I finally gave up on my smoker and decided to get a new smoker. I went with a bigger model but less tech. Yes, its a cheater electric smoker. My 3rd one. I need more space to cook, I don't need help getting my smoke and temp right. :-)
I've also never used injection for flavor except for pork butt or other big cuts of meat. I decided to give it a try. I developed my own injection. Basically like the other recipes you have out on the internet but I'm putting the rub in the injection and using sirracchi.
Full results not in yet but my son and I think its the best sausage we have ever had.
No sauce. Marinated the meat overnight. Injected the meat. Slow cooked the ribs and chicken. Baste it with a combo of butter and apple juice. Using a combination of Apple, Mesquite, Cherry and Hickory wood.
If you ever out and about wondering about what species of trees are in a stand of timber for a good smoking or fireplace wood or just curious what the heck kind of tree that is. Download Virginia Tech Tree ID app. Its a wonderful wealth of free info to help ID a tree in your region by leaf, bark,nut, cone, branch and bud. Helpful for winter ID and very good pictures. It does use some space on your phone but you can download just a region per geographical coordinates or zip code.
I use this now instead of my old in taters Arborist dendrology ID flash cards. Land surveyors have to often locate trees and id them on a site. Particularly to ID pay trees and any tree 6 inches in diameter or larger as many cities require a percentage to be replaced on a new construction site. [Reply]
What do you recommend for ground hog? I used red oak and apple.
Almond – one of my favorites. Sweet, smokey, and a little nutty. Almond wood works with anything you can imagine. It would probably even make roadkill (Tennessee Pizza) taste good….
On long smokes( Butts brisket, chuck roll) in cold weather, I used to use some well seasoned locust as a heat source with lots of apple wood. [Reply]
Originally Posted by srvy:
I copied this list of smoking wood a while back as a general idea of what they will do for meats. My work brings me into the woods a lot so I can collect limbs from a lot of timber that I can identify. I age and debark it. Debarking is very important never smoke with bark on the wood it can be full of toxins and also will make meat bitter. There is no moisture content in bark and is designed to rid the tree of wastes by retaining it in this area.
Also avoid orchards selling fruitwood trimmings as they use and spray insecticides among many other chemicals.
Cottonwood is in this list but I would be very cautious it just isnt worth it as it is toxic unless thoroughly dried. Some people strip down pallets to use as smoke wood but can you safely say what has been stored on it. Just don't.
Acacia similar to mesquite, but a little lighter in flavor. Good for most foods, especially beef and poultry.
Alder musky and sweet, alder works with most foods, especially game meats, upland birds, fish and seafood. Alder is the traditional wood that Northwest Native Americans use to smoke salmon.
Almond one of my favorites. Sweet, smokey, and a little nutty. Almond wood works with anything you can imagine. It would probably even make roadkill (Tennessee Pizza) taste good .
Apple a little sweet and very fruity, apple wood is the strongest tasting of all the fruitwoods. It works with just about everything, especially game birds, pork and ham. Its not commonly done, but I use a blend of hickory and apple wood when I smoke carp .outstanding.
Apricot similar to hickory, but a little milder and sweeter. Like hickory, it works with everything, period. It is especially good for smoking cheese.
Ash general woody taste and smell. I never use it, but I know people who do. If you decide to try it, be advised that ash burns fast and hot, so use it sparingly and refresh it often. Probably best when mixed with other woods. To me, it makes the food taste like it was prepared in a sawmill. Others make disagree Vive la difference .
Avocado I ahem never used it, but I know some people in California who do, and they say it imparts a floral, olive-oily character with a mild smoky finish. Ill have to take their word for it, because it is not available in Georgia or Tennessee.
Bay mild floral with overtones of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices. Wonderful with fish or poultry.
Beech like oak, just a mild, generic woodsy smell and taste. Works with everything.
Birch very similar to maple, only a bit milder. Outstanding with fish, pork, and poultry.
Blackberry sweet, mild, and fruity. One of the best woods for small game birds like quail, doves, grouse, or even Cornish Hens and Heritage turkeys.
Butternut like walnut, very strong and can be bitter. Best used with other smoke woods to enhance there properties.
Carrotwood generic outdoorsy taste and smell. Mild. Works with everything.
Cherry sweet and wonderfully fruity. One of the best for whole chickens or turkeys, but it will turn the skins dark brown. It will give light meats a rosy tint. Incredible with rabbit and squirrels. It also works good with opossum.
Chestnut sweet and nutty. Great with ham, pork loins and poultry.
Corncobs generic sweet aroma and taste. Use by themselves, they can overpower your food. Best used with other woods such as beech, ash, etc , to sweeten them up a bit.
Cottonwood not suitable for smoking, but can be used as fuel. Has no flavor, and green cottonwoods can be toxic.
Crabapple very similar to apple, but puts out tons of smoke. Very rich and fruity. My 1st choice for turkeys.
Fig fruity and mild. Great for ribs, pork loins, Boston Buts, etc
Fruitwood sweet and rich. Perfect for BBQ.
Grapefruit mild and smokey. Great for when you want less of an in-your-face smoky flavor than hickory, but still want some smoke.
Grapevines sweet, fruity, and milder than hickory. Wonderful for all white meats.
Guava floral and fruity. Very similar to apple and can be used the same way.
