This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HogWildThrowdown #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. These Grilled Cajun Blueberry BBQ Ribs are rubbed with Cajun seasoning, slow cooked, and topped with an easy to make blueberry BBQ sauce.
Last summer was the first summer I really got into grilling. Neither myself or my husband have a lot of experience grilling on a charcoal grill, but my husband bought one last year because it has a smoker and he wanted it to smoke some meats. This year, I wanted to make ribs on the grill, so I went to Walmart to get a package of Smithfield® Ribs.
Smithfield® Extra Tender pork is perfect for grilling. It is more tender and juicy, hand trimmed, and has no added hormones or steroids.
I thought my ribs would be great with a Cajun rub, and then topped with an easy to make BBQ sauce using KC Masterpiece blended with fresh blueberries. Spicy and sweet!
Now, I said we don't have a lot of experience with the charcoal grill, but I do have some tips for perfect ribs on the grill. First, they need to be grilled under indirect heat, low and slow. You can do this by placing the charcoal on one side of the grill and the ribs on the other side, or if your grill has a smoker, you can place the coals in the smoker compartment, then place the ribs on the side of the grill closest to the smoker. This was my husbands idea.
Secondly, place a heat proof pan filled with water on the other side of the grill. The steam from the water helps to keep the ribs from drying out. Keep extra water on hand to refill the pan if needed. Lastly, good ribs take patience. They need to cook for a long time, 3-4 hours or longer, over low heat (between 250-325 degrees). Only open the grill to flip the ribs once an hour! The grill temperature will fluctuate, just add more coals if needed.
After around two hours:
After another 1 ½ hours I basted one side with the sauce:
Continue to cook, turning every 20 minutes and basting with the sauce, until the ribs reach at least 180 degrees.
Grilled Cajun Blueberry BBQ Ribs
Celebrity grill talent pitmasters Moe Cason and Tuffy Stone are brand ambassadors for Smithfield's HogWild Throwdown Contest. Prizes include two Ford F-150's! Check out Moe Cason's recipe for Sweet and Spicy Ribs on You Tube.
You can earn up to a $3.00 rebate on one (1) Smithfield® Rib and one (1) KC Masterpiece® BBQ Sauce or Marinade 18 oz. or larger via ibotta digital rebates. Offer available to residents of AL, AR, CT, HI, KY, MA, ME, MN, MO, NC, ND, NJ, RI, UT and WV) - No Beer Purchase Required.
I hope you enjoy these Grilled Cajun Blueberry BBQ Ribs!
Grilled Cajun Blueberry BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 ½ pounds 1 package Smithfield Extra Tender St. Louis Style, Baby Back, or Spare Ribs, cut into thirds
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite store-bought or homemade Cajun seasoning
- 2 pints fresh blueberries washed and picked through for stems
- 18 ounce bottle KC Masterpiece Sweet Honey & Molasses Barbecue Sauce
- ½ cup no pulp orange juice
Instructions
- Remove the ribs from the package, and cut into thirds. Allow to come to room temperature for ½ hour. You can start your coal grill at this time so the coals get hot, either placing the coals in the smoker compartment or on one side of the grill.
- Prepare the sauce; In a food processor or blender combine the blueberries and orange juice. Process until smooth. Add the barbecue sauce and process again until fully mixed. Refrigerate until needed. This makes about 5 cups of sauce. Reserve about 2 ½ cups for use here. Freeze leftover sauce for up to 3 months or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Rub the ribs with the Cajun seasoning and place on the preheated grill. Cover and cook for one hour without opening the lid. After one hour, uncover and turn the ribs, cover again. If using the smoker compartment method, add more coals if needed to maintain a temperature of between 250-325 degrees F. Cook for one more hour without opening the grill, then turn again. Repeat until the ribs reach 165 degrees.
- Stir the BBQ sauce well, baste one side of the ribs with a liberal amount of sauce. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, turn and baste the other side, cover again and cook for 20 minutes more or until the ribs reach 180 degrees.
Notes
Nutrition
hellen says
this is so lovely . i lobe bbq
David @ Spiced says
You had me at Cajun! What a fun idea to baste these ribs with a Cajun blueberry BBQ sauce. This sounds delicious...and I definitely need to get a rack of these on my grill soon. Thanks for sharing! #client