Cooking Times…
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Wood Varieties
There are a few things to remember when choosing wood for smoking with:
Use only non-resinous woods, there is a chart of tried and tested woods, stick to
these.
Try to source wood that has no bark on it, as the bark can contain bugs and other
nasties that may be poisonous.
Experiment! Try mixing different varieties together.
Wood Type
Characteristics
ALDER
Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat
game birds.
ALMOND
A sweet smoke flavour, light ash. Good with all meats.
APPLE
Very mild with a subtle fruity flavour, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark
brown) and pork.
ASH
Fast burner, light but distinctive flavour. Good with fish and red meats.
BIRCH
Medium-hard wood with a flavour similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.
CHERRY
Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some say that cherry wood is the best wood for
smoking.
GRAPEVINES
Tart. Provides a lot of smoke, rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and
lamb.
HICKORY
The King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavour. Good with pork,
ham and beef.
LILAC
Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.
MAPLE
Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game
birds.
MESQUITE
Strong earthy flavour. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest
burning woods.
MULBERRY
The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.
OAK
The Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs. Good with red meat, pork, fish
and heavy game.
ORANGE
Produces a nice mild smoky flavour. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
PEAR
A nice subtle smoke flavour. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.
PECAN
Sweet and mild with a flavour similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good
with poultry, beef, pork and cheese
PLUM
Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
WALNUT
Very heavy smoke, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be
bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.
Quick Reference Cooking Chart
The chart below shows estimated cooking times, based on the smoker running at
230°F. Outside factors such as wind and ambient temperature will have an effect on
the actual time it takes to cook food. Internal temps are taken at the thickest part of
the meat, using a good quality probe thermometer. We strongly recommend the use
a probe thermometer to check for doneness.
Food
Cut
Time
Internal Temp
Beef
Sirloin
Roast
3 -4 Hrs
Rare 50°C (125°F )Med 60°C (145°F) Well 70°C
(160°F)
Brisket
Roast
6+ Hrs
85°C (190°F)
Ribeye
Steak
5 – 15
Minutes
Rare 50°C (125°F )Med 60°C (145°F) Well 70°C
(160°F)
Poultry
Chicken
Whole
3½ - 4 Hrs
75°C (165°F)
Chicken
Breast
25-35 Mins
75°C (165°F)
Chicken
Thigh
25-35 Mins
75°C (165°F)
Turkey
Whole
6 – 8 Hrs
75°C (165°F)
Fish
Salmon
Whole
2 – 3 Hrs
60°C (140°F)
Salmon
Fillet
30 – 40
Mins
60°C (140°F)
Prawns
Whole
10 – 15
Mins
Cook until pink
Pork
Shoulder
Whole
12+ Hrs
85°C (190°F)
Loin
Roast
4 – 5 Hrs
65°C (150°F)
Ribs
Rack
5 – 6 Hrs
65°C (150°F)
Smoking Wood…
