People go crazy over BBQ! I’ve seen children from Tennessee scream themselves to tears, quarreling over their favorite BBQ restaurant.
At Wrigley Field I witnessed Gucci clad housewives quickly escalate from smile to scratch over Texas BBQ versus Carolina BBQ.
Why is it that there is a comfortable exchange of ideas over favorite ethnic foods, beer, or even vegetarians vs. meat eaters, yet BBQ disagreements seem to carry the same weight as a nasty religious confrontation? One specific element; the wood smoke.
Wood smoke, in my opinion, IS barbecue. It carries with it an olfactory representation of your beginnings; a direct link to your childhood. When somebody belittles your favorite BBQ joint, they might as well be trash talking your home town pride.
The best wood for your BBQ
All styles of food are layered with aroma and memories, but wood smoke seems to resonate on a different level. It taps into something primordial within all of us; bringing us back to a territorial hunter/gatherer mentality.
Just as the local trees scent the air and enrich the landscape, they are also able to push your barbecue from passable to ‘transcending the heavens.’ I was fortunate enough to connect with multiple pit masters throughout the country; gathering what woods they use to create their own unique award-winning flavors. Fortunately, the creators of great BBQ are much less territorial and crazed than the rabid fans they’ve spawned; offering a wide-open forum on the subject of wood smoke.
BBQ in the Western United States
Coppertop BBQ (Big Pine, CA) Pit Master: Matthew Kerley-Otten
The Wood: "Our first favorite is certified angus beef prime tri-tip paired with a combo of red oak and almond. The red oak smoke is pretty intense and we like to blend it with the almond wood smoke that is a little lighter. Just red oak works as well but can make the meat very smoky, not to say that is a bad thing, just how we prefer it."
The Veggie: "Red oak with grilled Anaheim chili peppers. We then put them in the green chili with beans; our most popular side. Pairs really well with garlic, chili powder and pepper."
The Rub: "We don't like to marinade anything, we go all dry rub. Our dry rub is savory with mixtures of garlic salt, turmeric, paprika, parsley, and other spices. We really like this combination."
Smoqued (Orange, CA) Pit Master: Marc Mendoza
The Wood: "We use a blend of red oak and hickory for almost everything we smoke. Larger cuts that take longer do really well with small amounts of hickory and more red oak. The hickory tends to overpower the flavor of the meat and can leave an unappealing, almost acrid, taste."
The Veggie: "Large portobello mushrooms are so meaty and packed with umami flavors they can be treated just like a brisket in terms of smoke profile. Smoked eggplant with alder or olive wood makes an amazing base for baba ganoush, serve with vegetable chips or fresh cucumber slices for an instant hit with your veggie loving friends."
The Rub: "We forgo the traditional Texas salt and pepper only rub and add in few flavors we think are truly complementary to the meats. Granulated garlic, granulated onions, and lemon pepper are great additions to a heavy salt base that will really being some new dimensions to your meats. When working with pork you can never go wrong by sweetening up your rub a bit. Try adding in some brown sugar, cinnamon or a touch of allspice."
The Smok'd Hog (San Diego, CA) Pit Master: Chris McAfee
The Wood: "The flavor I get from Oak in general is very middle of the road, not overpowering, but strong enough to know you're at a good barbecue."
The Veggie: "White oak on tomatoes is extremely versatile. You can make salsa, bacon jam, smoked ketchup or marinara. Sky's the limit."
The Brine: "The general brine I use of course is heavy on salt, but I also use a decent amount of sugar to sweeten up chicken and turkey. In my opinion 1 to 1 salt and sugar is a good place to start and adjust your taste buds. With beef I actually brine it in our pickle juice, which uses vinegar to break down the meat."
Russell Street BBQ (Portland, OR) Pit Master: Diane Santucci
The Wood: "We started using local cherry and pecan woods, but found the smoke was too light for us. We now use local white oak for all beef, pork, turkey, chicken and tofu. Yes, tofu! It offers a protein option for those that choose not to consume meat that is incredibly meaty without much effort."
