Smoked bacon.

[Jerrybo66]

I smoke only with mesquite because I prefer it for flavor with beef & chicken and it's free while camping by the truckload. I don't like it for pork. I'm going to brine some Buck Board Bacon pork and wonder what you folks like to smoke for bacon? I brine pork loins .. Thanks for any ideas..

[SWMO]

What you have wouldn't be too dry. If you have a lot of oxygen you probably want to soak it in water first anyway. I generally don't if the process is pretty tight because the smoke from the fuel and wood will keep it from flaming.

[Jerrybo66]

It looks like most prefer Pecan or Apple. I'll visit our Ace for a bag. I brought back from PA. some apple and hickory but it was about six years ago so I think it would be too dry. I was going to try the hickory because of the ads, "Genuine Hickory Smoked Ham", but thought it also would be too dry. This project is going to be a loin brined for two weeks so I don't want to mess it up. I've been just boiling them but want to try smoke because it tastes like ham.
Mesquite is strong but makes the best jerky. For chicken/turkey I just smoke less. If anyone uses Mesquite from the desert be sure to trim the "yellow" wood from the outside or it will smell like burning wet newspaper. I don't know why.
Thanks for all your suggestions..

[robsouth]

I use hickory almost exclusively. Every now and then I will use grape vines when I can get them. I have used apple and cherry (available at grocery stores) but have not been much impressed.

[sausageking]

I like using cherry the most, next would be apple, as far as the bitterness mentioned remove any bark.

[Ron3rd]

fla-gypsy wrote:
Pecan makes an excellent smoking wood for pork. Similar to Hickory but a little lighter and sweeter. Down here in the deep south we use mostly hickory and oak due to availability, some pecan wood is always a treat.

Good idea, I've been meaning to put some pecan in my WSM.

[Ron3rd]

PA12DRVR wrote:
I've used maple and applewood to smoke pork (never done bacon).

When in Alaska, where it's hard to get much in the way of smoking wood, I've had pretty good luck with applewood chips on top of charcoal.

Used hickory a couple of times on pork, but even on a bigger roast, the smoke overpowered the pork.... I liked it, but my Carolina in-laws thought it was sacrilege.

X2, Mesquite's a bit harsh for my taste.

[Ric_Flair]

I find that apple wood can leave a bitter taste. I've gone back to good 'ol fashion hickory

[Super_Dave]

fla-gypsy wrote:
Pecan makes an excellent smoking wood for pork. Similar to Hickory but a little lighter and sweeter. Down here in the deep south we use mostly hickory and oak due to availability, some pecan wood is always a treat.

My Ace Hardware home section has been carrying pecan in 3 different size, shredded, chips & chunks.

[fla-gypsy]

Pecan makes an excellent smoking wood for pork. Similar to Hickory but a little lighter and sweeter. Down here in the deep south we use mostly hickory and oak due to availability, some pecan wood is always a treat.

[phenrichs]

I have always had a preference for apple. You really can't get a better wood for wild game in my opinion. For pork I will occasionally use hickory. I have that you can get some great results from walnut and pecan which can be hard to come by but I have heard teh shells work just as well.

[Super_Dave]

I think wood is like brine or rub and has its own flavor profile. For that reason, I mix my woods to get a fuller balance of flavors. When I do bacon, I stick to fruit which is a combination of apple and cherry.

[SWMO]

Mesquite is strong and I don't care for it much beyond heavy cuts of beef.I like apple, white oak, or hickory in that order for pork.

[PA12DRVR]

I've used maple and applewood to smoke pork (never done bacon).

When in Alaska, where it's hard to get much in the way of smoking wood, I've had pretty good luck with applewood chips on top of charcoal.

Used hickory a couple of times on pork, but even on a bigger roast, the smoke overpowered the pork.... I liked it, but my Carolina in-laws thought it was sacrilege.