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What is your favorite wood (chucks or chips) to use when doing a steak??

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Don't Egg me on
Don't Egg me on Posts: 57
edited December 2011 in EggHead Forum
About to throw some steaks on and I can't decide what wood to use. 
Please help!! :D
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  • Hillbilly-Hightech
    Hillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
    edited December 2011
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    Hi - that's obviously a very personal choice - some folks like mesquite, others hickory, others Jack Daniels infused wine barrels chips, etc. 

    For me, I very rarely use anything other than the lump itself, as I like the subtle smoky flavor from just the lump - and not so much of anything else I've added.  It really depends on the mood I'm in, but I've "over smoked" things before (particularly chicken), and may be a bit gun shy.

    What you could do is "Egg-speriment" w/ different flavors & keep a "Chef's log" where you rate on a scale of 1-5 your preference of different types of wood, and how they taste on different types of food. 

    Let us know what you decide to go with!!!
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
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  • chrisnjenn
    chrisnjenn Posts: 534
    edited December 2011
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    For beef, I use either Jack Daniels chips, hickory (hand full of chunks), red oak (hand full of chunks), or sometimes a little mesquite ( a couple of pieces of chunks--mesquite as you know is a strong wood).  Just depends on what I feel like. Sometimes I mix one of them I named above with a fruit wood.  Play around with it. 
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  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102
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    Anything other than mesquite on the short time a steak is on the grill would be pointless IMHO!
    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
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  • AD18
    AD18 Posts: 209
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    Doing steak I go straight charcoal as well.  They are not on long enough to absorb any great amount of smoke flavour.  I would lean to the stronger woods like mesquite and hickory if I did and would expect only a hint.
    Large BGE, Weber 22.5 kettle, Weber Genesis
    Cobourg, Ontario
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  • joe@bge
    joe@bge Posts: 394
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    Straight up lump for me.  I have just never seen the need to mess with a good steak.  B-)
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  • Jim1948
    Jim1948 Posts: 1
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    I use nothing but Red Oak. I learned about it when I lived in Santa Maria, Ca. That was made famous is "Sideways" at the Hitching Post.
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  • cowman
    cowman Posts: 13
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    A steak cooks so quick that chips are good.  The chunks just get smoking good when the steak is done.

    Used to love the Hitchin Post but couldn't affoed it to often on Air Force pay.

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  • chrisnjenn
    chrisnjenn Posts: 534
    edited December 2011
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    Not true. I use chunks and also chips sometimes on high temps cooking steaks and get plenty of smoke on them.

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  • Wreckt01
    Wreckt01 Posts: 28
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    I stick with charcoal only for the steak.
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  • bigguy136
    bigguy136 Posts: 1,362
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    I use lump coal only. Not enough time to pick up the smoke flavor

    Big Lake, Minnesota

    2X Large BGE, 1 Mini Max, Stokers, Adjustable Rig

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  • Salty Hogs BBQ
    Salty Hogs BBQ Posts: 171
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    A lot of bad advice in this thread.  Yes, if you use a mesquite, hickory, Jack Daniels, or oak wood (chunks or chips) you will get a definite smoke flavor on your steak cooking hot and fast.  People who are saying differently are full of BS.
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  • JerkChicken
    JerkChicken Posts: 551
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    Jack Daniels or Hickory
    LBGE, Weber OTG w/ Rotisserie, Weber Genesis S-330, Chargriller Duo, AR-15, AK-47
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  • Don't Egg me on
    Don't Egg me on Posts: 57
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    Thanks everyone, I went with mesquite chips and it was great! 
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  • NotoriousPAT
    NotoriousPAT Posts: 21
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    I use a full handful of hickory and a smaller handful of mesquite chips. I throw them on just before I put the steaks on. For the coals, I will usually go with the BGE lump charcoal. I occasionally will use BBQ Galore store brand lump charcoal, but I really do not like the inconsistent sized chunks I get from bag to bag. The BGE charcoal always seems to have decent sized consistent lumps of charcoal.
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