There are many choices of wood types to use when smoking.  Below is a partial list of what and what not to use in your smoker. If you are using something other than a commercially packages smoker wood such as Hickory, Mesquite, Apple wood or Cherry wood it is advisable to check and make sure that it is ok to use.  Several different types of wood can actually make you sick.

Acacia – has a flavor similar to mesquite but not as heavy. Acacia wood is good with most meats and vegetables.

Alder – A sweet, musky smoke that is good with fish, pork, poultry, and game birds.

Almond – A nutty and sweet smoke flavor which produces a light ash. Good with all meats.

Apple – The flavor is milder and sweeter than Hickory. Good with most meats.

Ash – has a light flavor. Good with fish and red meats.

Bay – medium floral smoke with hints of spice.Good with most meats and veggies.

Beech – A mild much used wood like oak. Good with meat and fish.

Birch – Medium hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

Blackberry – slightly sweet and delicate flavor. Good for all meats and poultry.

Butternut – Strong bitter smoke.Good on red meats. Not good on poultry

Cherry – Slightly sweet fruity smoke that’s great with poultry and other meats.

Chestnut – Slightly sweet nutty smoke flavor. Good with most meats.

Coffee Beans – Mix in a few coffee beans with your wood for a little extra coffee flavoring. For a stronger flavor, use espresso beans. For less flavor, add the beans to your water pot.

Cottonwood – is very subtle in flavor and not great for smoking unless used to provide only a hint of smoke.

Crab-apple – Similar to apple. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

Fig – Mild and fruity like mulberry. Good with all meats.

Fruit wood Such as peach, pear, apple, cherry, etc. – Medium fruity sweet smoke. Good with all meats and poultry.

Grapefruit – Produces a nice mild smoky flavor.

Hickory – Sweet heavy flavor. Good for all smoking. Tip: Soak the wood in water for 1-2 hours before burning to prevent a bitter taste and create a longer lasting burn.

Lemon – A tangy yet mild citrus smoke. Good with all meats especially fish.

Lilac – Very light subtle smoke flavor with a floral hint. Good with all meats especially fish.

Maple -Mild smoke with a sweet background. Great with all meats and excellent on poultry.

Mesquite – Strong earthy flavor with a strong smoke. Good with most meats, and goes well with fish and vegetables.

Mulberry – A mild smoke with a sweet and tangy flavor. Goes best with pork.

Nectarine -milder and sweeter than hickory with a similar smell and taste. goes great with white meats and fish.

Oak – mild smoke with no aftertaste. Good with all meats especially beef.

Olive – similar to mesquite, but lighter. Good for poultry.

Orange – Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness. Good with beef, pork and poultry.

Peach – sweet and mild smoke similar to hickory. Good on white meats and poultry.

Pear – slightly sweet earthy flavor. Good on Poultry, game birds and pork.

Pecan – Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory but not as strong. Best on Poultry beef and pork.

Persimmon– Medium smoke- great with beef, pork and poultry.

Pimento – Also referred to as Allspice, Jamaican Pepper, Myrtle Pepper, or Newspice. This wood adds a peppery and spicy flavor. It is a  used in grilling Jamaican foods such as jerk chicken. Great on Fish and poultry.

Pistachio Shells– good with most meats except fish.

Plum/Prune – mild and sweet flavor. Good with most meats, great on most white or pink meats.

Sassafras – A mild, musky, sweet smoke with a root beer like aftertaste.  Good on beef, pork and poultry.

Seaweed – provides a spicy flavor. Goes great with shellfish and seafood. The seaweed should be washed and air or sun-dried before using.

Walnut –  An intense smoke that is slightly bitter like walnuts. This smoke is overpowering and will leave a strong taste.  Great on Game meats like venison.

Oriental Herbs – combine ginger root and sesame seeds with oak wood for a strong oriental seasoning and taste. Good with beef, pork and poultry.

Dried Herbs – Throw a spoonful (or more for stronger flavors)  of your favorite dried herbs into your water pot – good with any meats.

Corncob – Provides a sweet flavor to any meat.  The corncob should be completely dried and chopped into small pieces before using in the smoker. Best on fish and poultry.

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Wood that is poisonous when used for grilling.

DO NOT USE any wood from:

• Conifer Trees
• Pine Trees
• Fir
• Spruce
• Redwood
• Cedar
• Cypress
• Sweet Gum
• Elm
• Eucalyptus
• Liquid Amber
• Lumber Scraps ~ Most lumber is treated with preservative chemicals.
• Old wood ~ Avoid wood that is covered with any type of mold or fungus.
• Painted wood ~ Do not use wood that contains paint or wood stain.

One of the first things that any great chef will learn is mothers sauces. There are officially 5 mothers sauces, although many consider vinaigrette and mayonnaise additional sauces worth learning as well. Learn these five sauce well and you can create many more from the knowledge of these five alone.  Mother sauces are essentially a base sauce from which many other sauces can be made.

