I have found that sometimes Hickory chips can be a little strong (sometimes). As a "green/free" alternative, I pickup the husks from Shag Bark Hickory trees. The husks are up to 1/4" thick. I found this out by accident when we were camping at a local campground near Mohican State Park in Ohio. I wanted something to grill with and had left the chips at home. The property has a large stand of Shag Bark Hickory trees and the nuts had been falling (it was fall of course). I picked the green husks up, left the nuts for the squirrels. I mashed them up with a hammer, soaked in water an bit and used them just as I would have used Hickory wood chips. They provided a nice, mild Hickory flavor, were free and don't harm the trees to use. I pick them up in the fall and stick them in the freezer (seems to help with preventing them from drying out too much).

Hickory can be very harsh and strong as you say. I don't smoke with it much, but when I do, I do a light smoke.

Hickory is the preferred wood in this part of the world along with blackjack oak. If you are looking for something less smoky try pecan or cherry

What I was trying to suggest is for folks to try this. The husks provide a nice mild full bodied hickory flavor. I took a bond on, standing rib roast and cut it into steaks. Then I butterflied the steaks back to the still attached bone and cooked that over hickory nut husks...............I do our ribs this way as well as strip steaks.

If you can get them, Grape vines are good for smoking meat. My neighbor has a small vinyard and he prunes every year and I get the trimmings and put them in a box for next year and use them. I still mostly use hickory though.

Lots of BBQ places advertise hickory smoked. I have a preference for white oak. It smells nice burning and is not harsh like hickory. Mesquite still remains my favorite though. Sometime hard to find here, in the east.

Hickory Smoking Wood Chips Alternative | Good Sam Community

16 Replies

Super_Dave
Explorer
Jul 18, 2014
down home wrote:
Lots of BBQ places advertise hickory smoked. I have a preference for white oak. It smells nice burning and is not harsh like hickory. Mesquite still remains my favorite though. Sometime hard to find here, in the east.

:h I find mesquite to be the harshest.
down_home
Explorer II
Jul 18, 2014
Lots of BBQ places advertise hickory smoked. I have a preference for white oak. It smells nice burning and is not harsh like hickory. Mesquite still remains my favorite though. Sometime hard to find here, in the east.
robsouth
Explorer II
Jul 18, 2014
If you can get them, Grape vines are good for smoking meat. My neighbor has a small vinyard and he prunes every year and I get the trimmings and put them in a box for next year and use them. I still mostly use hickory though.
drcook
Explorer
Jul 18, 2014
What I was trying to suggest is for folks to try this. The husks provide a nice mild full bodied hickory flavor. I took a bond on, standing rib roast and cut it into steaks. Then I butterflied the steaks back to the still attached bone and cooked that over hickory nut husks...............

I do our ribs this way as well as strip steaks.
fla-gypsy
Explorer
Jul 18, 2014
Hickory is the preferred wood in this part of the world along with blackjack oak. If you are looking for something less smoky try pecan or cherry
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Jul 17, 2014
Hickory can be very harsh and strong as you say. I don't smoke with it much, but when I do, I do a light smoke.

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Hickory Smoking Wood Chips Alternative

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