Q. What kind of wood should I use to smoke my baby back ribs?

A. We suggest using a fruit wood, like apple or cherry, for your pork ribs. Fruit woods give a fantastic smoky-sweetness to the meat, a great compliment to pork, poultry, and red meat, too!

More about wood:

Hickory: This is one of the strongest smoking woods, with a robust wood flavor, so be careful not to use too much! Hickory works well mixed with apple, as well. Apple wood tones down the hickory and adds a bit of sweetness. Use hickory on brisket, pork butts, rib, whole chickens and turkey.

Pecan: Milder than hickory, pecan is a great wood for smoking a variety of meats. Pecan’s well-rounded nutty and sweet flavor works well mixed with cherry wood, should you decide to experiment!

Cherry: Backyard Bash owner Jay Mathiesen never met a piece of meat he didn’t like smoked with cherry wood! It’s richly sweet flavor is a perfect choice for Kansas City-style barbecue. And you’ll notice a nice dark smoke ring with cherry wood, too!

Apple: Apple’s light, sweet flavor is great for poultry and pork, lending just the right amount of smoky flavor without overpowering. Try mixing your apple wood with hickory to add a bit of sweetness!

Maple: Mild and sweet, maple is delicious on pork and poultry, much like apple!