Need help!!!!!

[ice fishin' nut]

I have 2 questions!!!!

1: What is shagbark hickory????? and where can I find it????? I live in eastpointe....

2: A firend gave me a 1 lb can of crab meat (it says "claws" on the top of the can) any ideas or recipes????

Thanks
IFN

[sausageman]

Shagbark Hickory is a common hickory tree here in the state of Michigan. The more mature bark on a hickory tree becomes very rough, almost to the point of falling off, thus the name shagbark. Are you looking for smoking purposes?

[ice fishin' nut]

Sausageman,
Yes I was thinking about using it for smoking. Any thoughts or ideas????

[sausageman]

I use hickory for all my smoking. In my opinion it gives the best flavor and the best color. Fruit woods such as apple and cherry tend to give off very tar ladened smoke and leave a residue on the product.
I found the best supply of hickory wood to be from my local tree care business. A small bribe of smoked goods goes a long way.
I run a homemade smoker with an electric heating element for a smoke generator. I have found chunks of hickory wood about the size of my fist work the best for my set up but everyones system is different. Good luck, and talk with your local tree man, he is usually trying to get rid of the wood anyway.

[Salmonsmoker]

Ice Fishin' Nut,

I get my Shagbark from the woods. After locating a few trees, it is a place to go back to each year when collecting bark.

I like to use just the bark because it has a stronger flavor than the wood chips or sawdust that I get from a local sawmill. Most of the flavor is in the bark. The sawmill products are mostly from the inside part of the tree.

Red Oak also gives a good flavor - different than Hickory. One sausagemaker that I know in Ohio named his business "Smokin' Oak" and Oak is the only wood that he uses because he likes the flavor.

A few years ago, I was at a National BBQ cook-off in Paduka Ky. The people at that show had their own secret combinations of woods and barks that they used to get a particular flavor.

Around the Holton Lake area, there is a smoked-fish market where I like to stop when in that area. That guy uses only Sugar Maple wood because of its unique flavor.

A few months ago, I stopped at a road-side Smoked-food vendor where he had a big sign out "Smoked Ribs." I love smoked ribs. The first thing I do at such places is to get into the smoke to smell it. It had a very unusual flavor. When I asked about it, he told me he added Sassafras to the basic Oak wood. It definately gave the ribs a uniquely delicate sweet flavor.

Each wood will give it's own flavor characteristics to the smoke - thus to the food being smoked. The beauty of making smoked foods is - with a little experimenting, you get to make what ever flavor you like. Personally, I like a 1/3 Hickory and 2/3 Red Oak mixture. It gives me the more earthy flavor of oak and the tang of Hickory at the same time.

It also depends on what I am making in the smoker. Stronger flavored foods can use a stronger flavored smoke. For example, colby cheese - I buy 20 lbs at a time and smoke for gifts. Hickory is too storng. I use mostly Oak. Swiss Cheese, Hickory works well. Boiled eggs - Maple works well. Red meats - I like the 1/3Hickory 2/3 oak mix. Salmon - Maple and Oak mix.

I found that the best way to judge the flavor of my products is to take them to a party. The excellent stuff is gone in a short time. Last weekend we went to such a gathering. My wife made up a smoked food snack tray - each item was labled. Some items went fast - others were still there after the party. By keeping good records, I know what flavors are most liked by others.

As for the crab "Claws". A crab has two edible parts - the legs and the claws - kind of like a chicken has dark and white meat.
I would make a crab-meat salad out of it (like a chicken or tuna salad) and put it on a bed of fresh salad greens.

Hope this helps and let us know how your experiments work out.

Salmonsmoker