Did you ever wonder what to smoke with oak wood? If the answer is yes you are at the right place! I will explain the flavor profile of oak and give you ideas for smoking food with it while also providing tips & tricks on how to use this type of wood to its full potential!
in general rules, beef, pork, lamb, fish, venison, bison, elk, moose, chicken, turkey, shrimp, and scallops, are all good choices when it comes to oak. Pork pairs well with the oak wood giving it a heavy smoky flavor and tend to not overpower the meat since it’s less strong than other woods such as mesquite or hickory. Fish is another good one, making it smoky without a sweet or fruity taste while not being too strong which tend to result in a bitter taste. Sausage of all sorts is another candidate for oak if you want to only add more smoke flavor to them and give them a light brown color tint. Oak & brisket are one of the best combinations you could find, this type of wood is perfect for long slow smoke and does not tend to get bitter, giving the brisket a go with this type of wood is a personal favorite. While not giving it a strong flavor such as hickory, oak is still a great choice for it. Lamb is another candidate for the oak treatment since it does not completely overpower the lamb but still counterpart the grassy flavor of the said meat while giving it a nice smoky taste. Chicken is another of the great with this type of food, this type of meat tends to finish bitter if used with stronger wood but with oak, the problem goes away!
Oak wood comes from the oak wood, native to the northern hemisphere, and includes evergreen and deciduous species extending from cool temperate to tropical latitudes in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and North Africa there an approximately 500 existant species of different oak. North America has the largest number of species in those parts of the world with approximately 160 species in Mexico of which 109 are endemic and about 90 in the united states. The second area with the greatest diversity is China, with almost 100 species. Oak is a very versatile wood used in a lot of different things such as smoking, barrel aging, cork making, and medical preparation, and even its fruit is used for making flour or acorn coffee it is a powerhouse of a tree! One of the main points of using oak for smoking is the fact that it imparts a heavy smoky flavor while not overpowering almost all types of meat, it burns hot and slowly making it that much more enjoyable for a long, slow smoke session. If you need a big smoky flavor oak is the go-to. One of the most versatile wood in smoking it can smoke almost anything. This type of wood also gives a nice, hue of brown, mahogany color to the meat as it smokes it. It also has a thick smoke for smoking if you are smoking something everyone will know it. The aroma of the smoke will be strong but not too strong of a smell like a mesquite or hickory. The wood from the oak tree is naturally light in color and features a prominent grain pattern with uneven texture, commonly used for furniture since its long-lasting.
Oak wood is one of the most versatile wood for smoking every type of food out there. While not being too much like wood such as mesquite or hickory. continue to read as to why it should not be used with the type of food below.in addition, I give some tips and 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 oak wood!
- Pork is a solid choice for this type of wood, it gives a great smoked flavor and with the saltiness of the meat is just good.
- Venison is a great choice since the smokiness of oak wood gives it a great taste.
- Salmon pairs well with oak wood, if you want only a smoke-flavored fish and not a fruity or sweet flavor it will not become bitter.
- Chicken is a nice vessel for oak, if you want a savory chicken tasting great this is a good choice!
- Cheese is a perfect choice, Oak smoked cheddar is an award-winning type of cheese.
- The scallop is another food that benefits from the oak, since oak burns greatly with a large amount of smoke it will give a great taste even with a little cooking time.
- Shrimp smoked with oak wood taste great, also this wood is perfect for the shrimp since the amount of smoke and the burn rate pairs well to enhance the flavor of the shrimp.
- Lamb can handle strong smokey woods just like oak. The taste would be less grassy.
- Sausage of all types benefits from being oak-smoked, giving them a beautiful color and a nice taste.
- Wild boar’s strong rich and nutty flavor gets a nice treatment from the oak which will give it a strong smoky taste in addition to its already flavorful properties.
- Beef is one of the great, take big cuts of this meat such as brisket and fire the oak to give it a distinct beautiful flavor.
- Bison if you want a less fatty alternative to beef, is a great vessel for such a wood since its lighter and more delicate flavor compared to beef will be powered by the taste of oak.
Should I smoke vegetables with oak wood?
Oakwood is not suited for vegetables, mostly vegetables tend to benefit from lighter-flavored wood or wood with a sweeter flavor like peach or cherry wood. Remember to do your experiment you can mix oak with another wood and still get great results for vegetables.
Should I smoke a small bird wild game with oak wood?
Oak’s strong suit is its unique flavor profile being a moderate smokey flavor compared to mesquite or hickory. As far as small bird wild game goes the meat should be watched at every process of smoking. Oak is not the most powerful wood out there but still can overpower the delicate taste of the birds giving them a bitter aftertaste.
Tips & Tricks to using oak wood!
Do remember that if you use oak for smoking, you need to properly dry or “season” it before doing anything with it. if not properly done it will result in not burning with enough heat and smoke which is a no-go for smoking. you can air-dry the wood in spring and summer for 3-6 months or speed up the process with a kiln in just a few days. Remember that oak is a very versatile wood it can shine in almost every option for smoking be it long and slow or fast and intense since this wood is easy to work with it is extremely popular for beginners and experts alike.