just "oak". Though some of it is obviously red, some of it is hard to tell, and it's just all mixed up. From what I've read, red oak is a little sweeter. Both red and white will give you quality smoke, and being a tight grained, dense wood, oak keeps for a longer time than lighter fruit woods. Try them separately, and let me know what you think.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Matt Sanders:
Jody,

Welcome to the board! I am a big fan of oak. I use it with pork, poultry, and beef. It's a great all around smoke. With beef, I sometimes mix it with a little mesquite, and with pork, I sometimes mix with apple. Often, I use it alone.

But I've used it with steaks, burgers, sausage, duck, pulled pork, spareribs, back ribs, short ribs, chicken, duck, pork chops, pork shoulder steak, and hot dogs.

Next week, I'll use it with turkey.
icon_smile.gif


As for amount to use, I think 3-4 small chunks of oak with your spare ribs is a good, moderate amount. Always keep that top vent 100% open though. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Matt! Appreciate the feedback and the advice. Going to do spare ribs and pulled pork this weekend, so I'll let ya know how it turns out.
 
Nice WSM all new and shiny! Like a football uniform before the game or a motorcycle with no bugs before the big ride!

I use oak with ribs and have good feedback. Pecan is still my personal fav.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Matt Sanders:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Does anyone know if there is a difference in quality of smoke? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mike,

I buy mine from a store, so it's just "oak". Though some of it is obviously red, some of it is hard to tell, and it's just all mixed up. From what I've read, red oak is a little sweeter. Both red and white will give you quality smoke, and being a tight grained, dense wood, oak keeps for a longer time than lighter fruit woods. Try them separately, and let me know what you think. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks Matt, Thats Great Info!
 
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