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Favorite wood for pulled pork

Bordello
Bordello Posts: 5,926
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
What is your favorite wood for smoking your pork butts??? I usually use pecan but I do have apple, oak, cheery and not enough alder. Bottom of bag, not much in there, maybe I mix it in just to you use it up.[p]Thanks
New Bob
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Comments

  • bigmikej
    bigmikej Posts: 216
    New Bob,[p]I like Hickory chunks w/ some apple mixed in. Smells & tastes great!

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  • WooDoggies
    WooDoggies Posts: 2,390
    New Bob,[p]In order of preference....
    Hickory
    Oak
    Pecan[p]I've never done one with apple or cherry but I'm sure they'd make good smoke...... don't know about the alder, tho.[p]Cheers, bud.
    John[p]

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  • BBQfan1
    BBQfan1 Posts: 562
    WooDoggies,
    Agreed. Hickory is nice and traditional (you bein' an NC boy an' all)...
    Pecan I find is best on lean pork, for some reason; tenderloins, loin roasts..can't be beat!
    Apple for ribs, cut with some hickory perhaps. Cherry does give a nice colour if that's a factor in your choice. Nice for things like jerky where that mahogany 'glow' is appetizing.
    My suggestion for pulled pork cooks:
    50% hickory, then your choice of apple, cherry, pecan and oak, or combo of those to add your personal imprint to the finished product based on your preferences.....
    Qfan
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    New Bob,
    HeeHeeHeeeeeee
    Please don't ask me what cheery wood is, maybe cherry getting smoked becomes cheery. LOL[p]Sorry about that.
    New Bob
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  • Mike in MN
    Mike in MN Posts: 546
    New Bob,
    I use a handful of apple, maple, and black cherry. Then I add a little hickory, mesquite, and pecan....just for good measure. I soak it in a little water prior to use. [p]Once I get the lump going, (I don't preheat the grill) I throw the chips in, and put the meat on. [p]This quick start will produce a LOT of early smoke when the meat absorbs it best. I allow the grill to creep up to 225 over a half hour period or more.[p]It is a beautiful sight to see the amount of smoke this produces with that very low temp, and damp chips. When the smoke is coming out everywhere, it is a good thing![p]Mike in MN
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  • Mike in MN
    Mike in MN Posts: 546
    BBQfan1,
    Does the hickory give the meat a real smoky flavor?[p]I have to keep my smoke flavor to a very subtle minimum. My wife turns up her nose to the smoke flavor.....and it's the old story..."if she ain't happy, I ain't happy!"[p]Mike in MN
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  • Steve-O
    Steve-O Posts: 302
    New Bob,
    Alder is pretty mild. I like it a lot for trout and salmon, but for pork I think hickory and/or apple might be a better choice. And pecan and cherry are very good, too.
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  • BBQfan1
    BBQfan1 Posts: 562
    Mike in MN ,
    My buddy Nature Boy got me away from two old habits: soaking the wood, and putting the meat on right after wood starts smoldering to get a 'heavy smoke' going. With vents down for a low and slow you are risking getting too heavy a smoke and a 'bitter' smoke by doing these two things.
    I stopped doing both (I put on dry wood chunks, then wait for smoke to get down to 'wisp' territory before introducing the meat) and the results are a cleaner and more subtle smoke flavour.
    Thanks NB!
    Qfan
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  • RayS
    RayS Posts: 114
    Mike in MN ,[p]My wife doesn't care for the smokey taste either. Today I did pulled pork and used 2 handfulls of hickory chips soaked for 4 hours. By the time the meat was done there was only a hint of smoke flavour to the meat. No complaints, but she was hungary after a long day, maybe thats the trick, it worked for me this time. :)[p]RayS
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  • Jethro
    Jethro Posts: 495
    New Bob,[p]My favorite for pork is either hickory or Jack Daniels wood chips. The JD chips are also pretty darn good on salmon as well.[p]Keep em Smokin,
    Jethro
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    New Bob,
    Hickory(60%) and (40%)apple or oak(50%) and (50%)hickory or just plain hickory
    Cal

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  • Mike Oelrich
    Mike Oelrich Posts: 544
    New Bob,[p] Sugar maple and pecan. I put a big handful of maple chips and a couple big pecan chunks on right at the beginning of the cook . . .[p]MikeO
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  • Mike in MN
    Mike in MN Posts: 546
    BBQfan1,
    I don't use that much moisture to soak the wood, just a hint of moisture to slow the process a bit. But I do throw it all on, once the lump is started...in fact, I'm on my way out to the deck right now to fire up Mr. Egg to do an all night pork shoulder.[p]I do find that it cuts the bitterness/smoke flavor if I keep things to a minimum (as in NO extra chips) when I am doing any short cooks.... Just whatever the lump (Maple Leaf) is producing for added flavors.[p]Mike in MN

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