Did you ever wonder what to smoke with hickory wood? If the answer is yes you are at the right place! I will explain the flavor profile of hickory and give you ideas for smoking food with it while also providing tips & tricks on how to use hickory to its full potential!
In general rules,whole turkey or whole chicken, wild game, and larger cuts of meat such as Texas-style brisket, Pork, like the loin, or even the pork shoulder which is used to make pulled pork, pairs pretty well with the natural sweetness of hickory wood. this type of wood is perfect to use as a flavor enhancer for cold smoked salmon. it does pretty well with any type of cheese or even nuts! The flavor profile of this type of wood is a little sweet with yet a big strong flavor of smoke & a slightly nutty flavor. giving every type of smoked food a bacon-flavored taste! This is why it pairs so well with almost all types of meat be it beef or pork.
If you are looking for a strong flavored wood but not quite as strong as mesquite you got a winner!It’s rich,sweet and give bacon & nut flavor to any meat it smoke whats not to like?You can find recipe on the net like hickory smoked whole chicken,smoked whole turkey,pork butt ( as i said the hickory pairs really well with all type of pork especially bacon since it does make it taste like the bacon we all know and love!) bacon (if you never seen hickory smoke bacon there is a problem since its the most popular bacon in the states,it pairs really well qith the bacon saltiness and fatty content)it exceel in cooking large cuts of meat that need a slow and long cooking process just like beef brisket or pork shoulder and boston butt(making your pulle pork sandwiches really fatty and meaty while giving it a strong smoke flavor profile)it can also be used with ham giving it a less smoky flavor than mesquite but still getting other flavor notes such as nut & a little sweetness.It can be used with salmon since it pair well with its fat content and flavor.This wood is perfect for strong flavored cheese too,cheddar,swiss,stilton smoked with hickory give them just the right amount of strong flavor to be delicious.
Hickory is hardwood it comes from the hickory tree.There are in total 18 species of tree.The Hickory tree is native from the East Coast and is most common in Midwestern and Southeast Barbecue style.Something that people doesnt necessarily know is that Hickory tree grow nuts similar to pecans which is why that when you smoke something with it give a nutty flavor to the food in general.its burn style is different than mesquite since it got stamina to burn for a while even if the temperature is really high.Many pitmasters use hickory in slow and long smoking process making it the perfect wood for big cuts of meat.Hickory is considered by many to be a really versatile wood for smoking and one of the most flavorful too.When you proceed to do a low,slow smoke always consider using the hickory wood since it will give the best results.
As I said hickory is one if not the most versatile wood out there, continue to read as to why it should not be used with the type of food below. In addition, I give some tips & tricks proven to be used by pitmasters!I also provide a list of great smoke for this type of wood.
12 things to smoke with Hickory wood!
- Turkey is a nice choice for such wood since it give it a distinc flavor of smokiness.
- Chicken is kind of the same things as turkey it give a nice flavor profile.
- Pork is the winner,hickory is surely the best wood to use on pork giving it the common taste of bacon.
- Beef cuts like brisket would be one of the staple of hickory,used in a lot of texan bbq.
- Salmon if cold smoked is an interesting choice,hickory give it a lot of flavor while not overpowering the Salmon.
- Cheese need to be strong in flavor to pair well with hickory but is still a good choice, cheddar,gouda or swiss cheese is perfect with that wood.
- Nuts are good candidate for smoking with hickory,can be cold smoked or roasted.
- Deer is a favorite while being smoked into jerky or anything really hickory pairs well with that flavor.
- Elk is another prime candidate to smoking with hickory.its strong flavor is enhanced by being smoked.
- Moose would be considered another good meat to pair with hickory since it would not overpower the earthy flavor of the moose.
- Bison if you want a less fatty alternative than beef,pairs well with the Hickory giving it a bacon taste.
- Shrimp benefits from the hickory since it need a strong,fast cook, paired with a strong flavored wood with a lot of smoke.
Should i smoke seafood with hickory?
Hickory should not be used alone when thinking about smoking seafood!Some type of fish can benefits from the hickory wood but some other don’t.Salmon is one that can get benefits from it,if you like strong flavored salmon it will do the trick but do watch out for not overuse the hickory in that scenario that could leave a bitter taste to the salmon.As for the trout this is almost the same thing do consider to mix your hickory with something less pungent like cedar,cherry,alder and do watch the smoking process entirely to make sure its not overpowered by the smoke.Shrimp is a good options for hickory since you want the smoking process to be quick,you need a strong flavored wood just like hickory,pecan,mesquite.They will produce a lot of flavor in little bit of time and avoid to have too much smoke content!As such you can do smoked scallop pretty easily since the process is almost the same as shrimp!
Should I smoke poultry with hickory?
As i said earlier poultry is a great vessel for hickory but only with complete chicken or turkey!If you work with some smaller cuts or smaller chicken or turkey in general you need to watch out as that can give a bitter flavor so reminder to be light with the wood!You can still mix it with lighter and sweeter type of wood to make a perfect blend for the chicken or turkey, i would consider oak,maple, pecan or applewood and would watch the whole smoking process to be sure of the quantities needed!
Should I smoke pork with hickory?
Yes,hickory is one of the most popular wood with all type of pork,But if you deal with smaller cuts do watch out for the smoke content during the process!
Tips & Tricks to using hickory wood
Hickory is surely the most common wood to smoke thing with!It is versatile and pairs well with a lot of products.But i would always check to make a mix with lighter,milder flavored wood such as oak,maple,pecan or applewood at the second that i work with a smaller cuts or poultry & seafood!That way it could save a lot of time and effort making something good instead of finishing with something too bitter!
Wrapping up
All in all, this should summarize a lot about using hickory in a smoker! Remember that it is a versatile wood but do need to be used sparingly with small cuts & other milder flavored meat or seafood!I had a lot of fun writing this article hope it will help you defining the flavor profile of hickory!