Grilled Pork Spareribs With Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

Do you need an easy, family friendly grilling recipe for your next cookout? These pork spareribs with blueberry barbecue sauce are perfect!

Thanks so much to Smithfield for sponsoring this delicious recipe!

This is one of those recipes that made me dance around the kitchen in excitement (on the inside – apparently I’m pretty much pokerfaced on the outside no matter how I feel) with the first bite. I just could not believe how well the ribs, plus the smoky grilled flavor, plus the blueberry barbecue sauce combined. And man, that flavor will dazzle your taste buds.

One of my personal goals this summer was to start grilling. I’ve always been content to just let my husband do the grilling in the past, but that leaves me bound to his schedule, which is a little crazy right now, so if I want to make those mouthwatering summer recipes I keep seeing all over my Facebook feed, I needed to learn how to grill.

So I was pretty excited when Smithfield, a line of all-natural, premium quality fresh pork, sent me a package of pork spareribs (thanks y’all! Totally saved me a trip to Walmart!). While Smithfield Fresh Pork comes in a variety of cuts, spareribs in particular are perfect for grilling (in my opinion), because they’re lean enough to get some good meat, but also fatty enough to keep them juicy when they come off the grill. They have great marbling!

I love that even though Smithfield uses no added hormones, steroids, or artificial ingredients, they still manage to be 20% more tender than other leading brands of non-enhanced all-natural pork, with superior marbling and color, leading to juicy, pitmaster-quality deliciousness.

I wish I could credit my grilling skills to how good these ribs are, but we all know that I’m a grill novice. The pork is just that good, and paired with the unexpected fruity, oniony flavor of blueberry barbecue sauce, there’s just not much you can do to mess Smithfield Extra Tender Fresh Pork Spare Ribs up.

For those who are grilling newbs like me, I just want to take a minute and say that the grilling tips on this page will save your hide. I wish I had watched the four ways to light charcoal video before using half a bottle of lighter fluid trying to get my briquettes lit the first time. 😛

When you grill this (or another) fresh pork recipe, be sure to snap some pictures, and enter Smithfield’s Get Grilling photo contest for a shot at a Weber smoker, the $5,000 grand prize, or one of hundreds of other prizes!

Grilled pork Spareribs With Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 rack of Smithfield Extra Tender Fresh Pork Spare Ribs

• Cajun Seasoning blend (or salt and pepper if you prefer less spice)
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Instructions:

Remove ribs from package, and rub with Cajun Seasoning

Cut ribs between bones to separate into single-serving pieces

Arrange on cookie sheet, cover, and bake at 350º for 1 1/2 hours or until ribs are just done.

While ribs are baking:

1. Sauté onion in olive oil
2. When onion is translucent, add blueberries and continue cooking over medium-low heat, smashing blueberries as they begin to soften.
3. Add remaining ingredients when blueberries are cooked through, and mostly smashed
4. Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to thicken
5. Remove from heat and purée.

When ribs are done:

1. Light charcoal grill, adding soaked mesquite or hickory wood chips if desired
2. When charcoal is ready, arrange ribs over grill and brush with blueberry barbecue sauce
3. Place lid on grill, and let ribs smoke for 15-20 minutes until tender and flavorful.

Enjoy!

This is a sponsored post written by me in partnership with Smithfield.