Texas Pecan Ribs on MAK 2 Star Pellet Grill
Texas Pecan seasoning on baby back ribs pairs great with the MAK 2 Star pellet grill and a good stout beer.
It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon, so we decided to throw some baby back ribs on the MAK 2 Star pellet grill. We have a new Texas Pecan seasoning by SuckleBusters I have been wanting to try on ribs.
We took the convertible to the grocery store to get some stout beer to go with our ribs. Stout beer pairs so well with baby back ribs, plus it warms the soul on a cold day. On the way back we went the long way which was a 45-minute drive through the countryside.
I already had the ribs on the MAK 2 Star, so I knew they would be fine for a few hours. Soaking up the sunshine through the Hill Country is nice. Especially when you’re headed home to ribs and good beer.
Cook Details
- 2 racks of baby back ribs
- SuckleBusters Texas Pecan BBQ Seasoning
- MAK 2 Star pellet grill running at 275F
- About 3 hours on upper rack
- FlameZone Covers on
- Lumber Jack wood pellets
Scored Membrane on Ribs
I always score the membrane on ribs. I used to completely remove it but what I found is if you score the membrane, it will make for a more tender rib and the membrane pulls of the bone like a thin cooked chicharron. It’s delicious. The membrane will render out and come off in small pieces because you scored it to begin with. It’s really good stuff.
Seasoned with Texas Pecan BBQ Rub
We recently purchased some SuckleBusters Texas Pecan seasoning and have been wanting to try it on baby back ribs. Pecan wood and seasoning go well with pork and this seasoning should be no exception.
The SuckleBusters Texas Pecan seasoning has all your normal sugars and spices along with some pecan oil. This gives the seasoning a great flavor that goes well with pork and chicken.
Beautiful Mahogany Finish on Ribs
The ribs turned out great with a beautiful mahogany finish. The SuckleBusters Texas Pecan seasoning is a red orange color out of the bottle. As the meat renders out the finish starts to turn a reddish brown color as the smoke layers on the meat and the sugar darkens.
The meat pulled up perfectly on the bone, and they passed the bend test where I lift them with my barbecue tongs and see if they start to break. If so, they come off the pit.
Back of Baby Back Ribs Were Crispy With Burnt Edges
The back of the ribs were perfect. The membrane had a crisp texture as it shrunk on the bone. The ends of the rib bones were black as the moisture and seasoning drips down to the tips of the bones during the cook.
The flavor was superb as you bit into the meaty side of the rib and the back side had a crisp, texture. These ribs were cooked for three hours unwrapped.
Cooking baby back ribs on the upper rack of the MAK 2 Star pellet grill at 275F has produced consistent results cook after cook. You can count on the ribs being ready around the three-hour mark if left unwrapped. Some larger racks may go another thirty minutes to fully render.
It's important to make sure they get enough time on the grill so the fat completely renders. A soft, gummy fat on ribs is never a good thing. That is why I feel 275F is the best temperature for cooking ribs.
Fall Off The Bone Texas Pecan Baby Back Ribs
The ribs were falling off the bone, and they were delicious. The Texas Pecan seasoning on the outside paired perfectly with the Lumber Jack Supreme Blend pellets which are a blend of oak, hickory, and cherry. The smoke flavor perfectly complimented the seasoning to create a great tasting rib.
These ribs were falling off the bone, but they still had a chew to them. This is exactly how we like our ribs. Fall off the bone tender, crisp on the backside with black burnt bone ends. A good smoke profile thanks to Lumber Jack pellets and the MAK 2 Star pellet grill. You can make awesome ribs over and over on the MAK 2 Star without breaking a sweat.
Beer Pairing: KBS Maple Mackinac Fudge
Our outside fridge is full of winter beer left over from last year. We had a very late winter in Texas this year and the temperature is finally dropping down in the 30s at night and hovering around the 50s during the day. Weather like that draws the soul to dense, dark beer. At least for me, it does.
This beer pairing is special as we found a new KBS beer offering at our local HEB grocery store. We are fans of Founders Brewing Co. Kentucky Breakfast Stout beer or KBS for short.
We usually find it once a year at our local grocer. This year they had a new flavor called Maple Mackinac Fudge. A quick google search showed this beer scoring a 99 World-Class rating at beeradvocate.com.
The beer is fantastic. It has a deep fudge hit with a bourbon finish. There is a hint of smokey oak intensity along with coffee notes. The beer drinks easy and has a medium oily consistency.
On the nose your senses are heightened with smells all over the place. The maple sweetness is balanced and does not overpower the coffee and bourbon. Founders did a fabulous job as usual on this unique, barrel-aged stout beer.
Conclusion
The Texas Pecan Seasoning from SuckleBusters was flavorful without overpowering the meat. You can coat the ribs liberally as the seasoning is not too salty. I will say I do prefer their Hog Waller seasoning over the Texas Pecan as I feel it has more punch.
The Texas Pecan was good but a little too mild for my tastes. The smoke flavor on the ribs put out by the MAK 2 Star was consistent and the results were great as always.
We cook lots of ribs and never worry about left overs. We wrote an article about how we freeze ribs and reheat them quickly in the kitchen oven. This is a great way to have ribs whenever you want.
