BBQ Smoking Wood. What Does It Do? And How Do You Use It?

Flavour, that's what it's all about when you use bbq smoking wood. But when do you use which type of smoking wood, and how do you use it?

In the world of smoke flavour there's more to learn than you'd think. Besides different sizes of smoking wood, there are also different tree species used, each with their own distinct flavour.

And, because flavour is so incredibly personal, our best advice would be; try everything out once, experiment, learn, and enjoy.

BBQ Smoking Wood Chips

Small and versatile

Perhaps the most used on the kamado bbq, smoking wood chips. Small pieces of wood you can use both dry and soaked. But when dry and when soaked?

Dry use

Dry use is the most popular, you throw a few chips between the glowing coals and you get instant smoke development. Handy for example when grilling a steak or a fish. A handful of smoking wood is often enough to give your dish a subtle smoky flavour, just that little extra push to turn a tasty dish into a seriously tasty dish.

Soaked smoking wood chips

Soaking smoking wood chips is most often done simply in water. But of course you could also flex your culinary hands by soaking the smoking wood in wine, beer, fruit juice or maybe even whisky. Half an hour of soaking is often enough.

If you soak smoking wood in liquid, the liquid needs to evaporate first before the wood itself starts to smoke. That's why the soaked method is less or even not suited to quick grilling work, but more to a longer cook with a whole chicken or a roast.

You can put the soaked smoking wood in a special stainless steel smoking wood box or you can wrap it in aluminium foil and poke a few holes in it with a toothpick so the smoke can escape slowly.

You place the smoking wood box or foil wrap on the edge of the firebox in your kamado bbq, that way it smokes slowly and you prevent the smoking wood from burning up all at once.

SMOKING WOOD CHUNKS

Large blocks of wood

Chunks, nice large pieces of wood that keep smoking for an incredibly long time. Because they keep smoking for so long, these larger pieces of wood are very well suited to real low and slow work.

Dry or soaked chunks?

The same rule applies here as with smoking wood chips, and you can let your culinary heart speak if you use something other than water for soaking.

If you're going to soak the chunks, take about half an hour for this. And keep in mind that you get steam first and it takes a bit longer before the chunks really start giving off smoke.

You place the chunks on the edge of your hotspot/firebox. That way it can smoke slowly from the inside out.

Culinary tip!

If you're using smoking wood with a strong smoky flavour, don't use too many chunks, or add a few chunks of another tree species that's a bit milder and sweeter in flavour.

SMOKING DUST

Sawdust or wood shavings

Don't worry, nothing is thrown away when sawing wood. Everything is used, even the sawdust is collected and used as smoking dust. Smoking dust works best for cold smoking various products such as fish, meat, cheese, vegetables and even salt or other spices.

Cold smoking

Where there's smoke there's fire, so cold smoking is a bit of an odd term. Cold smoking is recommended at a temperature of 25 degrees or lower. Especially with fish and meat, a lower temperature is important because bacteria that can make you ill develop less quickly. If you want to cold smoke with smoking dust, you can use a cold smoke generator for this. A tool shaped like a snail shell where the smoking dust smokes slowly from the outside in over several hours.

Hot smoking

Smoking dust can also be used for hot smoking products. You sprinkle a layer of smoking dust over the burning charcoal so the flames die down and the smoking dust starts to smoulder.

TYPES OF WOOD

Different flavours

Using smoking wood adds extra flavour, the taste of smoke lifts your dishes to another level. In the world of smoking wood there are no specific rules for its use, but we can help you out by advising which type of wood suits the dish you're going to make in terms of flavour profile.

Apple

Apple gives a subtly fruity smoke. It gives the meat a lovely dark brown colour. Perfect combined with pork, but also combines well with game, beef and poultry.

Cherry

Smoking with cherry wood gives a slightly fuller fruity nuance to your dishes. It's a versatile wood type, which combines perfectly with game, beef, pork, poultry, vegetables and fruit.

Whisky

Wood from whisky barrels gives the smoky aromas you know from this drink. Adds depth to your dish. Lovely for smoking beef, game, fish and cheeses.

Red wine

Smoke from oak wine barrels. You can taste the wine back in the bbq in the form of deep, rounded flavours. Combines well with Burgundian grills of pork and poultry.

Beech

Beech, like oak, is a commonly used wood type. It has a mild, neutral smoke flavour. Ideal for example for a homemade smoked sausage.

Oak

Smoke from oak wood is an all-rounder and remains popular. The smoke is mild yet punchy at the same time, just as oak also gives your wine extra depth. It colours the meat a lovely golden yellow to brown.

Olive

Gives the typical fine and mild aromatic flavour of olive wood smoke. Goes well with pork, beef, poultry and lamb, but also with vegetables and fish.

Maple

Maple smoking wood gives a mild and sweetish smoke aroma to your dish. Maple BBQ chips go well with: beef, pork, lamb, chicken, poultry.

Pecan

Pecan flavour gives a natural smoke flavour and goes well with steak, hamburgers, pork, lamb, poultry and fish.

Mesquite

This strong and flavourful wood is a real must for hearty cuts of meat like beef, brisket and game. Combines well with: beef, pork, poultry, game and cheeses.

Hickory

This type has a rich flavour profile and offers a strong, savoury smoke; often a bacon-like flavour. Combines well with: beef, pork, game and cheeses.

Tip: Mix with a light fruit wood such as orange wood or peach wood to add a touch of sweetness to the dishes.

PREMIUM SMOKING WOOD

If you thought smoking wood was just smoking wood, think again, just like with charcoal there's a real difference here. That's why we recently added the American brand B&B to our range, the crème de la crème when it comes to fuel and smoking wood.