Grill Maestro

Those seven woods listed in the title (Alder, Cherry, Hickory, Maple, Mesquite, Oak, and Pecan) are the seven most popular types of wood you can use in your smoker and each one imparts a slightly different flavor to your meats. A particular type of wood and its flavor works well with different types of meat and different seasonings and rubs, so matching up the wood and meat will yield better results than if you do it haphazardly.

Apple wood obviously creates a mild sweet and fruity taste that works well on lighter flavored meats like poultry and ham.

Alder is another well flavored wood that works well with lightly flavored fish, so avoid strong flavors like salmon.

Cherry is a lot like apply in that it imparts a sweet fruity flavor and works well with chicken, fish and ham.

Hickory is one of the better known woods to smoke with in part because lots of folks are familiar with hickory smoked ham in grocery stores. It works great with, surprise!, ham and other pork products like ribs and pork chops. Some like to use it with chicken (and it works great) but I think a little part of me just expects all ham to taste hickory smoked.

Maple is another one of those sweeter woods that works well with light flavored meats.

Ahhh, mesquite is by far my favorite and the only one I’ve actually smoked with (I’ve only done it once!). A lot of people recommend that you match this wood with another so that it doesn’t overpower your meat but I don’t really care, I love the flavor.

Oak produces a strong smoky flavor like mesquite and is useful with larger cuts of meat with longer smoking times, like brisket, because it’s a slower burning wood.

Pecan isn’t one I see a lot written about (maybe I’m not looking hard enough) but it’s another fruity flavor with the benefit of burning cooler.