Smoking meat is one of the most delicious ways to enhance its flavor. This is especially true if you use wood, but wood smoking is an art form that takes a lot of practice. The following information will help you get started.
Start By Choosing the Best Woods
Smoking wood comes in a variety of forms, including chips, chunks, pellets, and dust. These go with specific types of smokers, so make sure you choose the right type before even trying to pick flavoring. Here’s a chart showing which type goes with which smoker:
- Chips – Smoker box
- Chunks – Pan
- Pellets – Hot plate
- Dust – Burning coals
Picking the Best Wood Flavoring
Hickory and mesquite wood are among the most popular woods used when smoking meat. They give meat a potent and heart taste. However, you can also use woods like alder, oak, maple, and even cherry and peach wood. The latter woods will give it a fruity flavor that can create unexpected flavor combinations.
Whatever wood you buy, try to soak it (except for the dust) in water for 30-40 minutes and drip dry. This helps increase the potency when burning and makes your smoking more effective than it would be otherwise.
Experimenting With Flavors
There’s nothing saying that you can’t mix and match various wood types when smoking meat. Try combining the rich flavor of mesquite with the sweetness of cherry or apple. Even if the flavor isn’t exactly to your taste, you might stumble on something that others love. This can make you the preferred meat smoking expert of your social circle.
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