How to Cook Tender, Juicy Country Style Pork Ribs on a Pellet Grill

Country style pork ribs are a delicious and affordable cut of meat that are perfect for cooking low and slow on a pellet grill. With the right technique, you can achieve fall-off-the-bone tender ribs with incredible smoky flavor. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to cook amazing country style ribs on your pellet smoker.

What Are Country Style Pork Ribs?

Country style ribs come from the blade end of the pork loin near the shoulder. They contain both pork loin meat and pork shoulder/butt meat, giving them a nice balance of lean and fatty.

Unlike spare ribs or baby back ribs country style ribs do not contain any actual rib bones. The name comes from their look and cooking method being similar to ribs.

Since they contain both loin and shoulder meat, country style ribs are more marbled than a pork chop but less fatty compared to spare ribs This gives them a great meaty texture and rich flavor when cooked low and slow

Benefits of Cooking Country Style Ribs on a Pellet Grill

Cooking country style ribs on a pellet grill offers several advantages over oven baking or grilling:

• Infuses delicious smoky flavor into the meat

• Allows cooking at a precise low temperature over a longer period.

• Keeps the ribs incredibly moist and tender without drying out.

• Requires little monitoring once they are on the grill.

• Imparts a nice smoke ring and crispy bark on the exterior.

• Allows easy basting and saucing at the end for sticky glazed ribs.

The steady, even heat of a pellet grill is perfect for breaking down the collagen in country style ribs into tender, pull apart meat.

Step-By-Step Guide to Cooking Ribs on a Pellet Smoker

Follow these simple steps for mouthwatering country style pork ribs cooked low and slow on your pellet grill:

1. Choose the Right Ribs

Look for country style pork ribs that have nice marbling throughout. They can be bone-in or boneless. Bone-in ribs will have more flavor, while boneless are more convenient.

Aim for ribs that are 1.5-2 lbs or larger for the most tender and juicy results when cooking low and slow. Smaller ribs can dry out.

2. Trim Excess Fat

Trim off any large hard fat deposits from the ribs that won’t render down during cooking. Leave a thin layer of fat for moisture and flavor.

3. Apply Dry Rub

Apply a generous coating of dry rub all over the ribs. Use your favorite pork rib rub or make your own blend. Let the ribs sit for 15-30 minutes for the rub to absorb while you preheat the grill.

4. Preheat Pellet Grill to 225°F

Preheating gives time for the grill to reach an even temperature all around before cooking. Set your pellet smoker to 225°F which is ideal for low and slow ribs.

Use a quality pellet flavor like hickory, apple, cherry, or maple for good smoke flavor.

5. Place Ribs on Grill

Put the seasoned ribs directly on the grill grates meaty side up. Try to avoid overlapping ribs if possible to allow even smoking.

6. Smoke for 3-4 Hours

Let the ribs smoke at 225°F until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F, about 3-4 hours. This long smoking time allows the fat to render and meat to become tender.

Spritz the ribs every hour with apple juice or cider vinegar to keep them moist. But don’t open the grill too much which causes heat loss.

7. Wrap Ribs in Foil

Once ribs are at 165°F, remove them from the grill. Wrap each rack tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil to help soften them up even more.

Add 1⁄2 cup apple juice and 1 tbsp butter to each foil packet before sealing. The moisture helps braise the ribs to perfect tenderness.

8. Return Ribs to Grill

Put the foil wrapped ribs back on the pellet grill and continue cooking until ribs are 200-205°F internally. This can take 2-3 more hours.

9. Unwrap and Sauce Ribs

Carefully open the foil packets, being wary of hot steam. Transfer the tender ribs back to the grill grates.

Paint your favorite bbq sauce evenly over both sides of the ribs. Let them cook for 10-15 minutes more to caramelize the sauce.

10. Rest and Serve

Let the sauced ribs rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting to allow juices to absorb. Slice into individual ribs and dig in!

Pellet Grill Country Style Ribs Tips

• If ribs start getting too dark during the initial smoking time, wrap them in foil sooner.

• Add a pan of water to the grill to help keep ribs moist if your pellet grill runs hot.

• Spray any flare ups from drippings to avoid charring the ribs.

• Use a digital meat thermometer for the most accurate doneness temps.

• Let ribs rest in a cooler after smoking for up to 2 hours before serving.

• Slice country style ribs for sandwiches or serve them whole with sauce on the side.

• Leftover ribs make amazing nachos, omelets, pizza topping, or in baked beans.

Inspiring Country Style Rib Recipes for Pellet Grills

Here are a few mouthwatering recipe ideas for country style ribs cooked to perfection on your pellet smoker:

Brown Sugar Bourbon Country Ribs – Brushed with a brown sugar and bourbon glaze.

Cola BBQ Country Ribs – Finished with a Coca-Cola infused barbecue sauce.

Honey Sriracha Country Ribs – Sriracha and honey create the ultimate glaze.

Apple Cider Country Ribs – Braised and glazed with tangy apple cider.

Hawaiian Huli Huli Country Ribs – With a sweet and spicy Hawaiian Huli Huli sauce.

Smoky Peach Country Ribs – Featuring peachy barbecue sauce with brown sugar.

Coffee Rubbed Country Ribs – Rubbed with coffee, cumin, garlic, and chili powder.

Don’t be afraid to get creative with unique rubs, glazes, and sauces! Country style ribs stand up well to both sweet and spicy flavors.

Mastering Delicious Country Style Pork Ribs on a Pellet Smoker

Cooking country style ribs low and slow on a pellet grill results in the most mouthwatering, fall-off-the-bone tender and flavorful ribs you could imagine. Proper seasoning, temperature control, and smoking time leads to finger-licking ribs the whole family will devour.

Once you nail cooking country style ribs on your pellet smoker, you may never want to cook them any other way again! The next time you find country style pork ribs on sale, try out these tips and recipes for your best ribs yet.