So you finally got yourself a smoker – congrats! Time to walk through your garden and pick up some branches to smoke, right? Think again.
Smoking adds another level of flavour and depth into your food that grilling can’t do. That’s because the wood you use in your smoker will affect the taste and richness of your food.
So which smoking wood you should choose for your smoker? We’ve pulled together our favourites.
What should I think about?
Choosing the right wood is more involved than you think – you don’t want to be chucking any wood in your smoker willy-nilly. Remember to keep these points in mind:
Does it have bark on it?
It might seem too easy to go for a walk and pick up any fallen tree branches you see. But most of that wood is going to have bark on it. Not only does bark have mould, moss, or other contaminants, but it’s also going to give your food a bitter flavour.
Where does it come from?
We all want to be environmentally friendly while we save a buck, but think about where your smoking wood comes from.
You might be tempted to visit your local woodworking shop and ask for off-cuts or shavings. Cost-effective and eco-friendly, right? Maybe not. Most of that wood has already been treated with chemicals or swept up from the dirty floor. Which could affect the taste and safety of your food.
Maybe cutting wood from a tree yourself is the best way? If so, use a hand saw to collect your wood. Chainsaws have blades that have been lubricated in oil. And don’t forget to remove the bark!
Wood varieties
There is plenty of smoking wood to choose from. A general rule is that fruit woods are mild and sweet, hardwoods are more robust and savoury, and nut woods produce a strong smokey flavour.
Just don’t coniferous or oleander woods like pine, cedar, fir, hemlock, cypress, or spruce. These will give your food a funny taste and could make you sick.
Adelaide Outdoor Kitchens now stock ProQ Smokers. Call Justin on 0437 658 850 to find out how you can get one for your outdoor kitchen.
