Smoked dishes have a special, refined taste and will decorate any festive table. But in order for the dishes to really work out, it is important to know some of the nuances of choosing wood. For each type of product, different varieties of wood with different degrees of humidity are suitable.
Fish
A product that is very easy to spoil with the wrong choice of material for smoking. Coniferous chips are categorically not suitable, since resin adds bitterness to the aroma and taste of fish. An ideal choice would be such tree species as linden, peach, oak, pear, alder, plum and apple tree.
In this case, the properties of the selected product should be considered. Fatty fish is best cooked on alder, oak and apple trees. Pear wood will soften the smell and taste of low-fat fish.
An additional “bonus” of using this or that wood will be the smell and appearance of the fish:
- Linden - used for light fish, it gives it a more rich golden color.
- Peach is a very original wood species, suitable for true connoisseurs of flavoring shades of dishes, it is optimal for seafood, it will give them a rich orange tint and fruit flavor with a light aroma of almonds.
- Oak is well suited for dark species of fish, will give a bright brownish-yellow hue and a special tart taste.
- Alder is neutral - gives the product a classic smoked flavor; has an antibacterial effect.
- Apple tree - good for cooking oily fish, leaves a bright aftertaste and a pronounced smell of fruit.
- Pear - gives a delicate, unobtrusive aroma, golden color and does not produce harmful resins when heated, like most fruit trees.
The degree of moisture in the chips also contributes to the quality of the finished dish. Dry faster flames up and gives the necessary heat, but does not give smoke. Therefore, for high-quality smoking, wood chips soaked for 1-2 hours should be used. The best option is to alternate dry and wet wood chips during the preparation of fish to adjust the density of the smoke and maintain a high temperature.
Pork and beef
Ideal firewood for cooking meat are: maple, cherry, cherry, oak, plum, beech.
Both whole firewood and chopped wood chips are used. For the fatty parts of pork and beef, it is better to use the cold method of smoking, for lean meat - it is hot.
Different types of wood give their advantages when cooking:
- Beech and maple - provide a golden crust color, they will not affect the taste.
- Sweet cherry - practically does not emit tar when burning, gives a good, persistent smoke and saturates the meat with a pleasant fruity aroma, coupled with a golden hue. Suitable for smoking lard.
- Cherry and plum - emit a minimum of tar and give the meat its delicate aroma. In cherries, it is slightly bitter and is combined with a beautiful dark golden hue of the finished dish.
Do not use wood with bark. It gives bitterness and during combustion emits harmful substances.
More raw wood chips (about 60-70%) will give the finished meat a rich taste, smell and bright color. Dry firewood gives a golden crust and makes the meat more tender. However, do not get too carried away by smoking on a dry tree: there is a high risk of overdrying the dish. It is best to sprinkle firewood with water before starting the cooking process.
Cheese
Hard cheese is most effective for smoked cheese. Mostly they use firewood or wood chips of sweet cherry, beech and apricot:
- Sweet cherry - gives an unobtrusive fruity smell, a pleasant aftertaste, smokes cheese evenly, making its appearance more attractive.
- Beech - does not have its own smell, therefore, when smoked, it is possible to maintain the classic cheese flavor and preserves the beautiful golden color of the product.
- Apricot - gives the product a rich bright orange color, but has a less vivid taste and smell. Therefore, such chips are often harvested for smoking cheese.
Chips should not be overdried. But too wet wood is not good: it can leave traces of soot on the cheese. Therefore, it is better to use moderately raw material.
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are smoked less often than meat dishes. In fact - this is a very tasty dish that can be prepared both in the smokehouse and on the grill or grill. Smoked vegetables can be eaten on their own, and fruits (pears, plums or apples) - as an addition to meat dishes. A taste neutral wood with a pleasant fruity aroma is suitable for this method of preparation of the product:
- Cherry - shavings of this tree are often used when smoking vegetables.
- Peach - suitable for smoking vegetables, giving them a non-standard yellow color and saturating with fruity notes and a touch of almond flavor, suitable for grilling.
It is best to use a moderate moisture chip for smoking vegetables and fruits, which will burn longer and saturate products with smoke.
Bird
Smoking poultry is the most popular option. Poultry meat is tender, dietary, and when smoked, its taste becomes more saturated, and the shelf life increases. The classic choice here is oak or alder wood. But the fruit types of trees are also great, giving additional nuances to the aroma and taste of the dish:
- Apple tree - gives a distinctive specific smoke, giving sophistication to poultry dishes. Such chips are especially good for fatty meat, for example, goose.
- Apricot - will turn any bird into a true gourmet dish, thanks to its almond flavor and delicate fruity aroma.
- Oak and alder - retain the above properties when smoking poultry: they contribute to better preservation of the product, give a beautiful, noble color and slightly change the taste.
- Sweet cherry - especially well combined with chicken, gives it an exquisite taste and aroma.
Alder is suitable for hot smoking, in other cases it is advisable to choose material from fruit trees. Wood chips should be thoroughly soaked and slightly dried: too wet wood can make the meat bitter, and dry wood will not give the right amount of smoke and will finally dry out the non-greasy product.
