Which wood for which meat.
There is no single best wood for smoking. Match the smoke strength to the meat and to the length of the cook. Mild for salmon and chicken. Medium for pork and lamb. Strong for beef, and only for as long as it takes.
The poster is the picture. The text below is the record it was drawn from. Poster print coming once the print master is ready.
- Start mild before you go heavy.
- Fruit woods add sweetness and colour.
- Strong woods bury delicate meat.
- Blends give depth. Two woods, not five.
- Clean fire, thin blue smoke. White smoke is bitter.
Burn only wood sold for cooking. No treated, painted or glued wood, and no softwood scrap. Never smoke in a galvanized can or other makeshift container. Keep the smoker air between 225 and 300 F, and use a second thermometer for the meat.
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Smoking Meat and PoultryFlavor, strength, and what each one is for
Oak
MediumBalanced, clean, dependable. The all-purpose smoke and the Central Texas standard (post oak).
- Best with:
- beef, lamb, goat, pork
- Blends:
- oak + cherry for beef colour and balance; oak + hickory for stronger beef
- Go easy with:
- delicate fish (use alder instead)
- Note:
- One of Texas A&M's four primary Texas barbecue woods; red oak is the Santa Maria tri-tip tradition.
Flavor note is barbecue convention. No agency ranks smoke.
Hickory
StrongBold, savoury, bacon-like. The classic pork and rib smoke; heavy-handed on poultry.
- Best with:
- pork, beef
- Blends:
- hickory + apple for pulled pork; hickory + cherry for ribs
- Go easy with:
- salmon, chicken breast
- Note:
- FSIS names hickory among the woods giving the most satisfactory flavour; Texas A&M lists it among the four primary Texas woods.
Flavor note has a cited source.
Mesquite
StrongIntense, earthy, fast-burning. Best for hot-and-fast beef; turns harsh over a long cook.
- Best with:
- beef, goat
- Blends:
- mesquite + oak to tame it for brisket
- Go easy with:
- long low-and-slow cooks, poultry, fish
- Note:
- One of Texas A&M's four primary Texas woods; South and West Texas tradition.
Flavor note is barbecue convention. No agency ranks smoke.
Pecan
MediumNutty, warm, slightly sweet. A softer relative of hickory.
- Best with:
- pork, chicken, beef, lamb
- Blends:
- pecan + cherry for chicken; pecan + oak for beef
- Note:
- One of Texas A&M's four primary Texas woods.
Flavor note is barbecue convention. No agency ranks smoke.
Apple
MildSweet, fruity, gentle. Builds slowly; forgiving on poultry and pork.
- Best with:
- pork, chicken, salmon
- Blends:
- apple + hickory for pulled pork; apple + alder for salmon
- Go easy with:
- heavy beef cuts where it disappears
- Note:
- FSIS names apple among the woods giving the most satisfactory smoke flavour.
Flavor note has a cited source.
Cherry
MildFruity, mild, and it colours the meat a deep mahogany. Pairs with almost everything.
- Best with:
- pork, chicken, beef, salmon
- Blends:
- cherry + oak for beef; cherry + pecan for chicken; cherry + hickory for ribs
- Note:
- Widely used for colour on competition ribs and chicken.
Flavor note is barbecue convention. No agency ranks smoke.
Maple
MildSoft, sweet, subtle. Good with pork, poultry, ham and vegetables.
- Best with:
- pork, chicken
- Blends:
- maple + apple for ham
- Note:
- FSIS names maple among the woods giving the most satisfactory smoke flavour.
Flavor note has a cited source.
Alder
MildDelicate, clean, faintly sweet. The Pacific Northwest salmon wood.
- Best with:
- salmon, chicken
- Blends:
- alder + apple for a gentle salmon blend
- Go easy with:
- heavy beef; it is too light to register
- Note:
- Traditional Pacific Northwest wood for salmon.
Flavor note is barbecue convention. No agency ranks smoke.
Pick the meat, read across
| Meat | Woods, in order | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | Oak, Hickory, Mesquite, Pecan, Cherry | Beef cuts |
| Pork | Hickory, Apple, Cherry, Pecan | Pork cuts |
| Lamb | Oak, Pecan, Hickory, Cherry | Lamb cuts |
| Goat | Oak, Pecan, Mesquite | Goat cuts |
| Chicken | Apple, Cherry, Pecan, Maple | Chicken cuts |
| Salmon | Alder, Apple, Cherry | Salmon cuts |
Your smoker tells you which wood wins
Charts get you started. Your log tells you the truth. Pit Master Log records the wood on every cook, so the hickory brisket and the oak brisket can be compared a month later.