How to Choose the Right Smoke for the Right BBQ Dish

BBQ smoke is one of the easiest ways to add a nice touch of flavor to a grilled dish. You'll be amazed at how many different flavors there are! Knowing which smoke is the best match for different BBQ flavors can be a challenge though. Here's a handy guide to help.

There are dozens of different types of wood to use over a BBQ. Each has their own flavor, and some are milder while others are pretty strong. Just like wine, there are some guidelines about which type to use with different meats.

Mesquite:
Mesquite is one of the most commonly used wood for BBQ smoking. It has a strong flavor and can be used with all types of meats. One word of warning ? make sure to use mesquite that has been well cured. Green mesquite burns sap which tastes awful.

Hickory:
Hickory is another of the classic BBQ flavors and many sauces are advertised with this included. Hickory is a strong flavor and works well with all types of meat, although it does tend to taste better on red meat.

Black Walnut:
This is a less common BBQ flavor. Most fruit and nut woods are mild, but this one also has a strong flavor. It tastes best with grilled beef or pork recipes.

Apple:
Apple is the other fruitwood that has a very strong flavor. It's great when used on the BBQ with anything except seafood.

Pecan and Oak:
These nut trees both produce wood that has a nice mild flavor when used on the BBQ. Their flavor complements all types of recipes, including seafood.

Cherry And Sassafras:
These are both milder flavors. If you plan to BBQ any beef, chicken, or pork, you might consider either one of these flavors. Sassafras tends to be more difficult to find, but is a nice unusual flavor.

Orange and Mulberry:
These two fruitwoods are also mild, but both of these work very well with seafood on the BBQ. You can also use them for chicken or pork, but they are not strong enough to flavor beef.

Sugar Maple:
This wood has a sweet smoke, of course, and a mild flavor. It's a favorite among those who enjoy pork or chicken on the BBQ.

Alder or Cedar:
These two woods have mild flavors and are perfect for seafood. Native Americans from the Pacific Northwest have been using them for centuries to cook their catch, and it's easy to taste why.

Using smoke to flavor a BBQ dish is really easy, but knowing which to use can be a challenge. If you really want to experiment, buy a variety pack and see which you like best.

For more information on how to grill with specialty wood, visit:

==} http://www.BBQRecipeSecrets.com/specialtyw ood.html

If you love to BBQ, discover Barbeque Bob's recipe secrets and find his useful, practical and helpful BBQ tips at: http://www.bbqrecipesecrets.com/index.html

In The News:


Grilling season tips and recipes: How to prepare and cook fruit and vegetables ...
Denver Post
What sometimes gets lost in the rush to meat and poultry counters is that grilling is also an outstanding way to cook produce, both vegetables and fruits. Heat provides caramelization, the mouth-watering phenomenon by which sugars are intensified in ...


Cooking Together: Tips For Preparing A Meal With Friends
Huffington Post
This is when you say, "Why don't you pour yourself a drink and tell me the latest gossip while I cook?" That way, you're not being abandoned in the kitchen, but you're also not putting yourself in the awkward and stressful situation of having to coach ...


Stubb's Legendary Bar-B-Q has Hot Tips for Backyard Cooks
PR Newswire (press release)
AUSTIN, Texas, May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer barbecue and grilling season is nearly here, and Stubb's Legendary Bar-B-Q, makers of the authentic Texas barbecue line of natural small-batch sauces, rubs and marinades, has time-tested tips for ...

and more »

Belfast Telegraph

Ramsay to give Cooper cooking tips?
Belfast Telegraph
Bradley - who received an Oscar nod for his performance in David O Russell's Silver Linings Playbook this year - will star as a bad boy French cook, who tries to get his career back on track by opening a Michelin-starred restaurant after overcoming his ...
Bradley Cooper to get cooking tips from Ramsay?RTE.ie

all 19 news articles »

Get the beef from butchers on steak cuts and cooking tips
Tulsa World
"Make sure the grill is ready to cook. Don't just turn it on, if it is a gas grill, and start cooking. Let it heat up. You want to get it to a fairly high temperature, and the same thing goes if you are cooking with charcoal," Hanover said. "You want ...


