What type of wood

[troderick]

Smoking pork loin Saturday. Should I use apple or pecan wood?

 

[themule69]

Smoking pork loin Saturday. Should I use apple or pecan wood?

Ether one will work fine.

I see this is your first post. When you get a chance will you drop by roll call so everyone can give you a proper SMF welcome?

Happy smoken.

David

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Pecan is the BEST I can think of for most meats   but mostly Beef and Chicken... having Apple , I would use that. Apple gives a very nice flavor to Pork Butt , as

Cherry does for Ribs...

Be sure to take Pics and send Q-View of your cook when you post it...

Have fun and . . .

 

[welshrarebit]

I'd say use both!!! I rarely smoke with only one kind of flavor wood...

 

[noboundaries]

toderick, if you're new to smoking, and that appears to be the case, pick one wood and use it for several smokes, say pecan in this case.  Then once you are familiar with it, try the apple and notice the difference.  You can develop your palate for the wood differences that way.

When I first started smoking I could tell the taste difference between hickory and mesquite, the strong woods, but everything else pretty much tasted the same to me.  With experience though and using one wood at a time for several smokes, I could begin to tell the taste differences between the medium and light woods.  Now I just use my favorites, either by themselves or in combination.    

 

[cliffcarter]

Apple for lean pork, always.

 

[seapro220]

Does or has anybody ever posted a listing of woods, and meats?  I think it really depends on your own personal preference - but it'd be nice to have some type of listing somewhere?  For instance, I just discovered that I didn't like the 'fruit wood' mix I had for bacon - and won't use that again.  is this a personal preference - can't say for everyone, but for me it was.  I'd been nice to have know 'not' to try that combination before I smoked 7lbs of it.  I'll still eat it, but just not that 'mix' again.

 

[wolfman1955]

Taste is such a subjective thing. I happen to love fruit woods on bacon. As far as a list goes what the list author likes may not suit your tastes at all. The best advice I can give you is start your own list item no.1 on the list I don't like fruit wood for bacon. Also just because you don't like fruit wood on bacon does not mean you would'nt like it on shrimp.
Just my $.02 worth.
Keep Smokin!!!
Wolf

 

[bbq1950]

Agree with most that either will do a great job. Personally I'd use apple.  

 

[wade]

My first choice would be hickory however the fruit woods all work well too

 

[timberjet]

I vote apple for a pork loin.

 

[foamheart]

Apple is sweeter and leaves a lighter amber color, pecan is a bit bolder, heavier & darker IMHO and has a more mohogany color.

I tend to lean towards apple as an adder w/ hickory for pork and sometimes stand alone with fowl. I use pecan on everything from brisket to quail because I have pecan trees and I like its aroma and color which is very convienent. LOL

I think the only wood I have used I didn't like was citrus. But I am guessing thats just my personal prefrence.

Whichever you chose, remember that until you know your smokes a bit better, a light hand with those chips will always reap the greatest rewards. Again thats just my opinion.

 

[wimpy69]

The last loin I did was with sugar maple. Wife is finicky with smoked meat but really enjoyed it. Sweet and light.

 

[foamheart]

 
Does or has anybody ever posted a listing of woods, and meats?  I think it really depends on your own personal preference - but it'd be nice to have some type of listing somewhere?  For instance, I just discovered that I didn't like the 'fruit wood' mix I had for bacon - and won't use that again.  is this a personal preference - can't say for everyone, but for me it was.  I'd been nice to have know 'not' to try that combination before I smoked 7lbs of it.  I'll still eat it, but just not that 'mix' again.

I believe that what we like towards smokes is influienced by our geographical locations. Most smokes are. Its by what woods are readily available in your location. So when as a child you normally get hickory and apple smoked pork if you live in NC, thats what you equate with pulled pork. The same goes with brisket in the Western states. Pecan is really popular in the south, apple and cherry in the NW.

We have the ability today to go into any hardware store today and get various bags of chips from all over the country. So we can enjoy trying various types and stretching out horizons. I suggest like mentioned above, use a single type for awhile. Learn how to manipulate that woods flavor by quanty applied, then when you know it, try another. Once you master how to apply smoke by quanty applied its always the same, and you'll realize just how many folks don't understand how.

Biggest thing is, just have fun learning. Think of all the great things you are going to eat simply from saying, "That was great, but I wonder what this would do?"

 

[timberjet]

The last loin I did was with sugar maple. Wife is finicky with smoked meat but really enjoyed it. Sweet and light.

I have the friggin biggest sugar maple right in front of my house. Must be over a hundred feet high and the canopy covers my entire property. I use it when I am out of everything else. It is a nice light sweet flavor for sure. Keep an eye out around your neighborhood after a wind storm. People love smoked meat and you can trade for wood. That's what I do. When I am out of apple or cherry I head out on my bike and take a gander. I think it took me maybe 10 minutes last time to find some. Hahaha. well, I do live in the apple state.