# SSsssss-mokin'!!! (meat,). Wood question. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2001, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611 "2001-05-26T19:30:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/1 "2001-05-26T19:30:24Z")
I just had to chop down a small maple tree. I don’t have a fireplace, but I _do_ have a grill that I’ve smoked meat on before. Any reason I can’t use the brand new, freshly dead maplewood to smoke a pork butt or shoulder? It seems like it’d be perfect, but I vaguely recall something about not burning green wood (I think you’re not supposed to burn it because it smokes…but that’d be a GOOD thing in this case. Right?) Fenris ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/2 "2001-05-26T19:40:20Z")
since you were so helpful to me, heres’ what I could quickly find (since I can open so many windows again 😃 ): [about wood choices](http://www.culinarycafe.com/Barbecue/About_Wood_Choices.html) [wood vs. charcoal](http://www.scbbqa.com/wood/) [Meat smoking and curing FAQ](http://www.azstarnet.com/~thead/msfaq.html) but sadly for your purpose this one [green wood smoke = bad meat](http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq/faq/14.html) suggests that you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/3 "2001-05-26T19:53:07Z")
[here’s more](http://www.riversidebbq.com/lets_burn_wood.htm) [and more](http://members.tripod.com/~DanGill/principles.html) [and more](http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html) these are short ones, that suggest using green wood in **small** quantities, only if you ‘know what you are doing’ the first one includes suggestions about which meats go with which woods. > [@](#): > > MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds. who barbecues cheese? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/4 "2001-05-26T19:58:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wring \* > \*\*[here’s more](http://www.riversidebbq.com/lets_burn_wood.htm) > [and more](http://members.tripod.com/~DanGill/principles.html) > [and more](http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html) > > these are short ones, that suggest using green wood in **small** quantities, only if you ‘know what you are doing’ the first one includes suggestions about which meats go with which woods. > > > [@](#): > > > > MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds. > > who barbecues cheese? \*\* You’ve never had smoked Gouda or smoked Mozzerella? Yummy. Have I ever actually smoked 'em myself? Nope. I found another one that said agreed that small amounts of green wood are [good](http://www.barbecuen.com/burningwood.htm). What we need is Zenster or Javamaven1 or Scylla or some other Doper who’s actually USED green wood to give some tips. The maple tree was all sappy when I cut it down too. Not enough to boil and see if I got syrup, though. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/5 "2001-05-26T20:06:20Z")
Of **Course** I’ve heard of smoked cheese, but gads, who ever thought that’s how they got it?? I thought, well, to be honest, I didn’t care for it much in the first place so I didn’t think about it at all. [heres another](http://www.motherearthnews.com/kitchen/kitchen173.shtml) that favors it. Wow, this is just like a trial - with each side lining up experts. yea, where’s **Zenster** when you need him? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/6 "2001-05-26T20:06:45Z")
???! [url=“[http://www.motherearthnews.com/kitchen/kitchen173.shtml](http://www.motherearthnews.com/kitchen/kitchen173.shtml)”]This site[/ur] says exactly the opposite! > [@](#): > > Try to find fresh green wood and chop it into approximately one-inch by three-inch pieces. If fresh wood is unavailable, soak dry wood chunks in water for about an hour before using. I wonder if this is a Cecil-worthy question? Fenris ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/7 "2001-05-26T20:08:49Z")
damn **Fenris** we found the same source ('course, **I** didn’t screw up the coding… 😃 ) Maybe it **IS** a Cecil worthy question. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/8 "2001-05-28T17:44:36Z")
bump, in hopes that Zen, Java or some other Doper with food-smoking experience will see this. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2001, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/9 "2001-05-28T18:20:46Z")
::rushes in, wiping virtual ink off of his hands from writing The Hat Thread in IMHO:: Had to do a little research on this myself, as I only use dry wood chips when adding some smoke to the 'cue. Here is one brief entry; Excerpt from Barbecue Inferno, by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach. > [@](#): > > Lump mesquite charcoal is excellent and is even superior in some ways to the wood itself because most of the resins have evaporated. In fact, lump charcoal can be used in the firebox of the smoker if green wood or soaked hardwood chips are added to produce the smoke. As usual there are some mixed signals in all of this. Below you will find some other comments on the use of green woods for smoking. * * * Rock McNelly– Well-seasoned COTTONWOOD is successfully used in several barbecue establishments near me in Colorado. It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. I was told don’t ever use green cottonwood for smoking. Dave Klose– On the subject of BBQ woods, I have found the best results to be from nut and fruit-bearing trees, cut down from 6 months to 2 years ago. Live oak, hickory, mesquite, pecan, peach, pear, apple, apricot, and maple to list a few. These are the safest types to use for cooking. I have found that wood over two years old tends to produce a dirty taste in the food more often than not. Wood can be cut down whole, and split after five or so months of seasoning. I recommend splitting three days or so before cooking with it. * * * As you can see, there seems to be the thought that somewhat fresh wood may be best. The six months of curing sounds about right to me and I would personally go with at least a week or two’s drying of the wood prior to use after it has been split. It will give you a more controlled burn and quality of flavor by eliminating some of the less predictable issues such as moisture pockets in the wood grain, volatile oils, squirrel poop and what such. Here’s wishing you great results. A maple smoked side of slab bacon sounds awfully good. Maybe a pork loin or two would shine in similar circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/10 "2001-05-28T18:41:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > **\ > I would personally go with at least a week or two’s drying of the wood prior to use after it has been split. It will give you a more controlled burn and quality of flavor by eliminating some of the less predictable issues such as moisture pockets in the wood grain, volatile oils, squirrel poop and what such.** That makes sense: Pending any new info, I think I’ll wait a week or so and do a 75-25 blend of dried wood chips to the fresh stuff. \*\* > [@](#): > > Here’s wishing you great results. A maple smoked side of slab bacon sounds awfully good. Maybe a pork loin or two would shine in similar circumstances. \*\* Pork loin nothin’, I’m gonna do my ultimate smoked pork shoulder recipe! 😃 (Which I think I’ll add to the “Ultimate Recipe Thread” at some point) Thanks for the tips, Zen! Fenris ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sssssss-mokin-meat-wood-question/66611/11 "2001-05-28T21:32:55Z")
You’ll have to try smoked fish. Carp is good and up north in Minnesota they eat smoked cisco. My wife picked up a smoker 2 years ago and I haven’t tried it yet. I believe I’ll give it a try. My ultimate goal is smoked turkey. Hey Fenris keep us up to informed as to your experiments. I don’t have a problem finding wood. I have a slowly dying apple tree. Smoked Chicken–It is supposed to be duck One chicken whole salt cavity Stuff cavity with sliced apples and onions Smoke till meat easily pulls off thigh. MMMMMMMMM good