Cooking Wood

[svk]

This is for those who specifically make firewood for cooking:

1) Do you leave the bark on? Or remove it?

2) I'm too far north for access to the real good species. I've got access to red maple, white birch, and limited amounts of pin, bur, and red oak. Which of those is best for cooking?

I'm sitting inside fighting a cold and it's really cold outside so I'm just thinking about spring projects.

 

[DavidBrown1212]

For hickory BBQ fuel, I cut it really short and only use wood with no bark.

I have a buddy who will use almost anything, but only as coals. He has a separate fire, and shovels coals to the food.

I can say that oak smoke can leave a very offensive flavor on food, but only a fresh piece, not the coals. I don't know about the rest of the species mentioned

 

[513yj]

I don't know if you have access to these but I make some great grilled and bbq food (so I hear) using hard maple, cherry, and apple. I only use 1 type of wood per session without bark. I grilled some burgers camping this year with yellow birch that was pretty dang good as well.

 

[svk]

Unfortunately I don't. I know people use red maple for smoking in the absence of hard maple so that's my go to for now. Unless someone can recommend one of the other species I mentioned.

 

[513yj]

I'd give the red maple a shot. Might be pretty good.

 

[zogger]

If you can find any fruit wood in your area that would be better. The orchard guys prune apples in the late winter usually.

With what you have, I dunno, the red oak here either smells rank or real sweet, one or the other. You know it when you cut it, the sweet stuff is rare but shows up.

Oh, bark off, anything you try.

 

[svk]

Thanks much. The only orchards are several hours south into heavy EAB territory. Don't want to mess with that.

I guess I'll stay away from cooking with oak. Which is fine as the boiler will like it.

 

[mbergeon]

If you've got an outdoor boiler try loading the stove with oak first thing in the morning, then shovel out the coals from the boiler directly into a grill or smoker.

I've been doing that for a while now, I've used oak, beech, hickory and apple.

They all work good.

 

[513yj]

Another thing I do if there is a limited amount of wood is to get the fire goin with charcoal while the wood soaks in water then put the wet wood on the coals to the side of the meat so flames don't burn the meat and lower the top vent to trap smoke in. .

 

[cprost]

I use a lot of white Oak. It is more mellow that hickory and if i smoke or slow cook with only wood that is all i use. I mention this because you said you had Bur Oak which is white oak. Red oak and maple are fine if you have a separate fire and burn it down to coals before using it to cook. I took a tank (about the size of a refrigerant tank) and made a larger version of the charcoal starters that you see in the store. I would start my wood in it about 15 to 20 min before i needed it then just dump it into the fire box.

 

[Ron660]

Hickory and pecan do well.

 

[philoshop]

In my experience with wood cooking/smoking, bark is not good. As to the different woods you have available I think I'd lean toward the maple unless you can find some alder. That's primo cold-smoke wood. Never had much luck with the oaks. Good for bourbon barrels but so-so for meat.

 

[ReggieT]

I don't know if you have access to pecan, but in my region pecan is swiftly taking over the top spot previously held by hickory.
I love to mix pecan & mesquite...an awesome flavor combo...apple is a real winner also!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I cook with wood in my "wood" fired cook stove, i keep it in the garage on wheels and push it outside when i want to use it,

I mostly feed it scraps off my BSM,

I just make a nice fire,

and then i can cook on top AND cook in the oven at the same time,

And, while we are eating supper, i can put a "cobbler" in the oven for desert.

I LOVE the thing!

SR

 

[ReggieT]

I cook with wood in my "wood" fired cook stove, i keep it in the garage on wheels and push it outside when i want to use it,

I mostly feed it scraps off my BSM,

I just make a nice fire,

and then i can cook on top AND cook in the oven at the same time,

And, while we are eating supper, i can put a "cobbler" in the oven for desert.

I LOVE the thing!

SR

EXCELLENT-BRAVO!!!!!

 

[svk]

That's a cool stove. I had one like that but older in my old house. Never used it and sold it. Regretting it now.

Regarding species of wood. What I listed is really the only hardwood available other than black ash. 75% of the timber up here is aspen followed by balsam, mixed pine, cedar, and the species above. Even oak is hard to find.

 

[Mad Professor]

I cook with wood in my "wood" fired cook stove, i keep it in the garage on wheels and push it outside when i want to use it,


I have an old Glenwood like that but it is a combo wood with two gas/propane burners too. I want to restore it and update the gas burners to run without pilots.

My Grandma had one like yours and it was my job to get up early get the fire stoked and water for tea and coffee. We would make toast right on the stovetop.

Back to the original question , for local I think the maple would be best bet.

I would check with the orchards to the south for prunings. The branches are bulky but put them through a chipper. Get a fire going then add some soaked chips on for a nice smoked cookout.

 

[Islero]

My wood cook stove is inside my kitchen next to my propane cook stove, but separated by a special made firewall between the two. Here in New Mexico, oak is very hard to find and very expensive to purchase. As such, I use a variety of local wood such as aspen, piñon and cedar for cooking. For heating I save the oak, but I also use branches off the trees that have fallen in the yard, 2x4's and other pieces of non pressure treated lumber. I'll burn whatever can be burned that isn't poisonous or harmful to humans/environment.