Braised Short Ribs on the Traeger

Grandville's Extera Spicy Gourmet BBQ Sauce 

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So thick you can stand a spoon in it
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Braised Short Ribs on the Traeger

This week our friend Tony came down and we wanted to do something special for his birthday. We haven’t seen Tony for about four months and he was starving for some good “Q”. Sailors are easy to please and old sailormen are easier. Lots of the “B” food group: beer & BBQ. We gave our Traeger a real workout . Tonight we did our baked beans (by Patti’s request) and a garlic/onion skillet we have been working on. Real Good Stuff. Tony was able to stay for three days to store up on “Q”!

Man, could he pack it away! We sent him home like a turkey stuffed for Thanksgiving, only happier.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Traeger: 250 digital setting

Pellets: Mesquite

Directions: Ribs

We put Dave’s Rub on the ribs and let them just soak up the flavors for awhile before searing them on the grill. (30/60 minutes) When the grill is up to heat, add the ribs directly onto the grill to sear. You want to sear both sides on high heat (500) for about 30 minutes total for these guys. Then place them in a baking dish with your braising sauce already in it. Then, back onto the grill. Every hour or so baste them with the sauce. We slow smoked them for 4 ½ hours at 250 degrees.

Patti and I both enjoyed the rub Dave sent and have used it a few times now on all kinds of things. Patti also loves it sprinkled on scrambled eggs and cold leftover chicken.

Dave and Jackie Scott from http://yearonthegrill.blogspot.com/

Ingredients: Dave’s Rub

2 diced habanero peppers, seeded and the white pulp removed
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1/4 cup sea salt
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried garlic
1 tablespoon onion flakes
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Ingredients: Basting sauce

Dr. Pepper (2 cans to start), we used Diet Cherry

Dry crushed garlic

Dry chopped onions

Coarse black pepper

Red pepper flakes

Salt

Mix these to your taste in the baking dish, add the ribs and place on the grill…

Ingredients: Baked Beans

1 lb. bacon, chopped

1 large sweet onion, chopped

3 1 lb. cans of baked beans (we like Bush’s)

2 cups peeled garlic (to taste)

½ Tbsp. Liquid smoke

1 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

Directions: Baked Beans

Note:  Any bean will do.

But, keep in mind that the better bean you start with,

the better the bean you’ll end with.

Fry your bacon until crisp, remove while reserving about 2 Tbsp. of the drippings. Sauté the onions and garlic in the bacon drippings until tender. Crumble the bacon. Add the rest of the ingredients into a casserole dish. Mix well and bake uncovered for 2 hours at 325 in/on the grill/oven.

Directions: Ribs on the Traeger

Open the lid and set the dial to “High/500”, after a few minutes shut the lid. Give it about 10 minutes to heat up then add everything.

Add the ribs and sear them.

After 30 minutes, turn the digital control up to 250 degrees. This will give you a temperature around 300 at the stack or dome thermometer. Just let it go for 4 hours.  No peeking

After an hour, add the beans to the grill. Put them on the “Hot Spot” by the stack. Cook them for 3 hours. Then, put them in the oven on warm until ready to serve.

Add your garlic skillet now, instructions below.

Note: I use a spray bottle when cooking on the grill filled with a Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke mix that keeps things moist and adds tons of flavors. (Mix is 3 parts Worcestershire with 1 part liquid smoke)

Preparing Charcoal Smoker

Get the smoker ready, you will want your temperature of around 200-250 degrees. Remember, you are going low and slow here. This will take all day (4-6 hours); make sure you have plenty of cold beer.

Let these guys rest in the smoke until the meat starts to curl away from the bone, adding charcoal and wood chips as needed. Remember to baste them every so often and give everything a spray with your Worcestershire spray to help keep things from drying out.

Preparing Gas Grill:  Low Indirect Heat

Preheat your grill to low heat (250-300) and turn off one side so you will be cooking with indirect heat. Add your wet hickory chips over the fire and oil the grill. A cooking spray is easiest for this. (Note: you can add your hickory directly to the grill or you can use foil smoke packets.(Two handfuls wet chips and one dry, fold foil into a packet, poke holes in it with a fork and you’re good to go.)

Smoked Garlic & Onion Skillet

I love smoked garlic, and it only gets better with sweet onions and bacon. This is something you can only do if you are slow smoking. The garlic takes an hour and a half to cook. I have been working on this for a month now and I find I like it best just as a simple side.  Sometimes Patti insists I add mushrooms and pile it on a steak…

Ingredients:

½ lb. pepper bacon (ends & pieces)

2 cups peeled garlic ( we add more, but we love garlic)

2 large sweet onions, rough chopped

Coarse ground black pepper (to taste)

Mushrooms caps, any kind you like or mix several (optional)

Smoked Garlic & Onion Skillet

Directions:

Using a cast iron skillet add the bacon and garlic. Place it directly on the grill. The bacon will render (melt) providing the moisture for the garlic to cook. The garlic will take awhile depending on how hot your grill is and if you have a “Hot Spot”. My hot spot is on the right by the stack on the Traeger.
Stir the garlic every now and then to keep from sticking. After an hour or so the garlic should be getting soft.  Stir in the onion. I like them just as they are, still a little crisp, about 30 minutes, again depending on your grill.
You can add the mushrooms now, too. When Patti adds the mushrooms, she adds about ½ cup of wine. Use either red or white depending on the food and/or the mood. Tony brought an excellent red from near where he lives in Paso Robles. So,  Love and L’Chaim to our visit with Tony!

Remember that a recipe is simply an outline; it is not written in stone. Don’t be afraid to make changes to your taste.

Take it and run with it….

Enjoy,

Ken & Patti

Hey, if you are interested in learning more about Traeger Grills or for fine meats and sausages for your grill, go see Jacob. He is a Sausage Meister and we are not kidding. If you get a chance, go and see him. It will be a fun day trip. (Take an ice chest; we always fill up a big one.) Or check him out @ www.tandhsausage.com or call him 760 471- 9192.