My ribs with basic oak turned heads at the block party

I see a lot of talk about using hickory or apple wood for that perfect smoke. But I've always used plain oak from my backyard. Last cookout, my ribs came out just as tender and flavorful as any I've had. Some folks were surprised, but it worked for me. Don't let wood choice stress you out too much.

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3 Comments

aaron_gonzalez6mo ago

My neighbor in Tampa swears by pecan wood for his brisket, but he tried oak once when he ran out and nobody could tell the difference. People get so hung up on finding the perfect fruitwood or specialty chips. If your temp control is solid and you aren't burning wet wood, does it really change the flavor that much? I've tasted amazing ribs from guys using plain old oak and terrible ones from guys with expensive cherry wood. Maybe we're overthinking it.

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victor2536mo ago

Remember my buddy using plain OAK for his ribs last summer? Everyone questioned it, but man, they came out perfect. Seriously changed how I see wood choice now.

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black.barbara6mo ago

Whoa there, let's be REAL here. Oak is fine, but it's not some MAGIC wood that changes everything. Plenty of people get great results with all sorts of wood, so maybe it's more about the cook than the wood.

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