What Is The Best Wood To Smoke Ribs With? [Complete List]

Ribs can be very delicious when smoked the right way. The good news is that smoking ribs is easy as long as you have the best wood to smoke ribs with and you know how to go through the entire process effectively. So what is the best wood to smoke ribs with?

Mesquite, oak, and hickory are the best wood to smoke the ribs with as they add intense smoky flavor to them to make them more flavorful. Mix either of the three to heighten their flavors with fruit woods such as maple, pecan, apple, or cherry. Such a mixture helps impart intense savory and fruity flavor notes to your smoked ribs.

The specific wood to choose depends on your taste and preference. For instance, mesquite will be the best option if you prefer a strong flavor. On the other hand, the hickory will be the right option if you are looking for long-lasting fuel that can give you a gentle flavor.

What Is The Best Wood To Smoke Ribs With?

Since people have different tastes and preferences, it will not be accurate to assert that there is a specific best wood to smoke ribs with. However, it is correct to say that hickory, oak, mesquite, pecan, and cherry are the top five best woods to smoke ribs with.

The right wood for smoking ribs will make your ribs more flavorful and tender. Further, picking the right wood will help avoid making the ribs bitter.

1. Hickory

Hickory is a top choice for many BBQ enthusiasts. One of the qualities that makes it popular among BBQ pitmasters is that it is not as strong as the mesquite. Therefore, using it makes you less likely to render your ribs bitter.

It is also rich in smoky flavor and taste, making the ribs more delectable. Beyond the smoky flavor, the hickory has a sweet taste that easily complements any BBQ sauce. While using the hickory wood is easy, you must ensure that you are in control to avoid infusing bitterness into the meat as it is a strong wood.

2. Mesquite

The mesquite is stronger than the hickory wood. Therefore, if you prefer a more robust smoke flavor in the meat, the mesquite will serve you right.

One characteristic of mesquite wood is the natural oil that makes it burn quickly. Hence it is best when you use it in small portions.

Again, since it is a strong wood with an intense smoky flavor, you should control how much smoke you infuse into the ribs. Otherwise, you will end up with bitter ribs. Fortunately, there are several techniques that you can embrace to get rid of such problems.

3. Cherry Wood

Cherry wood is a team player as it works perfectly with a wide range of meats and can mix it with other woods such as oak, hickory, or mesquite and achieve even more rewarding results.

Cherry wood adds a thicker and a noticeable smoke ring to the ribs. The added smoke ring is usually visually appealing and can hint at the quality of the smoking process.

4. Apple Wood

The apple wood is reserved for people who love the sweet flavor of the meat. The subtle smoky flavors go well with most of the barbecue sauces that you may need to use in your smoking ventures.

5. Oak

Oak is another excellent wood that can give you perfect and flavorful BBQ ribs. With its high rate of smoke production, you can compare it to hickory in terms of efficiency. Besides infusing a delicious smoke flavor to the ribs, it is easily controllable. Therefore, you can use the oak without worrying about its strong flavor as you can easily control it. The oak is generally a perfect option for beginners.

How To Choose The Best Wood For Ribs

Using the best wood for ribs is one of the best ways to enhance the flavor of the ribs. Since you have multiple options, you should ensure that whatever decision you make will benefit you the most. In other words, you should always go for your favorite flavor.

The following are essential factors when purchasing the best wood to smoke ribs with.

Pellets/chunks/chips

Once you decide on the specific wood you want to purchase, the next step is to determine whether to go for chips, chunks, pellets, or even logs. In most cases, your smoker will influence the form of wood to choose. Besides the type of smoker, the strength of the wood will also influence your choice. For instance, since mesquite has a natural oil that makes it burn fast, using chips will make it easy to control how much smoke gets to the ribs.

Package Size And Weight

The packaging of chunks, chips, or pellets differs significantly. When shopping for wood to smoke ribs with, ensure you get enough to help you complete the task successfully. If you plan to smoke a large volume of ribs for a large group, you will need to ensure that you go for the right package and size. The strength of the wood that you pick will also come into play in this aspect.

What Is The Best Wood To Smoke Spare Ribs With?

Spare ribs are obtained from the ends of the baby back ribs and run to the hog’s breast bone. One of the characteristics of spare ribs is that they are less tough. Therefore, when choosing the best wood to smoke spare ribs, you need less strong wood.

Woods such as cherry, pecan, and apple are the best option to smoke the spare ribs with, as they impart a delicious, sweet, and subtle flavor. The hickory, oak, and mesquite have an intense smoky flavor meaning that using them will produce a strong flavor in the spare ribs.

Logs, Chips, Pellets, Or Dust For Spare Ribs?

When choosing the best wood to smoke spare ribs with, you also need to decide on the form of the wood to use for the best results.

1. The Logs

The logs can only be appropriate for your smoking venture if you have a large offset smoker. You will comfortably smoke the ribs and infuse them with your favorite smoky flavor. Besides the offset smokers, smoker pits can also be a great candidate for using logs.

2. Chunks

The chunks are similar to logs in appearance but smaller in size. They work well if you have a smaller offset smoker. You only need to arrange a few chunks on top of the charcoal and let them burn before you start smoking.

3. Chips

The chips are thinly-sliced pieces of real wood that are easy to light and provide enough smoke to cook ribs. They are best used in electric and propane smokers and charcoal grills. If you want to cook ribs on a gas grill and yearn for the delicious smoky flavor, chips from your favorite hardwood will serve you well.

4. Pellets

Pellets are compressed tiny scraps of specific hardwoods. Like wood chips, you can use pellets for smoker boxes in your pellet grills to smoke delicious ribs.

5. Sawdust

Sawdust is a finely powdered wood from a specific hardwood that you can use to infuse your spare ribs with a delicious smoky flavor. It is best used in electric smokers. However, you can use it in a handheld smoker or a smoke gun.

Conclusion

While choosing the best wood to smoke ribs with can be confusing, you will always make the right choices if you take the time to do extensive research and comparison.

Woods such as oak, hickory, and mesquite will impart a strong smoke flavor to your ribs. Apple, pecan, and cherry will give your ribs a more subtle and sweet taste. It all melts down to personal preference when deciding on the best wood to smoke ribs with. A combination of cherry and oak can be excellent for smoking ribs.