Tailgating Babybacks — it’s the season for camping and tailgating, and these baby back ribs are perfect for both. We picked up ready-to-cook ribs, rubbed them with seasoning and smoked them on a Green Mountain Davy Crockett pellet grill. The result: a beautiful smoke ring, tender, juicy meat with a Cajun twist. This simple recipe uses only three main items: ribs, rub and sauce. We served ours with potato salad and fresh watermelon wedges.
Ribs are easier than many people think. You don’t need to spend half a day at the grill to get great results. These go from refrigerator to table in under three hours.
Patti and I reserve one night a week as our date night. Often we cook on the Green Mountain wood pellet grill, though sometimes we prepare meals inside. We dine on our patio with a relaxed rainforest theme — patio heater, soft lights, candles, lanterns and surround sound. We enjoy wine or strawberry margaritas (using frozen strawberries for ice), good food, music and sometimes a dance or two.
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Tailgating Babybacks — A Pellet Grill Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hr at 225°F (107°C) + 1½ hr at 325°F (164°C)
Grill: Green Mountain Wood Pellet Grill
Pellets: Green Mountain’s Texas Blend BBQ Pellets
Ingredients
- Baby back ribs
- South of the Border rub (or your favorite rub)
- Grandville’s Cajun Kick BBQ Jam (or your preferred barbecue sauce)
Directions
1. Apply a generous coat of rub and work it into the meat.
2. Smoke the ribs at 225°F (107°C) for 1 hour.
3. Remove the ribs and wrap them tightly in foil.
4. Increase the grill temperature to 325°F (164°C), place the wrapped ribs back on the grill and cook for 1 hour.
5. Unwrap the ribs, brush them well with sauce and leave the foil loosely folded so the sauce can caramelize for about 30 minutes.
6. Ribs are done when internal temperature reaches 190–200°F. They should be tender, juicy and flavorful.
We use an instant-read thermometer to check temperatures for best results.
Note: Many ask what pellets to use. A recipe is an outline — especially for grilling. Feel free to mix and match pellet flavors until you find what you like. When smoking at under 250°F (122°C) you’ll get the most smoke flavor; at higher temperatures smoke contribution decreases, so pellet choice matters less.
About our recipes
We test recipes on a variety of grills, from wood pellet smokers to gas and charcoal units. Our “Wall of Grill” includes many popular makes and models. Our methods are focused on flavorful, lower-fat cooking and can be adapted for pellet, gas, wood or charcoal grills. The key is time and temperature — follow those and you can adapt most recipes to the equipment you have. A recipe should guide you, not limit you. Make it your own.
Live your passion and do what you love,
Ken & Patti
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