Apple and cherry are the best wood chips for pork ribs.

Yes. Fruit woods are the move here. Apple and cherry specifically.

Pork is mild enough that it actually tastes like the smoke you give it. Hickory works and some people swear by it, but it can easily cross into “bacon that forgot it was pork” territory. Mesquite? Too aggressive. You’ll get acrid, bitter ribs.

Apple gives a sweet, mild smoke that plays well with the natural flavor of pork. Cherry adds a similar sweetness but with a deeper, almost fruity finish. Both make the meat take on a nice reddish tint. If you want something a little stronger, mix in some pecan—it’s nuttier but still mellow.

The key is to soak your chips for 30 minutes or wrap them in foil with holes poked through. You want smolder, not fire. Ribs take long enough that you don’t need to oversmoke them in the first hour.

Stick with one fruit wood or a 50/50 blend. Avoid the temptation to get fancy. Pork ribs are not a competition for who can stack the most aggressive flavors.