The Fruit: "We like to put a touch of smoke on some vegetables and fruits. Peaches are great and easy and can be chopped up for a relish with smoked onions."
The Brine: "Some proteins require wet brining to avoid an acrid flavor, mainly poultry. A heavy salt/sugar blend with allspice, onion, garlic and oranges is our go-to brine. The pork butts just get a basic seasoning salt, but the brisket is a brown sugar-paprika heavy blend we rub into the meat. The goal is to be balanced with sweet and salty. Our spare ribs go sweet with an apple cider brine and brown sugar glaze. Meat candy!"
The Advice: I have taught many, many hours of cooking classes of all genres. My advice is always, "Follow the directions, taste as you go and if it all goes to hell, order a pizza and try again another time!"
BBQ in Central United States
Smokey D's BBQ (Des Moines, IA) Pit Master: Darren Warth
The Wood: "Pork can take the smoke, so I love to use it with pecan. Beef takes on a lot of smoke. I prefer using a milder wood like cherry. The basics of smoking says to only use a wood that comes from a fruit or nut tree. If hickory is too harsh, try pecan. The mix of the nuttiness of pecan and sweetness of cherry is my personal favorite."
The Veggie: "Asparagus is our favorite on the grill, but we like it just over charcoal with no smoke added. We prefer the smoke on the meat. While the meat is off the grill we open the vents, turn up the heat, and finish the veggies nice and quick over a hot fire."
The Advice: "The one piece of advice I always give to backyard barbecuers or newbies to the grill is not to over smoke things. Meat only takes on smoke for a little while and then any additional smoke is just building creosote on the outside of the meat. If you look at the inside of your grill or BBQ pit and it's really shiny black, you are using way too much wood. Start with just one small chunk of wood at the beginning of the cook and you'll be amazed at the flavor you can get. BBQ is a balance of meat, rub, sauce and smoke. Great BBQ is a balance of all of them without one of the elements overpowering."
The Boar's Nest (Fayetteville, AR) Master: John Hudec
The Wood: "Coming from South Central Texas, my preferred meat is brisket. The best wood for that is pecan; my favorite wood to smoke with. It has a mild nature and can be paired with other flavored woods to enhance smoking profiles. I also enjoy smoking pork ribs using pecan and apple woods. We do "low and slow" to make the meat tender and get the maximum smoke retention."
The Veggie: "I love to smoke asparagus. I coat it with olive oil, a little kosher salt and lemon juice. After marinating for an hour or two, add them to the smoker for about 30 minutes or grill them off. Fruits are a different matter. Peaches and apples are my favorite. Smoked apples served with ribs and a tangy vinegar based slaw, or grilled peaches with cinnamon and nutmeg served alongside a salad make a great side dish during the summer."
The Rub: "Beef, pork and ribs get a spicier rub of chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, brown sugar, kosher salt and black pepper."
Plowboys Barbeque (Blue Springs, MO) Pit Master: Todd M. Johns
The Wood: "Any pork goes well with cherry wood. It has a sweet flavor and adds a lot of mahogany color. Pecan is my choice for beef over hickory. Both woods are similar in flavor, but pecan offers a less harsh after taste than hickory. If you happen to have any leftovers, hickory is stronger the next day."
The Fruit: "For any fruit, use the wood from that tree. I like planked peach halves with gorgonzola cheese and a honey drizzle over peach wood."
Salt + Smoke (University City, MO) Pit Master: Tom Schmidt
The Wood: "Brisket is prepared over post oak. Post oak, unlike fruit woods, never leaves that bitter finish after really long smoking times. Beef, in particular, pairs well with that deep smoke because the iron richness of the meat can handle it and needs a deeper flavor. Chicken wings are fun to smoke over honeysuckle. Light honeysuckle flavor plays well with the more delicate chicken meat. In addition to that, honeysuckle is an invasive species in Missouri and chokes out other natural flora that our wildlife needs to survive. If you harvest it, you're not only making great BBQ, you're helping nature."
