I try use to use my hardwood scraps for smoking barbeque but not all woods are good. I know maple, oak, fruit woods and alder are good and poplar isn’t. I am now working with Philipine mahogany and wonder if anybody knows if that is good or bad for barbeque?
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
Hi AustinTom , I would be careful about the wood you have and any others that are known for being alergic or toxic irritants dust or slivers .
I also use some and the flavor is super , Oak , Maple , Alder , Cherrywood .
dusty
Some wood from foreign sources (especially crates and pallets) may have been treated to kill pests. I don't know if there are any chemical residues left after the treatments but I wouldn't want to flavor my food with it. The choice is yours however.
You're right about that. Every pallet that enters the US must undergo fumigation. It's usually methyl bromide but can be other things. Some may say that there's no residue but I wouldn't cook with the stuff no matter what.
DR
Little scraps of cherry (soaked in water) when tossed on hot coals is an amazing smoking agent for pork, beef, chicken.
Tom,
After 20 years..."and (LOL) no illnesses or deaths..." I found a combination of things help make a smoked ham something to remember..
Half Mesquite and Half Oak in an "electric smoker"...yes, I know, electric?, but hear me out.... Always remove the bark and use only the solid woods.
Just above the electrical element, covered with water soaked wood chips, in the pan instead of water use a gallon of apple juice.
As all this is heating, take a 8-12lb pit ham, one that had the bone removed and was slightly smoked/cured. Pour two 2 oz. bottles of CRACKED black pepper down inside the ham. Then, use cotton string and tied it closed.
Place the "German Peppered Ham" on the smoker rack and let it cook and smoke for about 4 hours. Keep the Apple Juice filled in the pan's top.
This is where the steady heat and late night cooking from the electric smoker has its strength......After 4 to 4-1/2 hours, remove the ham and unplug the electric smoker. Cut away & remove the cotton string and slice with an electric knife, 1/4"-1/2" thick slices while it's hot. The pepper oils are in the ham, so you can, if you like, brush off the cracked pepper and ENJOY!!
With all cooking times the same, instead of using the CRACKED black paper, use a 50-50 mix of Peach Perserves and Brown Sugar stuffed inside the ham...A German Sugar Ham... A TRUE SMOKEY AND SWEET DELIGHT....
Bill
Edited 2/27/2006 10:19 pm ET by BilljustBill
Oh, hey, thanks a lot for that Bill. Without any warning, you've got me sitting here, drooling like one of Pavlov's dogs, and I didn't even hear the dinner bell.
That description reads sooo good!
Thanks for the recipe Bill; it does sound good. I have been tempted to get an electric smoker, but down here in Texas, smoking brisket or ribs is a minor religion. Although I use something called the "Big Green Egg" (BGE) instead of a real smoker, it does a pretty good job. The BGE normally uses chunk characoal with hardwood chunks for flavor but because I have so many hardwood scraps from woodworking projects, I just use wood and forget the charcoal. I am currently building a couple of doors with Philipine mahogany so I will have a lot of scraps to dispose of, hence my interest in using it for smoking. Given the irritating nature of this wood (I've got dust everywhere from routing and splinters every day) I think I will follow the advice to not use it for smoking. If I ever get that electric smoker, I'll give your recipe a try....tom
After 30 years in Texas public schools, and the last 20 in school administration, I retired. Each Christmas, smoking a "Pepper Ham" and a "Sugar Ham" was my gift towards a holiday meal for all my faculty and staff.
It got to where the Central Office Adminstrators would come over, too.
Mixing the water soaked Mesquite and Oak bare wood, and removing the bark to prevent any bitterness, made the smoked taste not too strong and not too weak. I'd think that any imported wood could run the risk of being tainted with many types of insect and pest control substances...
If you use this recipe, please let me what you thought!!
Bill
Us hicks out here east of the big city (Austin) use Post Oak and Mesquite. I also use a lot of Red Oak scraps after a job. I don't worry about the bark as the ants and termites livin' in'em keep the hawg sweet.... :-)
Tommy,
Don't forget to have plenty of cold Pearl beer nearby the smoker. And if it rains, you always have Stubbs as a backup.
Terry
“[Deleted]”
I wonder if SanteFe Tom has survived gobbling down his smoked fare since 2006? Some of them carcinogens take a while to start the rot in one's bit or piece!
Mind, I've eaten about a thousand kippers in my time (had another one this morning). They get hot-smoked with oak chippings smouldering away below their hanging carcasses.
In Blighty, the oak will not be full of lead as it may be in Yankland, where the edible beasts have been trying to hide behind a tree as a Crockett blasts away at 'em. Lead does bad things to one's wetware. Yes.
Lataxe
Every pallet that enters the US must undergo fumigation. It's usually methyl bromide but can be other things. Some may say that there's no residue but I wouldn't cook with the stuff no matter what. dqfanfeedback
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled