Are you looking to perfect the delicate art of BBQ Ribs? To become a backyard BBQ Pitmaster you will first have to master the holy trinity — heat, time and smoke. To better understand heat and time see The 12 Secrets of Cooking Smoked BBQ Ribs , but to unlock the mystery of the smoke stay here.
Smoke appears to be a simple concept on the surface as it dates back to earliest days of man as a way to add flavor to anything that can be cooked. Historically, smoke was used to preserve meat for long periods of time. Today we use it to enhance the flavor of meats. Obviously you need wood for fire – but will any wood do?
Just like spices different woods produce different flavors. Understanding what to look for will bring you closer to BBQ bliss. But before we journey down the path of choosing the perfect wood you first have to understand how the wood is used.
How to Use Your Wood
If you are using a gas grill you will need to put the presoaked wood of your choice either in a smoker box (these can be picked up at Home Depot or Lowe’s) or wrap them in a pouch of heavy duty aluminum foil with a lot of holes or slits in the top of it. Otherwise the bottom of your grill will fill up with ash and clog your burners. Now while you don’t want to clog the burners you do want to get the wood close to the heat. The heat smolders the wood but only when exposed to pretty high heat.
If you are using a charcoal grill or smoker then you can either put the wood directly on the coals (once they’ve gotten white hot) or place them in a smoker box.
You should also know that wood size does matter.
If you are using a Smoker choose full lengths of wood which fit in the fire box. For best results use 2 to 3 sticks of wood (these will be 6″ to 15″ in length depending on the size of the pit). This best maintains the desired heat and produces a superb bed of coals. The wood should be allowed to be reduced to non-flaming coals. This provides a continuous and harmonious source of smoke.
For larger sized grills use 6″ to 15″ pieces of wood (to fit the size of your grill). Let the wood to be reduced to a bed of coals. As long as the bed is mostly coals, then some wood that is ‘flaming’ is fine.
For grills and smaller smokers you can get the same results as you would from a larger smoker by creating smaller coals from wood sticks of 5″ to 7″ or from larger 3” x 3” wood chunks. In either case if you are not using a smoker box then place the wood right on top of the white hot charcoal.
Helpful hint #1: To get the greatest amount of smoke while also getting your wood to last longer, soak the pieces, sticks or chunks of wood for approximately 12 to 24 hours prior to use. So just after you prepare your ribs you should then soak your wood.
Helpful hint #2: Just as you are sure to have enough charcoal or propane on hand be sure to have enough soaked wood ready to go.
Helpful Hint #3: If this is the first time that you are using wood to smoke go with the “less is more” school of thought. It is better to have your ribs slightly under smoked than over smoked (which makes your meat bitter). The first time use only about 2 oz. of wood.
If you are looking to grill your ribs you can find more here.
Types of Wood
It is not uncommon for the backyard pitmaster to use the type of wood that is easiest to find. Resist this temptation as it will be more than worth it.
Some wood, of course make better smoke while providing richer flavor than others.
Here is a breakdown on some of the more common and popular types of wood used by experienced BBQ cooks:
Hickory
The most popular wood used it adds a smoky, pungent, bacon-like flavor to meats. Be careful to use in small amounts. Good for most smoking needs but is considered exceptional for pork and ribs.
Mesquite
Rapidly gaining in popularity but is probably better suited for grilling as it tends to burn hot and fast. Not recommended for inexperienced BBQers. Many consider Mesquite to be the strongest flavored wood which explains its popularity with casual restaurants that cook meat in short amount of time. Has an earthy robust flavor and works well with most meats (especially beef) and most vegetables.
Oak
Another highly popular wood it is considered the most versatile of the hard woods. Possessing a heavy, smoky flavor while a bit on the strong side it is not considered overpowering. Good with beef, fish, lamb, pork and heavy game.
Alder
Native to the pacific Northwest, it has a long tradition as the best wood to use for smoking Salmon. With a light flavor it also has sweet undertones that work well with chicken and fish and poultry.
Apple
One of the most popular of the fruit woods it gives off a dense, fruity smoke flavor with just a hint of sweetness. Good with beef, chicken and pork (especially ham). A word of caution – if you use this with chicken it will turn the chicken skin a dark brown in color (but it is still delicious).
Pecan
Very similar to the more popular Hickory it gives a delicate, woodsy flavor with sweet undertones. It is considered a cooler burning wood and works well with most meats.
Maple
With many of the same characteristics of the fruit woods, Maple slightly smoky, sweet flavor that works best with chicken, pork (especially ham), cheese and vegetables.
Cherry
Another of the highly popular woods it gives off a mildly sweet, fruity smoke flavor that works with practically anything smoked.
Other good woods include: Almond, Apricot, Ash, Avocado, Bay, Beech, Black Walnut, Birch, Butternut, Chestnut, Cottonwood, Crabapple, Fig, Grapefruit, Grape Vines, Guava, Lemon, Lilac, Mulberry, Nectarine, Olive, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pecan, Plum, Walnut and Willow.
You want to avoid these woods: cedar, cypress, elm, eucalyptus, fir, pine, poison oak, oleander, redwood, sassafras, spruce, sycamore or treated wood.