French Chef Antonin Careme introduced four original mothers sauces to the culinary world in the 19th century. The four original sauces were Tomat, Bechamel, Veloute and Espagnole. In the 20th century, Chef Auguste Escoffier added the fifth mothers sauce, Hollandaise, to the list.

• Bechamel Sauce
• Espagnole Sauce
• Hollandaise Sauce
• Tomato Sauce
• Veloute Sauce

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 Standard Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel Based Secondary Sauces

Almost any milk or cream based sauce that you will make, will be based on a  classic Bechamel sauce.  Listed below are a few of the secondary sauces that made with a Bechamel base.

Standard Cream Sauce

• Begin with 1 qt. Bechamel sauce.
• Add 4-8 oz of heavy cream, heated or tempered.
• Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice to taste.
• Add your favorite  herbs and spices to taste.
• Strain through a chinois to insure a smooth, creamy texture.

Mornay Sauce

• Begin with 1 qt. Bechamel sauce.
• Stir in 4 oz of Gruyere and 2 oz of Parmesan cheese, grated fine.
• Turn off heat and mix in 2 oz of butter.
• Adjust consistency with warm milk.

Cheddar Cheese Sauce

• 8 oz cheddar cheese, grated.
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard.
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce.
• Stir all ingredients into 1 qt of warm Bechamel until cheddar cheese has melted.

Simple Mustard Sauce

• Stir in 4 oz. of Dijon mustard
• Turn off heat and mix in 2-4 oz. of butter.
• Strain through a chinois.

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Standard Veloute Sauce

• 4 ounce blond roux (2 ounces clarified butter and 2 ounces all purpose flour)
• 1/4 quarts hot, White Stock (Veal, Chicken, or Fish)

 

1. Heat up your white stock in a heavy bottom sauce pan.
2. In a separate pan, cook roux to a blond stage.
3. Allow roux to cool slightly before adding it to the stock.
4. Whisk stock and roux together and bring to a simmer.
5. Allow to simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Adjust consistency by adding more hot stock if necessary. Recipe should yield 1 qt of sauce at the “napé” stage, meaning the sauce should thinly coat the back of a spoon.
7. Finish by straining through a chinois or a strainer lined with cheesecloth.

Note: Do not season your Veloute.

Veloute Based Secondary Sauces

Sauce Vin Blanc (White Wine Sauce)

• 4 oz dry white wine
• 1 quart fish Veloute
• 4 oz heavy cream
• 1 oz butter
• Salt, White Pepper and Lemon Juice to taste.

1. Reduce your white wine by half and then add your fish Veloute.
2. Reduce your Veloute until it coats the back of a spoon.
3. Temper the cream and stir into the Veloute.
4. Right before serving, swirl in you butter and season with salt, white pepper and  lemon juice.
5. Strain through a chinois and serve.

Sauce Supreme

• 1 qt chicken Veloute
• 1 cup heavy cream, warm
• 1 oz butter
• Salt, White Pepper and Lemon Juice to taste.

1. Reduce Chicken Veloute by 1/4.
2. Add in warmed heavy cream.
3. Swirl in butter
4. Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice to taste.
5. Strain through a chinois and serve.

Sauce Allemande

• 1 qt of Veal Veloute
• 2 egg yolks, Tempered
• 4 ounce heavy cream, heated
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• White Pepper and Salt to taste

Sauce Poulette

• Simmer 8 ounces of white, button mushrooms in 1 quart of Veloute of your choice.
• Use Veloute to make Sauce Allemande and then strain out mushrooms.
• Finish with 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and lemon juice to taste.

Sauce Bercy

• Reduce by two-thirds: 2 ounces chopped shallots and 1/2 cup white wine.
• Add 1 quart Fish Veloute and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, reducing slightly.
• Turn off heat and finish sauce by swirling in 2 ounces raw butter.
• Season with chopped parsley and lemon juice to taste.

Sauce Normandy

• Bring 1 quart of Fish Veloute to a simmer.
• Add 4 ounces of mushrooms and 4 ounces of oyster liquid.
• Reduce by 1/3.
• Finish with a liaison of 4 egg yolks and 1 cup heavy cream.
• Strain and swirl in 3 ounces of raw butter off the heat.

 

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Standard Tomat Sauce

• 2-3 oz (56-84 g) Salt Pork. Salt pork comes from the belly portion of the pig, just like bacon.
• 3 oz (84 g) Carrots, peeled and medium diced
• 3 oz (84 g) White or Yellow onion, medium diced
• 2 oz (56 g) whole butter
• 2-3 oz (56-84 g) Flour, All Purpose
• 5 lbs (2.25 Kilos) Raw, Good quality tomatoes, quartered
• 1 qt (1 lt) White Veal Stock
• 1 clove freshly crushed garlic
• Salt and Pepper To taste
• Pinch of Sugar

1. Fry the salt pork in the butter until the pork is nearly melted (render the fat from the pork).
2. Add the butter, carrots and onions, and sweat over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until  tender.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the carrots and onions and continue to cook for another few minutes.
4. Add in the raw tomatoes and allow to roast with the other ingredients until they soften and create some liquid.
5. Add in the veal stock and a clove of crushed garlic.
6. Cover the pot with a lid and allow to simmer for 1.5-2 hours.
7. Blend  the sauce in a blender, and then press it through a chinois.
8. Once you have passed your sauce through the chinois, finish by seasoning it with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.

