BBQ Smoke Wood
The Quick answer to What the smoking woods
The short answer is any fruit or nut woods are great for smoking. Use the SmokePistol and 10 flavors are readily available.
The type of Barbecue Wood or "bbq smoker wood" you use should depend on the type of meat you are cooking. Certain wood works better with certain barbecued meats. The tendency is for the barbecue cook to use the type of wood that is easiest to find. It is usually the one or two types of wood available in the local supermarket. With the SmokePistol, there are
9 real wood cartridges readily available for great flavors on everything from
cold smoked salmon to
hot smoked BBQ ribs. The low cost of these cartridges and the fact that they are very compact makes it easy to have all flavors available at all times.Â
Cold smoke cheese with oak or hickory, try
sugar maple for hot smoking salmon or alder for a great cold smoked salmon.Â
Hickory smoked bacon is great and don't forget pecan for those BBQ ribs. The combinations are endless. The table below is a wood chart that will guide you in pairing up different barbecue wood types with different meats:
Wood Type
Characteristics
Best Used With
Alder
Very delicate with a hint of sweetness
Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds. Traditionally used in the pacific Northwest to smoke Salmon.
Apple
Slightly sweet but denser, fruity smoke flavor.
Beef, poultry, game birds, pork (particularly ham).
Cherry
Slightly sweet, fruity smoke flavor
Good with all meats.
Grape Vine
Aromatic, similar to fruit wood.
Good with most meats.
Hickory
Pungent, smoky, bacon-like flavor. The most common wood used.
Good for all smoking, especially pork and ribs.
Maple
Mildly smoky, somewhat sweet flavor.
Good with pork, poultry, cheese, vegetables and small game birds.
Mesquite
Strong earthy flavor
Good with most meats, especially beef and most vegetables.
Mulberry
The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple
Beef, poultry, game birds, pork (particularly ham).
Oak
One of the most popular wood's, Heavy smoke flavor.
Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.
Peach
Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor.
Good with most meats.
Pear
Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor.
Poultry, game birds and pork.
Pecan
Similar to hickory, but not as strong. Try smoking with the shells as well.
Good for most needs
Plum
The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory
Good with most meats.
Walnut
Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like pecan or apple. Can be bitter if used alone.
Good with red meats and game