Cooking Tips Nutritionists Learned From Their Moms
U.S. News & World Report (blog)
"I learned so much more than cooking techniques from my mom, who was a caterer. She cooked using her senses rather than recipes and viewed food as love. Most notably, I gained an appreciation and passion for food quality and taste. My mom is the ...

and more »

NorthJersey.com

Cicada Tacos, Anyone? How to Cook the Bug of the Moment
PARADE
The entomophagy enthusiasts have penned what seems to be the only cicada cookbook to exist: Cicada-Licious: Cooking and Enjoying Periodical Cicadas. The digital cookbook, available for free here, is filled with tips for cooking the little buggers and ...
Cicada 2013: Share Your PicturesPatch.com

all 25 news articles »

The Cooking Lab: Three tips to keep food browning - not blackening
Colorado Springs Gazette
Ever tried toasting hamburger buns on a grill? It takes uncanny timing to achieve an even medium brown across the buns. Typically, they remain white for what seems like far too long. Then it's as if time accelerates, and they blow past toasted to burnt ...

and more »

Healthy Hollywood: Wellness Wednesday – Cat Cora's Cooking Tips For Moms!
Access Hollywood
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- β€œIt's the toughest job in the world. It's the toughest job on the planet,” reveals Cat Cora to Healthy Hollywood about motherhood. The celebrity chef and her partner, Jennifer, have 4 young boys. And, Cat reveals, their parenting ...


National Geographic

Cicada Snack 'Shrimp Of The Land' Cooking Tips For All Your Cicada-Nibblin ...
The Inquisitr
However, I've tried other sources of alternate protein in an insect-cooking class at the New Orleans Audubon Insectarium, so who knows? Heck, our own Megan Charles has written a detailed description of all the tasty insect choices out there that you ...
Cicadas Emerge from 17-Year HibernationPatch.com

all 70 news articles »
Google News

How to Peel Almost Anything

The great English cook Prue Leith once famously remarked "life's... Read More

Do you own an AGA or RAYBURN cooker ?

The Cooker-rail....This is a novel way of increasing the drying... Read More

Chinese Cooking Technique: Thicken

"Thicken", or "Thickening" is a very common technique used in... Read More

How to Care for Your Cast Iron Skillet (includes recipes)

Some of the best meals I've ever eaten were made... Read More

Caring For Your Wooden Cutting Board

Researchers have found that bacteria have a tougher time surviving... Read More

Two for One Dinners: Turkey

If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More

Ten Steps to Perfect Pasta

I'm amazed at how often I get e-mail from a... Read More

Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull Party--How to Host Your Own

Want a unique party idea for your child's birthday-or even... Read More

10 Dishes Every New Bride or Groom Must Know How to Make!

Okay, you've either gotten married or are planning to pretty... Read More

How To Eat Fresh Vegetables ? Ideas for Working More Veggies Into Your Diet

Fresh, uncooked veggies are so healthy and it's important to... Read More

Two for One Dinners: Beans

If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then... Read More

The Best-Kept Secrets of Beef Revealed! Get Ready to Become the Meat Expert in Your Family!

Do you helplessly stand at the meat counter looking from... Read More

Season Your Pans for Non Stick Cooking

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to cook a delicious... Read More

The Art of the Marinade

It's a sad fact that these days it has become... Read More

Do a Dry Rub First

The debate on ribs has ended in my home. After... Read More

Don?t Poke the Chicken at Your Backyard Barbecue

You might be planning a home remodeling project and it... Read More

10 Critical Ways To A Perfectly Food-Safe Kitchen

Food poisoning is related to unsafe food, a dirty kitchen,... Read More

Troubleshooting Machine Bread

Bread machines-wonderful inventions that they are-don't think very well. You... Read More

Prepare the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Would you like to prepare the best Garlic Mashed Potatoes... Read More

Baking Perfect Breads, Cookies, and Desserts

We're all looking for that perfect pie, or cookies, or... Read More

Outdoor Chefs Choose Gas Grills

How many of you remember dad trying to get the... Read More

The Perfect Omelet(te), How to Cook It

Omelet(te)sThey're easy to cook, right?We'll see.The first thing to remember... Read More

10 Simple Ways To Safely Store Food

Storing foods can present its own set of problems. And... Read More

Wok this Way! (Part 1 of 5)

IntroductionWoks have been synonymous with Chinese cooking since the emergence... Read More

Solving The 7 Most Common Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistakes

Let's face it EVERY cook makes mistakes (yes, even us... Read More