Do different wood types work better for grilling different meats/fishes?
If I'm using my gas grill (adding charcoal and wood) and wanted to try to get different flavors out of different wood types, is there a guideline for which woods work better for fish/meat - Hickory is a strong flavor and works great with meat; Cherry works good with chicken...Any other ideas?
Best Answer
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What kind of wood is best for grilling?
Hickory. This is the \u201cuniversal wood\u201d used in BBQ and meat smoking. It's the popular choice because it can deliver near perfect results and can be easily obtained. The flavor of hickory wood is described as savory, hearty, with almost a bacony tang to it.Can you grill with any wood?
Knowing the type of wood needed to cook your meat is important. Dried hardwoods, fruitwoods, and nut woods, are the best for cooking. Softwoods such as pine, redwood, fir, cedar and cypress are not ideal for cooking because they contain terpenes and sap. This gives the meat a bad flavor.Is hickory or mesquite better for chicken?
Hickory is a medium-intensity wood that pairs well with pork, although we would also recommend using it when grilling chicken or beef. Mesquite has a much stronger flavor and is best reserved for cuts of beef, particularly brisket.Can you grill different meats together?
Meat and poultry can be placed together on the grill for cooking. It's important to use a food thermometer to be sure all of the food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria.More answers regarding do different wood types work better for grilling different meats/fishes?
Answer 2
I'm not sure if your question refers to smoke chips or plank cooking, but I really enjoy salmon cooked on cedar planks. I got a great deal on the cedar planks on Woot a while back, but you can actually buy untreated lumber at your local Home Depot/Lowes/etc and cut it to size yourself.
Answer 3
Definitely yes - different wood types pair better with different types of meat.
Here are my guidelines:
- Hickory - Nothing in the world smells better than hickory mixing with a pork butt or pork ribs! Tastes really good too. Also good for chicken.
- Apple - for something like a pork loin, hickory is too strong. The meat absorbs a lot of the smoke flavor. Use a lighter "tasting" wood. I prefer apple. Also good with chicken.
- Mesquite - this is a strong tasting wood. Works great when paired with a beef brisket.
- Cherry - I like this with many cuts of beef other than brisket. It's OK on chicken too.
Answer 4
I'm not sure whether this would work, but there is one school of thought that what grows together, goes together. You could try using wood which grows in similar places to the meat you are cooking. Probably wouldn't work so well with fish though.
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