Wood-grilling is a great way to add flavor to your food. Whether you’re grilling meats or vegetables, the smoky taste of wood will give your food a delicious boost. But what kind of wood should you use? There are many different types of wood available, each with its own unique flavor. The key is to experiment and find the type of wood that best suits your taste.
In this blog post, we dive into the rustic charm of wood grilling, explore how different types of wood can improve your dishes and give you inspiration to raise the game of your next barbecue.
Wood grilling is different from standard charcoal or gas grills because you cook directly over the flames from the wood while using smoke as one of the major flavor injectors! Each kind of wood has its own unique taste profile that will transform your backyard grill into a gourmet kitchen’s smoker.
First you need to think about kind of timber. Not all types of wood are suitable for grilling; some like oak, hickory and mesquite are classics in smoking circles and are known for their strong pungent smokiness, which pairs well with strong meats such as beef and pork. Others like apple, cherry and maple provide a milder sweet-smoke which is perfect for enhancing delicate flavors in chicken, fish and vegetables.
Here are our Top 9 Wood Grill inspirational dishes!
Smoke Brisket
Preparing a classic smoked brisket stands out as one quintessential experience associated with wood grilling. The smoke slowly infiltrates into the meat tenderizing it and giving it a lot more complicated earthy flavor contrasted by slight sweetness compared to other methods. This process may take several hours but will yield an irresistibly juicy meal filled with smoky flavors.
Cedar Plank Salmon
Cedar plank salmon provides another but equally enjoyable flavor journey if you prefer subtler seafood tastes. Such as when soaked and then heated becomes a gentle aromatic smoke that works in tandem with the rich, fatty salmon to form a dish that is pleasing not only to our eyes but also the stomach.
Maple Wood Grilled Vegetables
For vegetarians who engage in wood grilling, picture vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini or even asparagus lightly drizzled with olive oil and balsamic then cooked over maple. The vegetable’s savory char is beautifully enhanced by the light sweetness of maple syrup creating a simple yet tasteful dish.
Mesquite Grilled Steak
Thicker cuts of steak are best complemented by mesquite wood which adds an intense smoke flavor. Steak needs nothing more than salt and pepper since mesquite’s strong smoke flavor acts as its own spice giving it a charred crust on the outside and perfectly tender inside. Check out our ultimate list of sides to go with your steak!
Hickory-Smoked Pork Ribs
Prepare your ribs by rubbing them with brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin before slow-cooking them over hickory wood.
Cherry Wood Smoked Duck
Slowly cook an entire duck on cherry wood after seasoning it with spices such as star anise, cinnamon or clove for deep fruity smoke flavoring.
Alder Wood Smoked Fish Tacos
Cook cod or halibut with alderwood grilling method; serve the fish tacos along side cabbage slaw made from fresh cabbage coated in avocado dressing to give you a lighter version of smoked food.
Pecan Wood Smoked Cheese
Use pecan wood for smoking cheeses like cheddar or gouda to introduce some nutty smokiness making it ideal for cheese boards or sandwiches.
Fruit Wood Smoked Pizza
Use fruit woods such as apple or cherry which produce milder smoke when preparing homemade pizza topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, (pepperoni if you like meat) basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
I hope these 10 wood grill ideas give you some inspiration! There is a real art to selecting the right wood for the right meat or veggies. Wood grilling makes cooking possibilities infinite whether you are new to cooking with wood or just want to shake things up. Flames ON!