The Veggie: "We often smoke tomatoes over cherry. The sweeter fruit wood helps draw out some sweetness from the tomatoes and the cooking process helps caramelize the sugars in the tomato as well. You then have all these layers of flavor; sweet, smokey, tart. It's incredible."
The Advice: "Smoked, always smoked...sometimes grilled to finish, but... always smoked. The intense and memorable flavor of our food comes from the slow smoking process and it can not be faked in any way. The smoke flavor is so intense that when you try BBQ that doesn't have it, it just doesn't stand up or stand out."
Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue (Kansas City, MO) Pit Master: Tim Keegan
The Wood: "I use seasoned Ozark hickory for any part of the brisket; flat or points. If I’m doing a pork butt or spare ribs, I would start out with an oak and hickory mix, then throw in a little bit of applewood to add sweetness to the meat. Charcoal is great for steaks and burgers and I can always throw in a few mesquite chips to finish off some salmon."
The Fruit: "Really? We're from the Midwest and we're meat eaters out here. I do love my grilled peaches with some homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Even though I’m a pit master, peaches work really well on a gas grill. Plus, I don’t have to wait so long for them to get done."
The Advice: "I've never really been a big marinade guy. I've always believed that you need to start out with quality, well cut, pieces of meat; season them lightly and put them on the grill or smoker. With a whole lot of passion and love it will provide you with all the flavor you could want."
Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que (Kansas City, KS)
Doug Worgul, Director of Marketing
The Wood: "We use Missouri white oak to smoke all our meats. We find that hickory can be inconsistent and can burn too hot; sometimes resulting in a bitter taste. It's remarkably consistent, and it has a nice midrange smokiness that’s perfect for our style of barbecue."
The Veggie: "We thinly slice big Portobello mushroom caps, lay them out on a big sheet tray and smoke ‘em over Missouri White Oak until they’re tender and smoky with a little crispness on the edges. Delicious."
The Rub: "Kansas City barbecue rubs start with equal parts sugar and salt. Next are the basic barbecue seasonings. These include garlic, onion, paprika, mustard, cumin, and citrus; usually in powder or granulated form. After that, the various peppers are added; including black pepper, cayenne, white pepper, chipotle, and chili peppers. These not only generate heat, but add depth to the finished rub. Finally, we add exotic or trade spices and dried herbs such as cinnamon, clove, all spice, or oregano, rosemary, or sage. These are used to create unique individualized flavor profiles. It’s fun to make your own signature rubs to give your barbecue its own unique flavor."
BBQ in the Eastern United States
Bar-B-Cutie (TN, TX, GA, OH) Pit Master: Ronnie McFarland
The Wood: "We have twelve locations -- and another in construction -- in very different parts of the country; the Southeast that serves primarily pork, and Texas that primarily serves beef. In the Southeast, we use nothing but hickory wood. The hickory smoke definitely gives the pork a very satisfying taste without overpowering the meat with too much smokiness. This being said, we also use hickory for our beef, chicken and turkey in the Southeast simply because it is so abundant."
"In Texas we use mesquite and oak woods. Mesquite is our primary wood of choice as it allows the smoke to penetrate the beef brisket; giving the meat a natural smoke ring while trapping in the moisture."
Taino Smokehouse (Middleton, CT) Pit Master: Chris Szewczyk
The Wood: "Brisket and white oak (the best protein wood combo that exists!) This is Texas style barbecue at its best. Brisket is the hardest meat to smoke. It takes the longest, and you have a very small window to pull it from the smoker. Pull too soon and you have a tough piece of meat. Too late, and it falls apart. Jerk Chicken and Pimento Wood...what a combo! You do have to get the wood shipped in from the islands special, but what strong flavor!"
The Fruit: "Cold smoke your peaches from Lyman's Orchards using peach wood. Fruit woods give lighter, smokier flavors. It might seem inappropriate to smoke a fruit using its own wood, but Oh! the flavor!!!"
The Marinade: "We love sugar and acid in our marinades. Olive oil, salt, sugar, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, alcohol, Thai chilis, and a whole lot of squeezed citrus. Open those capillaries and let the goodness flow in!!"
