The type of wood you use for your smoker will enhance the aroma and taste of your food. Some pellets made from food-grade hardwood with higher density and moisture content may have a slower burn and use fewer pellets. With the right pellets for a quality commercial pellet smoker, you can get consistent heat without ash that could contaminate your food. Here are five types of wood pellets you can use in a smoker:
1. Apple Wood Pellets
Apple woods produce light and fruity smoke. This option helps you maintain or enhance mildly flavored meat. You can use these pellets when smoking lighter meats like poultry, game birds, and pork products such as ham and bacon. Quality wood pellets for a commercial pellet smoker could be used alongside molasses and brown sugar when smoking delicious beef ribs.
2. Mesquite Wood Pellets
Mesquite wood pellets offer a deep and spicy flavor that infuses a rich and smoky taste into your brisket or other cuts of meat. The flavor pairs well with chicken, lamb, duck, and wild game. You may need to be more attentive as you tend your fire when using mesquite pellets because they burn hotter and quicker compared to hardwood options. Experienced commercial wood pellet providers make sure their mesquite pellets have a compact cell structure to produce a reliable burn.
3. Oak Wood Pellets
Oak wood pellets offer you a nutty flavor fitting for fish and veggies. You could prioritize this option when smoking pizza or baked items. Oak smoking pellets have more versatility because their smoke is of neutral or medium flavor intensities.
Providers of wood pellets may suggestred oak varieties for smoking every type of protein, including red meat. This is because the red oak varieties can give your food a deeper flavor. You might also mix oak with other stronger woods for mellowing and enhancing the food’s flavor. The hardwood nature of oakwood enables it to generate sufficient heat for cooking your protein or pastry.
4. Hickory Wood Pellets
Hickory pellets offer a bold and strong flavor. The bacon-like, sweet flavor of hickory effectively pairs with red meat options such as beef brisket, ribs, and pork shoulders. You could use hickory wood pellets to add depth to mild meats like chicken and turkey. Hickory pellets are known to have a consistent burn throughout the smoking session to thoroughly flavor the food in your smoker.
5. Cherry Pellets
The sweet and tangy taste of cherry wood pellets works well when smoking pork, beef, chicken, and game birds. Saltier proteins such as pork complement the sweeter flavor of the cherry wood smoke. Some smoker pellet sellers might suggest combining cherry and hickory pellets to strengthen the taste added to the food.
Get a Commercial Pellet Smoker Today
You can find wood pellets that add your preferred smokey flavors to meals from established pellet providers. Some providers are ready to advise you on the best pellets for different meals, including ribs and pork shoulders. Pellets from quality providers may burn cleanly while leaving minimal ash for easier cleaning. Contact providers of wood pellets today for more information on the use of different types of pellets in a smoker.
