White Oak

nmayeux · Oct 27, 2012

White oak is my goto heat source, as it makes nice coals that hold. I then use other woods to develop a flavor profile. I do like red oak, especially for brisket, but each his own.

The Virginia bbq comments are hilarious.... Next someone is likely to say that Brunswick stew is originally from Virginia!

charrederhead · Oct 27, 2012

tpope said:
Red oak in my area smells like the tom cat marked his territory.

Yes! Most of the oak I've ever used (for firewood) stinks, imo.

Gnaws on Pigs · Oct 27, 2012

tpope said:
I will use red oak in a pinch... so long as it is well cured. Red oak in my area smells like the tom cat marked his territory. White oak is always a go to.

Yep, red oak has that smell fresh, but not burning. I've had some really good food cooked on red oak coals. For that matter, cherry is one of the nastiest, bitter smelling woods out there when it's fresh. It has a really strong unpleasant odor. And has hydrocyanic acid in it. The leaves will kill cows if they're wilted, it's that toxic. But people love it for smoking.

CarolinaQue · Oct 27, 2012

Gnaws on Pigs said:
Yep, red oak has that smell fresh, but not burning. I've had some really good food cooked on red oak coals. For that matter, cherry is one of the nastiest, bitter smelling woods out there when it's fresh. It has a really strong unpleasant odor. And has hydrocyanic acid in it. The leaves will kill cows if they're wilted, it's that toxic. But people love it for smoking.

I think that there's a difference between cooking with red oak coals and cooking with red oak sticks.

As far as the cherry smell, I've always thought it had a very pleasant smell...especially when burning.

Gnaws on Pigs · Oct 27, 2012

CarolinaQue said:
I think that there's a difference between cooking with red oak coals and cooking with red oak sticks.

As far as the cherry smell, I've always thought it had a very pleasant smell...especially when burning.

True. I've used red oak sticks in my trailer pit before with good results, though. Of course, it's not too airtight. And yeah, cherry smells a lot better burning than it does fresh. That's the same thing I was saying about red oak. Green cherry wood especially has a really bitter, acrid odor.

CarolinaQue · Oct 27, 2012

I think that red oak is one of those woods that needs to be well seasoned before using. THe stuff I have used was less than a year seasoned and it had a very strong flavor to it. Same with cherry for me. I like it much more after it's seasoned for closer to a year.

cliffcarter · Oct 27, 2012

CarolinaQue said:
I think that red oak is one of those woods that needs to be well seasoned before using. THe stuff I have used was less than a year seasoned and it had a very strong flavor to it. Same with cherry for me. I like it much more after it's seasoned for closer to a year.

I've got some northern red oak that has been cut and seasoning for 3 years, I burned some this summer and it still had wisps of steam coming from it. I let my black cherry splits season 9-12 months, depending on size.

Boshizzle · Oct 27, 2012

nmayeux said:
The Virginia bbq comments are hilarious.... Next someone is likely to say that Brunswick stew is originally from Virginia!

I know, it's nuts! American BBQ was first cooked in VA? What a bunch of malarky! That's not what they said on the Travel Channel! Everyone knows Brunswick Stew and BBQ all started in Georgia. They can even back it up with a plaque from 1898. :heh:

krshome · Nov 7, 2012

First cook with white oak, smells like home.

White Oak

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