Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Picked up a double pack of tri-tips; Costco double pack.
Started a pile of charcoal in the smoker.
Got some apricot chunks soaking in water.
Brought the beef up to room temp, slight seasoning.
Smoked at low temp, low intensity for an hour. I didn't want it over bearing.

Finished it off on the propane grill about 320 F, watched temperature probe to 150 deg F.
Done. Rested 30 minutes.
Thin sliced.
Simple, fun, tasty.

Sounds pretty darn good! Does apricot wood give a similar tasting smoke to other citrus woods?

Back in the '60s, my dad had a vertical smoker with the water pan between the coals and meat.
He experimented with different woods, mostly we'd just find stuff to use.
Off in the local hills were natural hickory trees (big bush/small tree).
Walnut, plum, apricot, orange and grape wines just 'cause that's what we had.

Our family's favorite of the bunch was apricot.
It's a hard wood, imparts a flavor that we liked a little better than the others.
I imagine cherry would be good too but haven't tried it yet.
It's different than citrus, for some reason the navel orange tree wasn't desirable.
Maybe Valencia is better?

I'm curious about different woods, being relatively new to smoking. I haven't tried orange yet, though there are some orange groves north of me, I hear. I use some of my small stash of apple and/or cherry for smoking poultry, primarily turkeys during the holidays season. Hickory is my "Go To" wood and I use it for my bacon, ribs, and pork chops. When I get back to the States, I'll keep my eye out for some apricot wood to try. Thanks for the info!

If possible to find, definitely try alder with pork!