Food Prep & Fuel

Food Prep Articles

• Choose the Right Wood for your Smoker
• Types of Barbecue Smokers

Don't Know What Type of Wood to Buy?

Most people get excited at the mere thought barbecues. The aroma that comes from grilling a succulent steak on a warm summer day (really, any day if we're completely honest…) is no doubt one of the best feelings you’ll ever have in your life. A bit of a stretch? Perhaps not, if you’re a true pitmaster. That aside, people forget that smoking isn’t just about infusing a generic smoky flavor to foods. It’s also about adding an alluring hue to the food to engage all five senses. You need to pick, choose, and blend your woods the same way you would your spices, and there’s a way to do it.

Choosing Wood for your BBQ

There’s that pesky tree in the backyard you’ve always wanted to get rid of. Now that spring's rolling in and you’re ready to bust out the smoker; you’ve found the perfect reason to chop it down. What a great way to kill two birds with one stone – get rid of the tree and keep your smoker well-fed for a while to come. It’s absolutely genius, right? Well, no – it’s not. Some woods are not meant for smoking food. You should stay away from resinous wood species like cedar, pine, and essentially any type of softwood. The resin they produce will render your food inedible if you use them in your smoker.