The Advice: "Smoking is more of a craft to be respected... but grilling is great too. Argentinian style or just a good old fashion rib eye steak with salt and pepper...nothing is better."
Fette Sau (New York City, NY) Pit Master: Joe Carroll
The Smoke: "Our most popular items are the Black Angus beef brisket and our Duroc pulled pork, which are smoked with applewood and cherrywood."
The Rub: "Our meats are coated in a dry rub that contains brown sugar, cumin, garlic powder, coffee and other spices."
Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint (Nashville, TN) Pit Master: Pat Martin
The Wood: "Pork and Lamb. I use hickory or oak for everything, usually burned down to coals before I begin cooking over them."
The Veggie: "I would say grilled okra, my favorite vegetable. For fruit, I would easily say peaches; no question. And again, I use hickory or oak."
The Rub: "I'm not a marinade guy, and I only use a rub when I'm cooking ribs. I'm very simple - kosher salt, black pepper and some chili flakes are all you need. Finish with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice; that's it."
The Advice: "The best wood to use is the wood closest to you. Here, in Tennessee, hickory is prevalent, as is oak and maple so that's what folks use. Wood has to be seasoned to offer great qualities of taste. If it's not, it's going to be acrid and unpleasant. I never ever soak wood because of this... it needs to be dry, so the smoke flavor is subtle and sweet."
Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant (Nashville, TN)
Pit Master: Andy Marshall COO: Claire Crowell
The Wood: In Leiper's Fork, TN, no one at the time was preparing their barbecue “Memphis Style." Andy Marshall began to perfect an 18-hour ‘low n’ slow’ smoking process for pork butts over cherry wood; reminiscent of the barbecue he grew up eating. As they say, the rest is history!
The Veggie: "My personal favorite is smoked corn. That is something I would suggest smoking, but it’s also great grilled because that brings out its sweet flavors. Whether you smoke or grill the corn, I suggest doing so with the husk. Tomatoes are also great smoked or grilled. In the summer we will sometimes smoke tomatoes and mix them with okra for a smoky okra and tomato side dish. Very southern!"
The Rub: "We use the dry butt rub to season our pulled pork before it’s smoked, which contains savory flavors with blends of spices and salts that -- when the meat is cooked at a low, slow temperature -- penetrate into a butt or shoulder to tenderize the meat. The ingredients in our dry butt rub include salt, spices, garlic & onion, and sugar."
The Advice: "To achieve the level of smoke and tenderness of the meat, low and slow is best. For me, optimal temperature for butts and shoulders are 225 degrees. For ribs, 225-250 degrees, for chicken 275 degrees. Also, understanding the difference between hardwoods and softwoods is important for temperatures and flavor. Hardwoods (mesquite and hickory woods) will cook hotter and peak your temperatures, and the softwoods (apple, cherry, peach, pecan woods) won’t cook quite as hot and give you a more consistent, milder flavor. Don’t be afraid to use charcoal and wood mix for a nice, even temperature. If you use lighter fluid, be sure you give it long enough time to burn off so it doesn’t tank the flavor of your meats."
There's no wrong answer when it comes to the wood you choose to use for your barbecue. Whether it be strong hickory with a dash of applewood or going smooth with pecan and cherry; pleasure your own palate and go with your gut. True; you stand alone to be judged by your peers (and those mouths won't lie), but look back to your origins in the dog days of Summer.
Remember the communal sight and smell of the smoke sifting through the setting sun. Maybe you connect BBQ with dusty plains, fresh cut grass, the ocean breeze, or high mountain pine; the memories are yours. Your BBQ is exactly that, yours, and no one can take that away from you. Just...try to bring the sauce instead of the scuffle the next time the issue arises.
Editor's Note: An enormous "Thank You" to all of the Pit Masters and their knowledge for this article. Apologies to all searching for BBQ wood information from Georgia or the Carolinas. Many an email and phone call was made, but unfortunately, no responses were given.