Hickory the absolute, undisputed King of Smoke Woods. Strong, smokey and sweet. The only smoke wood to use for making bacon or hams. Hickory is so strong that it can get bitter, so you should soak your hickory chips in water for a few hours before using them, to tame them down a little. You can also mix it with other smoke woods, like apple, or maple, for unlimited taste combinations. One of my favorites is 50/50 hickory and maple, or hickory and cranberry.
Oak Whiskey Barrel Staves the only time you will read about me recommending used wood for smoking, This is the exception to the rule. Distilleries like Jack Daniels, and others, will sell you the oak staves from barrels used to age whiskey in. They make an unequaled, strong, very sweet and aromatic smoke that cannot be achieved by any other means. You food will be sweet, very smokey with a pronounced floral, whisky-is finish. The very best for BBQ, beef, pork and poultry. I get mine from a local distillery.
Kiawe pretty much just Hawaiian mesquite, and can be used the same as mesquite. Not widely available outside Hawaii.
Lemon sweet, fruity and citrusy. Outstanding with poultry.
Lilac mild, sweet and very floral. One of my favorites for fish, seafood, sheep, and goat.
Lime similar to lemon, only a bit strong and more limey. Use like lemon. Great on pork, and both lemon and lime can be mixed with other woods.
Maple sweet, smokey, and as you might guess, a little maple-y. Great with poultry, especially turkey, game birds, and pork. Also makes great bacon when mixed with hickory.
Mesquite sweet, smokey and earthy. Second in popularity only to hickory, this is the wood to use for Texas BBQ, beef and chicken.
Mulberry sweet, with a mild tangy berry finish.
Nectarine very similar to hickory, only more mild, and sweeter.
Oak Generic woodsy smell and taste. Nothing to brag about.
Olive very similar to mesquite, only somewhat lighter. Great for poultry.
Orange distinct tangy, citrusy smoke. Turns food a beautiful gold color. Good for pork, poultry and beef.
Peach similar to hickory, only much milder. Works with everything.
Pear similar to apple, only a little milder and sweeter. Especially good with poultry, game birds and pork.
Pecan similar to hickory, only milder, sweeter, with a unique character. One of the best woods for turkey. You can also toss the pecan shells in.
Persimmon mild generic smoke flavor and aroma. Works with everything.
Pimento A great unique smoke with a nice peppery finish, and overtones of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The wood to use for Jerked chicken or beef, and is unbelievable when used to smoke fish and seafood. Also great for cold-smoking cheeses.
Plum similar to hickory, only milder and sweeter. Works with everything.
Sassafras if you love real root beer, then this is your wood. Has a nice, sweet, musky taste and aroma with a mild root beer-like finish. Wonderful with beef, pork and poultry.
Seaweed spicy, with the flavor of the ocean. Traditional for smoking seafood, fish and shellfish. Make sure it is thoroughly washed, and well-soaked in clean water before use.
Walnut similar to hickory, only stronger and more intense. Used alone, it will make your food bitter. Best used with other, milder woods.
I've used Jack Daniel's wood chips before and I assume they were made from old barrels. It left a an almost oily film on my meat. Not good and I'll never use it again. [Reply]
Originally Posted by philfree:
I've used Jack Daniel's wood chips before and I assume they were made from old barrels. It left a an almost oily film on my meat. Not good and I'll never use it again.
Yeah its popular now to purchase retired whiskey barrels to smoke meat with. I have not had any real interest especially how expensive the barrel would be. Maybe a bourbon marinade or soak chips in a bourbon solution. [Reply]
I dont have a Rec Tec pellet grill its a cadillac in relationship to my Camp Chef entry level pellet. I have never felt bold enough to give a brisket a go in it just to many hot and cold spots. Every time I thought to I say next time and go with the WSM.
I know another poster posted a while back on his new Rec Tec perhaps he has done one in it. I cant remember who now of whether it was here of what's for dinner thread.
Im a creature of habit I just cant move away from the dalmation it never fails me. [Reply]
I've recently purchased a couple of new cookers. I already had a Yoder Wichita offset stick burner which is a pretty sizeable investment so I thought I'd go cheaper with the new ones. I bought a OK Joes Vertical Drum Smoker and also a Dyna Glo Vertical Offset Smoker. It gives me the ability to cook a lot of meat at once and also different meats with different temps or woods at the same time. I wanted to be able to cook a competition. I've never competed at BBQ but I'm thinking about it. There's nothing I enjoy more than firing up the smoker and cooking some quality Q. [Reply]
Originally Posted by cooper barrett: What do you recommend for ground hog? I used red oak and apple.
Almond one of my favorites. Sweet, smokey, and a little nutty. Almond wood works with anything you can imagine. It would probably even make roadkill (Tennessee Pizza) taste good .
On long smokes( Butts brisket, chuck roll) in cold weather, I used to use some well seasoned locust as a heat source with lots of apple wood.
I am not recommending anything. This is a list I copied long ago from a website. I posted it so anyone curious about other woods not normally found in your walmart or Westlake ace Hardware. It gives you an idea what flavor you can expect and what meats pair well with. [Reply]
Originally Posted by srvy:
I am not recommending anything. This is a list I copied long ago from a website. I posted it so anyone curious about other woods not normally found in your walmart or Westlake ace Hardware. It gives you an idea what flavor you can expect and what meats pair well with.
The wood place was just north of there, just past, and across the street, of the old KCIR, Fuck you Claire If you didn't know they were there, you would never find it. [Reply]
