Smoking wild meat with willow?

kayceel said:
Chokecherry in smoker -???? Does chokecherry bark have some cyanide in it or is it just the pits that contain cyanide?
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I don't know if it's very common to use or not....I've been wondering the same thing. Googling here and there makes mention of it possibly being bitter but I plan on trying it. Funny thing though.....I cut a chokecherry tree that had been afflicted by that black fungus, and it smelled like sweet crap. I cut a smaller healthy tree (cause there's lots here) and it smells really good. I'd compare it to holding a slice of apple to your nose.
 
I've been smoking fish since my early teens and red meats (venison) since my early 20's
my preferences are as follows
for white meat fish I use alder only, find it doesn't mask the fishes flavour too much

for red meat fish like salmon and kokanee I blend cherry, apple and alder
for venison, I like to smoke dry rubbed roasts for several hours then finish in the oven. for these I use alder and mesquite and generous sprinklings of dried rosemary in with each pan of chips.....
I am asked year round for my smoked product LOL I frequently send parcels to Nunavut, Ontario, the Pas, Vancouver island and few other places my friends are located ;)
many folks have told me I should open a smoked meats outfit but I just like doing it for fun and the looks on peoples faces when they take the first bite.
such a fun hobby ;)
 
In my opinion the type of wood used for smoking is highly over rated, with regards to the finished product. I would like to see a taste test done on various woods and see how many could call them right.
Traditionally, the type of wood used is what is available. Thus, coastal BC salmon are smoked with alder wood, the big guys that grow to over a foot across.
The Native Indians of the BC interior who catch their salmon in rivers, use whatever type of deciduous wood that grows on the bank by the river, be it the smaller type alder, willow or white poplar.
In Texas they make a great ado about mesquite barbecue, but again, I think the wood used is not as important as how it is used in smoking. In smoking fish, or meat to preserve it, a great amount of air must be able to circulate around it, so it will dry.
In any case, the common willow is very widely used across Canada, so if all you have is willow, don't feel that you are handicapped in making delicious smoked meat or fish.
 
I gotta go knock down some willow now, what size of willow have people been using? The small little twig like branches or the large base of the tree type of cuts. Peel off the bark too afterwards?
 
I cut some pucks from 3-4" diameter trees, and trimmed off the bark and outer wood, as advised by member fiddler. Cut them about 2" thick off the tree with your chainsaw/swede saw, use a ####ty knife or a hatchet with a hammer to tap down and through, (the outside crud) and you end up with a square-ish chunk of usable smoking wood.
 
I just chain sawed down the mother in laws apple tree, think ill keep some of that for smoking too. Anyone in saskatoon can come grab some if they like too, there is tons of it lol.
 
I don't remember if I posted elsewhere or not, but willow wood (the heart wood) also worked good for smoked hard boiled eggs. I'm talking a handful of chips in the charcoal grill, over a small amount of briquettes. The eggs barely warm up over 20 minutes, and heavy smoke. I'm sure even 10 minutes would work. Smoked hard boiled eggs, egg sandwhich mix and potato salad were all good. Your mileage may vary.
 
Like many have said any wood will do as long as you take the bark off. I even used birch wood for my pepperettes this year. I even have some wine barrel chips I have been waiting to use.
 
Bland said:
Use a Big Chief, so electric burner for the chips. Prefer hard wood chips (hickory) and always baste three to four times (watered down maple syrup) during the smoke. The sweetness of the baste will offset any bitterness. Generally fill smoker tin with chips three times over approx. eight hour period. Do not like the flavour alder imparts. The Big/Little Chiefs should have insulation of some kind as the wind will change cooking/smoking times by quite a large margin.
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I sit mine on a couple metal angle iron pieces to lift it off the ground to get some air flow from the bottom and wrap my Big Chief with a heavy cardboard box shaped to fit snug on the sides with an opening at the top that is not too big. Then hold it in place with a bungee cord. Easy to open to add chips or to remove the meat but drastically reduces smoking time and increases internal temperature. I also insert a thermometer in one of the top louvers to monitor internal temp of the smoker.
 
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