Looks it’s no secret, I am in love with smoking baby back ribs as often as I can in my backyard pitmaster setup. Something about that familiar aroma wafting through the air on a warm afternoon just gets me.
While the smoking technique plays a crucial role, the brand of ribs you choose can make a significant difference in the final outcome. For those pitmasters competing in weekend comps, they typically head to a butcher shop or online shipper and grab a “prime” option. But for the rest of us, we are probably just heading to the local grocery store to grab the best option we can.
But with so many options available at various price points, how do you know what to get? Well to help you make an informed choice, I decided to put three popular “grocery store” brands—Kroger, Smithfield, and Prairie Fresh—to the test under the same enviornment. Each brand was smoked on my Traeger Ironwood 885, using my popular Traeger 2-2-1 rib method.
Here’s the specs for the three slabs of ribs that competed in this backyard baby back rib showdown.
- Kroger Brand from Kroger Grocery Store: Weighing 3.25 lbs at $2.99 per pound, totaling $9.71.
- Smithfield Brand from Meijer Grocery Store: Weighing 3.325 lbs at $2.49 per pound, totaling $8.28.
- Prairie Fresh Brand from Walmart Grocery Store: Weighing 3.38 lbs at $3.44 per pound, totaling $11.63.
Smoking Method
All ribs were smoked using my Traeger 2-2-1 recipe:
- Prep: After removing the membrane, I seasoned with a layer of my Smoked Q Rock’s Summer BBQ rub and my Smoked Q Rock’s Honey Chipotle rub, applied to both sides.
- Smoking: Then I smoked them on my Traeger Ironwood 885 at 225°F for two hours uncovered with super smoke turned on.
- Wrapping: After two hours I wrapped them in foil with a brown sugar, butter and honey topping, before cooking for another 2 hours still at 225ºF.
- Finishing: The final hour was unwrapped, with a layer of my Smoked Q Rock’s Irish Whiskey BBQ sauce applied, still at 225ºF.
Evaluation Criteria
The ribs were evaluated based on appearance, texture, tug (the amount of resistance when biting into the meat), juiciness and just overall.
The Contenders
Kroger Brand
- Price: $9.71 for 3.25 lbs ($2.99 per lb)
- Appearance: The ribs had a decent marbling and color but appeared slightly smaller compared to the others.
- Texture: The meat was tender but slightly on the dry side – still delicious.
- Tug: The tug was moderate, with all the meat still sliding off the bone.
- Juiciness: These ribs were less juicy than the others, possibly due to their thinner cuts.
- Overall: A solid choice for the price, but lesser in terms of texture and juiciness.
Smithfield Brand
- Price: $8.28 for 3.325 lbs ($2.49 per lb)
- Appearance: These ribs had excellent marbling and a good amount of meat.
- Texture: The texture was spot on, with the meat being exceptionally tender and juicy.
- Tug: The tug was perfect, offering just the right amount of resistance without being tough.
- Juiciness: These ribs were incredibly juicy, with each bite releasing a burst of flavor.
- Overall: Spoiler alert, in my opinion, the Smithfield brand stood out as the best, offering superior texture, tug, and juiciness, all at the most competitive price.
Prairie Fresh Brand
- Price: $11.63 for 3.38 lbs ($3.44 per lb)
- Appearance: The ribs were thick and had good marbling.
- Texture: The texture was very good, really very close to the Smithfield brand.
- Tug: The tug was acceptable, though slightly more resistant than Smithfield.
- Juiciness: These ribs were juicy but didn’t quite match the level of Smithfield.
- Overall: Prairie Fresh is a premium option with good qualities but didn’t offer enough differentiation from Smithfield, especially given its higher price.
The Verdict
After our “blind taste test” which included four adults and three kids, who all eat ribs VERY often, it was a narrow win for the Smithfield brand from Meijer grocery store. The combination of perfect texture, ideal tug, and exceptional juiciness brought it in as our top choice for this backyard baby back ribs competition.
Smithfield’s winning qualities:
- Texture: Smithfield ribs were incredibly tender, offering a melt-in-your-mouth experience, while still tugging off the bone. The combination of an easy pull from the bone, yet maintaining enough structure to provide a satisfying bite made it stand out.
- Tug: Did I mention the right tug? Striking that perfect balance between tender and firm, I tend to emphasize this feature when it comes to judging the best backyard barbecue experience.
- Juiciness: Each bite of Smithfield ribs was bursting with juices, showcasing that the meat remained moist throughout the cook. This juiciness enhanced the flavor and made every mouthful a delight.
In comparison, the Kroger brand still offered a good experience but simply fell short when compared to the others. While it was a moderately priced option and had a delicious taste, the ribs seemed slightly thinner, which potentially affected their juiciness and texture. They were a bit drier, making them a less ideal choice. With all that said, I would have no problem with selecting, smoking and serving these ribs for anyone.
The Prairie Fresh brand from Walmart, priced the highest, simply didn’t justify its premium cost in my opinion. The ribs were thick and well-marbled, which promised a lot, and the end result was still very tender and juicy, similar to the Smithfield brand. While they were good, they did not offer a significantly better experience to warrant the extra cost. All that said, the extra $3.35 for a slab of ribs is not that much, but could add up depending on how many slabs you’re preparing. But if you’re willing to “splurge” a bit, Prairie Fresh is a great option.
So if you’re aiming for the best backyard baby back ribs from a grocery store, the Smithfield brand is my clear choice. For your next BBQ, consider giving Smithfield baby back ribs a try—you won’t be disappointed!
Good luck rolling smoking!
