I n the beginning, there was wood. And it was good. But it was awfully inconvenient.
The appeal of wood smoke is almost primal. In fact, just those two words by themselves are enough to make you hungry.
Along with the smells of ripe tomatoes and perfect peaches, wood smoke is an integral part of summer’s sweet perfume. It lends depth to the flavor of chicken, sweetens the taste of pork and helps give steak its sizzle.
And now, cooking with wood has become so easy you can do it every day.
Finding wood for grilling has always been a problem. You can’t just go lighting any old logs you find. Fireplace wood – mostly pine and cedar – contains sticky resins that will coat your food. Some woods will burn too fast to be any good; others will burn too slow.
To get that wood-smoke flavor, the best solution for the backyard griller is wood chips. And there’s good news on that front.
Wood chips, which basically look like what you might sweep up off a carpenter’s floor, have been around forever, but until not so long ago they could be found only at barbecue shops that catered to the hardwood hard-core. Lately, however, they’ve been showing up even at neighborhood supermarkets. And a recent visit to a gourmet grocery turned up six kinds.
These are simple to use: Just soak them in water for half an hour or so, then toss them on the coals once they’re going. They work great, pumping out smoke like there’s no tomorrow.
But the sudden availability of all of these choices is a little overwhelming. Apple, cherry, mesquite – even chips made from old wine barrels. Which one to choose? Should you go with hickory, the traditional choice of most pit barbecuers? Or would oak – the California wood of choice – be better? Should you use the same wood for a beefy tri-tip as for a delicate chicken breast? And what about fruit woods, such as apple and cherry?
To find out, I fired up a couple of grills in my back yard one day and worked my way through seven types of wood chips, using each to cook pork, chicken and beef. By the end of the afternoon I was sweaty and pretty well smoked myself, but at least I had some answers.
The first thing that needs to be said about using these wood chips might seem obvious: Smoke tastes like smoke and that is the dominant flavoring. If you’re expecting dramatic differences from one variety to the next, you might be disappointed. It’s not a mustard and ketchup thing, but more like the differences among different types of mustard.
But there are differences, even if they are subtle, and they do affect the way the smoke flavors the meat.
The first big difference is intensity. Some chips make foods taste profoundly smoky, whereas others add only a grace note. The smokiest woods, in roughly descending order, are hickory, oak and cherry. The mildest are the wine cask chips, pecan, apple and mesquite.
Another difference is an elusive quality that I suppose you could call “sweetness,” although that seems like an odd attribute for something such as wood smoke.
This isn’t true sweetness – like sugar – but maybe the absence of the harsh qualities you sometimes find in wood smoke. The sweetest woods are mesquite and apple. That same quality is also there in cherry and hickory, although it’s a little harder to discern because they are so smoky.
Also, some chips have distinctive flavor notes. I found a peculiar nuttiness in pecan wood, but to me it tasted more like peanuts than pecans. The wine cask wood actually did carry an undertone of red wine.
There was an elusive characteristic in the flavor imparted by oak smoke that I found appealing but had a hard time describing. Finally, it occurred to me that what I liked about it was that it seems to be smoky but always in a graceful way. It’s more Chanel No. 5 than Brut 33.
So which woods go best with which meats? For strong-flavored beef and lamb, I’d recommend hickory, oak, cherry and apple. For mild chicken and fish, use mesquite, apple or pecan – and because of the others’ fruity qualities, probably only mesquite for fish. For pork, use cherry, hickory, pecan or apple.
Brined pork tenderloin with ‘Tuscan home fries’
21-pound pork tenderloins
Kosher salt
1tablespoon sugar
1/2gallon water
1 1/2pounds waxy potatoes
1large red onion (about 2/3 pound)
1/4cup olive oil
1/2teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
Trim the pork tenderloins, removing any loose pieces of meat. Remove the silverskin: Slip a paring knife underneath it and cut one end free. Grasp that end tightly and lift up, scraping the silverskin with the knife to separate it from the meat. Repeat until all silverskin is removed. Place the tenderloins in a zip-lock bag.
In a large bowl, stir together one-third cup salt, sugar and water until completely dissolved. Pour the mixture over the tenderloins, seal tightly and refrigerate overnight.
About 90 minutes before serving, cut the potatoes into pieces about the size of walnuts. Cut off the top and bottom of the red onion and cut the onion into half-inch wedges. Place the potatoes and onion in a heavy skillet, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat well.
Place the skillet over medium-low heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes, checking after 15 minutes to stir. Stir gently to keep from separating the potatoes from the browning surface: shaking the pan from side to side will free most of the potatoes; those that stick can be gently pried loose with a thin spatula.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue cooking, carefully stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are well-browned and crusty, another 30 to 40 minutes. Add the minced rosemary, reduce heat to very low and continue cooking another 10 minutes. The potatoes will hold this way until ready to serve.
While the potatoes are cooking, start the pork. Soak about 1 1/2 cups of wood chips in water to cover. Use cherry, apple or pecan wood chips.
Light the coals in a chimney and when the coals are glowing hot, empty them into one side of the grill, banked against the side. Drain the wood chips and place on top of the coals.
