Q: I have done a lot of grilling, but have had the itch to use wood chips in indirect heating. I have never done this before and would like to know if there is any special way to prepare the grill, wood chips or the meat? I have a gas and a charcoal grill. -- Jake Groves, Eyota, Minn.

 

A: Woodchips add great smoky flavor to grilled meats and vegetables. Always use woodchips intended for cooking; treated wood (like the kind you use in construction) is super-dangerous to cook with. While mesquite and hickory are the most common, you can also cook with apple wood, cherry, maple, or even pecan -- each of these imparts a different kind of flavor to the final product. As a rule of thumb, hardwoods are generally best for smoking and grilling; those that come from fruit or nut trees tend to impart the best flavor.

 

You can use wood as your sole fuel, but the short burn time and uneven heat mean that you'll have to monitor the heating quite closely. For the flavor of wood with less hassle, add woodchips to already-lit charcoal (either lump or briquette), soaking them first in water for at least half an hour. Some gas grills have a special box for woodchips; if yours doesn't, simply place a metal tray half-filled with dry woodchips next to the meat as it cooks, and be sure to close the lid for maximum flavor.
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