Smoking is another seasoning to add to grilled favourites. Like spices, different woods impart very different flavours – from the intense, spicy notes of mesquite and hickory, to the sweet and fragrant notes of apple and cherry.
Type
Flavour
Ideal Meats
Mesquite
Pungent, Smoky, Spicy
Beef, Pork
Hickory
Pungent, Smoky
Beef, Lamb, Pork
Whiskey
Spicy, Smoky
Pork, Poultry, Beef
Maple
Sweet, Smoky
Pork, Poultry
Pecan
Rich, Flavourful
Pork, Poultry, Lamb
Cherry
Sweet, Smoky
Pork, Poultry
Apple
Sweet, Smoky
Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Cheeses
Alder
Mild, Smoky
Lamb, Pork
Cedar
Bright, Spicy, Smoky
Seafood, Cheeses
If you’ve never done any smoking before, don’t overdo it – start with a small amount of wood chips (1/2 cup or so), and soak them in liquid for at least 1/2 hour. Drain the wood chips, and then scatter them directly on top of the smoldering coals.