Cognac smoking wood chunks are blocks of oak that have held cognac for years. As they smoulder, they give it back: warm, full-bodied, with a light sweet undertone you won't find in fruit wood. It's a pronounced smoke, so you use it with meat that can stand up to it. Think beef, lamb and hearty game. Each pack contains 500 grams of blocks, enough for several sessions.
When to choose cognac smoking wood chunks
Choose this wood type when you want flavour that stands out. With a brisket, short ribs or a haunch of venison the smoke can be bold; with delicate fish or a chicken breast it quickly becomes too much.
- Oak from cognac barrels, so fuller smoke than apple or peach
- Chunks smoulder slowly and release smoke for hours
- Two to three blocks are enough for a whole session
- Suits beef, lamb and game
- Works in the kamado, in a smoker and on an ordinary barbecue with a lid
How to use them
Place the blocks among the charcoal before you light it, not on top. That way they only catch once the fire reaches them, giving you smoke spread across the whole session. No need to soak: wet wood gives off steam first and only smoke later, and that steam phase gets you nothing.
Chips or chunks
Chips catch immediately and are meant for short dishes of half an hour. Blocks are for the long sessions. If you're unsure, check these smoking wood chunks alongside the smoking wood chips for the short work.
Bill's tipMix a block of cognac oak with a block of fruit wood. You keep the full base, but the smoke becomes rounder and less sharp.
For more inspiration for your fire, check the full range of smoking wood.