 

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 Standard Espagnole Sauce

• Mirepoix: 4 oz onions, 2 oz celery, 2 oz carrots
• 2 oz. butter
• 2 oz. flour
• 2 oz. tomato puree
• Sachet Containing: 1/2 of a Bay Leaf, 3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme, 3 Sprigs Parsley
• 2 qts. veal stock

1. Start by roasting your mirepoix in butter over medium heat, in the bottom of a sauce pot until it turns golden brown.
2. Add in the tomato puree and continue roasting for 2-3 more minutes.
3. Sprinkle in the flour and cook until the flour is well incorporated into the other ingredients (about 5 more minutes).
4. Add the veal stock and sachet to the mixture.
5. Bring to a simmer, and gently simmer for about 2 hours, reducing the entire sauce down to 1qt. Skim sauce as needed.
6. Once your sauce is finished cooking, pass it through a fine chinois a couple of times to remove all lumps.

 

Secondary Espagnole Sauces

Classical Demi-Glace

• Combine Sauce Espagnole and Roasted Veal Stock at the Ratio of 1:1, and reduce by half.
• Strain through a chinois.

Sauce Bordelaise

To yield 1 qt combine in a sauce pan:

• 1 cup red wine
• 2 oz chopped shallots
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 a bay leaf

Reduce these ingredients by half, and then stir in 1 qt of demi-glace (see above) and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Strain through a chinois and then finish by swirling in 2 oz of raw butter.

Sauce Robert

To yield 1 qt:

• Sweat 4oz of diced white onion with some butter over medium low heat for 5-10 minutes, or until soft and tender.
• Deglaze with 1 cup of dry white wine, and reduce by two-thirds.
• Add in 1 qt of demi glace and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
• Strain sauce through a chinois and finish with 2 teaspoons of dry mustard, a pinch of sugar, and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.
• Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

 

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Hollandaise Sauce

• 1 lbs of  clarified butter, warmed
• 1/8 teaspoon Peppercorns, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1.5 oz White Wine Vinegar
• 1 oz cold water
• 6 Egg Yolks
• 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• Cayenne pepper to taste

1. Place salt, vinegar and crushed peppercorns into a sauce pan and reduce by 2/3.
2. Remove from heat and add water.
3. Transfer reduction to a stainless-steel mixing bowl.
4. Add egg yolks and beat over a simmering pot of water until the egg yolks become thick and creamy. (make sure the eggs do not exceed 150°F/65°C or they will begin to cook).
5. Once the egg yolks have reached the desired thickness, remove from heat. Using a ladle, slowly drizzle in the warm clarified butter, starting with just a few droplets first to get the emulsion going.
6. Continue streaming in the clarified butter until it is completely incorporated.
7. Finish by seasoning your hollandaise with lemon juice and cayenne pepper to taste.
8. Adjust final consistency with a little warm water to lighten the sauce.
9. Serve immediately or keep warm over a double boiler until ready to serve. Do not exceed temperatures of 150°F/65°C or the eggs will begin to cook.Do not hold for any longer than two hours.

Wines may vary in taste from one manufacture to another as much as your individual tastes may be different than another persons.  For this reason alone, you should not use a paring chart based off of what the “experts” say. Pair your wine and food combinations based off of what tastes best to you.  That being said, as a starting point to discovering your favorite combinations, it is perfectly acceptable to use a chart as a guideline.

Below is a list of several different types of wines and the most common food parings for those types:

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 White Wines:

White Wines are typically paired best with Fish, shellfish, poultry and mild cheeses.

Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Grigio
Riesling
Gewurztraminer
Chenin Blanc
Viognier
Muscato

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Sparkling Wines:

Sparkling wines are served best with fish, shellfish, pastas with a cream sauce and mild cheeses.

Extra Dry: Medium Dry
Brut: Dry
Prosecco

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Blush/Rose Wines:

Blush and Rose wines are served best with spicy foods, pork, veal, mild cheeses and fruity desserts.

White Zinfandel
Rose: Dry

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Red Wines:

Red wines are served best with: Red Meats, Game, Poultry, Duck, dishes served with tomato sauce and Strong cheeses.

Cabernet Sauvignon (goes well with chocolate)
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Syrah/Shiraz
Zinfandel
Sangiovese
Tempranillo
Chianti
Beaujolais
Malbec
Petite Sirah