Pat the pork tenderloins dry with paper towels and place the meat directly over the flame to sear for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and sear on the other side for another 3 to 5 minutes. Move the tenderloins to the cooler part of the grill, cover and cook 6 to 10 minutes or until the temperature reaches 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
When the tenderloins are done, remove them to a carving board and let them rest 5 to 10 minutes. Slice them into half-inch thick medallions and put them on a warmed platter along with the crusty fried potatoes. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 348 calories; 32 grams protein; 21 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 14 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 84 mg. cholesterol; 426 mg. sodium.
Grilled butterflied leg of lamb with olive-fennel tapenade
121/2-pound butterflied leg of lamb
3-4cloves garlic
1teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4cup red wine
Olive-fennal tapenade (recipe follows)
If the lamb has been tied into a roll, untie it and lay it flat, skin-side down. There will be a range of thicknesses to the meat, with some areas fairly thin and some very thick. Slice partway through the thickest portions to allow the meat to lie flat.
Slice the garlic into thin slivers. Turn the lamb over so that the skin side is facing up. Use a paring knife to cut slits all over the skin side roughly a half-inch deep and a half-inch apart. Stuff a garlic sliver into each slit (it’s easiest if you use the tip of the knife to hold the slit open; don’t worry about everything being perfectly neat).
Sprinkle both sides of the meat with salt and pepper and place it in a zip-lock bag. Pour the wine over the lamb, press out all the air and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours to marinate.
Prepare the tapenade while the meat is marinating.
When you’re ready to cook, soak about 2 cups of wood chips in water to cover. Use wine cask chips for this, or oak or cherry. Light the coals and when the coals are glowing hot, empty them into one side of the grill, banked against the side. Drain the wood chips and place on top of the coals.
Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel and place it skin-side down over the hottest part of the fire. Sear the lamb 3 to 5 minutes per side, until browned.
Turn the meat again and move it to a cooler part of the grill and cover. Cook 10 minutes on one side, turn and cook about another 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into a thick part of the meat reads 115 degrees. That makes about 30 minutes cooking total. After allowing the lamb to rest, this will give you a range of doneness from medium-rare to medium.
Remove the meat from the grill and set aside 10 minutes to rest before carving against the grain. Serve with tapenade on the side.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 254 calories; 27 grams protein; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 14 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 85 mg. cholesterol; 390 mg. sodium
.
Olive-fennel tapenade
1/2pound pitted black olives in brine
2teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2teaspoons fennel seed
1/2teaspoon red wine vinegar
2tablespoons olive oil
1/2teaspoon Pernod
1tablespoon minced parsley
Rinse the pitted black olives, shake them dry and place them in the bowl of a food processor.
With a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and the fennel seed into a coarse paste and add it to the black olives along with the vinegar and the olive oil.
Pulse into a coarse paste that holds together; add a little more olive oil if the mixture is too dry. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.
When almost ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and stir in the Pernod and parsley. Makes 2 cups.
Prosciutto-wrapped halibut with grape tomato salad
6halibut fillets (2 pounds), about 2 inches thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6slices thinly sliced prosciutto (about 3 ounces)
1 1/2pounds yellow and red grape tomatoes
6basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 1/2tablespoons olive oil
1teaspoons red wine vinegar
Cut the fillets into equal-sized pieces about as wide as a slice of prosciutto. Because of the size of a halibut fillet, you will probably end up cutting across the fillet, making pieces that are roughly square.
Lightly salt and pepper the fish. Lay a prosciutto slice on the work surface and put a piece of halibut in the middle of it. Fold the ends around the halibut. It will look a little messy on the side where the ends meet, but don’t worry; you’ll serve it with that side down. Refrigerate the halibut until ready to cook.
Cut the tomatoes in half and place them in a bowl. Add three-fourths teaspoon salt and toss to coat well. Set aside to let the salt draw out some of the tomato juice.
When you’re ready to cook the fish, soak about 1 cup of mesquite wood chips in water to cover. Light the coals in a chimney and when the coals are glowing hot, empty them into the center of the grill. If there aren’t enough coals, add more on top and wait until they are glowing as well. Drain the wood chips and place on top of the coals.
Toss the tomatoes with the basil, olive oil and vinegar.
Spray a grill basket with nonstick cooking spray or rub lightly with oil. Place the halibut packages in the basket and place over the fire. Cook, uncovered, on one side until the prosciutto has lightly crisped, 4 to 5 minutes.
Turn and cook until a knife inserts easily into an uncovered part of the halibut, another 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t overcook the halibut; even with the prosciutto wrapping, it will dry out pretty quickly. Total cooking time should be about 10 minutes.
Carefully open the grill basket, making sure the prosciutto doesn’t stick to it. Place the halibut packages on a large platter with the neatest side facing up. Spoon the tomato salad around the outside of the platter, sprinkle with black pepper and serve immediately.
Makes six servings. Per serving: 253 calories; 37 grams protein; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 60 mg. cholesterol; 760 mg. sodium.
Select subtle flavors from a variety of wood chips
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.