Tried oak instead of hickory on a pork shoulder last weekend

I've always used hickory for everything. But a buddy from Texas told me to try oak on a pork shoulder I was smoking for a family get-together. The smoke was way more mellow, and the meat actually tasted more like pork instead of just smoke. Has anyone else tried switching woods for different meats?

2 comments

2 Comments

noah91423h ago

Last year I was all about hickory for everything, thought it was the only way to get real smoke flavor. Then I did a brisket for my dad's birthday and used oak on a whim because I ran out of hickory. The bark came out way cleaner, and my uncle who always complains about smoky meat actually asked for seconds. Now I use oak for pork shoulder and brisket every time, but I still keep hickory for ribs.

schmidt.eva1d ago

Your buddy is probably some pitmaster who thinks he's reinventing the wheel. Next thing you know, he'll be telling you to use applewood on chicken or something crazy. But seriously, oak is fine. It's what most commercial places use because it's cheap and doesn't overpower everything. Hickory is like that loud friend who won't shut up at a party. Oak is the quiet guy in the corner who actually has something smart to say.