The Heart of the Table | A World of Inspiration

How to Choose the Correct Wood for Cooking, Smoking, and Grilling

---

When you finally fire up the grill to cook and smoke meat, taking the time to select the absolute perfect wood for the job is perhaps the most important decision you can make. The wood you choose is just as essential as the spice rub you use.

Fish is inherently delicate, so it is vital not to smother it with a smoking wood that is overbearing. For grilling fish, intense woods like hickory and mesquite are not recommended. Mesquite, for example, is so powerful it will completely overtake the delicate flavor profile of the seafood. It can be so intensely smoky that the dish may no longer be enjoyable! Mesquite is a deeply favored smoking wood down in Texas and is used brilliantly on almost everything—but rarely fish.

Hickory wood is another robust choice that can easily overpower lighter seafood. Instead, the types of smoking wood that should be heavily considered for fish are mild, fruit-bearing woods like Pecan. Pecan wood is a magnificent choice because it produces a light, sweet smoke that allows the natural, fresh flavors of the fish to shine through beautifully.

"When you take the time to choose the correct cooking wood, the meal you end up sharing at the table will make all the difference!"

Smoking wood combinations are another brilliant way to elevate the meal. Blending two woods simultaneously can increase the complexity of the smoke ring and intensely compliment your cooking. One fantastic combination is mixing robust hickory wood directly with sweet pecan wood. While a simple fifty-fifty split works on occasion, it is often best to adjust your ratios based entirely on the specific protein.

Let's take smoking pork, for example. I would not use a heavily dominant percentage of hickory wood because pork can be fairly delicate, and too much hickory would completely overdo it. A great cut of pork, like a Boston butt, calls for a much gentler ratio: twenty-five percent hickory to seventy-five percent pecan.

A Gathered Table

---