Barbecue Meatballs & Cheese Grits

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

What does the gelatin do in the meatballs, and can I skip it?

The gelatin bloom — Prime Dust dissolved in hot stock, then bloomed cold — sets into a firm insert that goes into the meatball mixture. During the smoke at 250°F, the gelatin liquefies and disperses through the meat, keeping the interior moist and producing a richer, more cohesive texture than a standard binder. It's the same technique used in competition BBQ to improve moisture retention in pork and brisket injections. You can skip it and the meatballs will still be good — but the texture difference is noticeable. If Butcher BBQ Prime Dust is unavailable, a plain unflavored gelatin packet bloomed in well-seasoned beef stock works as a substitute.

Why process the bacon in the Vitamix instead of just dicing it?

Processing the bacon to a ground-meat texture in the food processor attachment gives you even fat distribution throughout the meatball mixture — the rendered bacon fat becomes part of the binder rather than pooling in discrete chunks. Diced bacon creates pockets of fat and smoke that cook unevenly and can create soft spots in the finished meatball. Ground bacon integrates seamlessly with the pork and beef, adding smokiness and fat without disrupting the texture.

Why cook the grits in water first rather than milk and cream from the start?

Stone-ground grits cooked in dairy from the start are prone to scorching — milk sugars burn against the pan bottom during the 45-minute cook before the grits have fully absorbed the liquid and the heat has distributed evenly. Starting in water lets the grits hydrate and swell safely; adding the hot milk and cream mixture at the end, off heat, allows the dairy to incorporate smoothly without risk of scorching or the cream breaking. The cheeses and butter go in last and melt into an already-thickened base.

Can I use a different BBQ sauce instead of Big Rick's Chipotle?

Yes — any medium-bodied, tomato-based BBQ sauce with some sweetness and smoke works for tossing the meatballs. Big Rick's Chipotle specifically brings a chipotle pepper heat and a slightly smoky character that complements the pellet smoke on the meatballs without overwhelming the grits. If you substitute, avoid very thin or very vinegar-heavy sauces — they don't coat the meatballs as well and the acidity can fight the richness of the cheese grits beneath them.

Can I make this indoors?

Indoor cooking rating: 3 out of 5 — Works indoors with adjustments. The grits and gelatin steps are fully stovetop. The meatballs can be cooked in a 375°F oven on a wire rack to 160°F internal — about 20–25 minutes — which produces a properly cooked meatball but without the pellet smoke character. A stovetop smoker or finishing with a smoking gun can approximate some smoke. The dish works well indoors; it's just noticeably different without the YS640s smoke.

Recipe Highlights

• Chill the Meatball Mixture Before Forming: Direction step 4 calls for chilling the mixture after mixing — that step matters. The fat in the ground pork, beef, and bacon needs to firm back up after being worked by the stand mixer; room-temperature fat produces a soft mixture that's difficult to portion and roll cleanly, and the balls won't hold their shape through the smoke. Give it at least 20–30 minutes in the fridge before forming.

   

• Season the Outside After Forming, Not Before: The 2 tablespoons of Bovine Bold reserved for the exterior goes on after the meatballs are formed and on the rack — not mixed into the interior. The interior already has 2 tablespoons of Bovine Bold in the mix. The exterior seasoning builds a separate crust layer during the smoke that adds texture and concentrated rub flavor on the surface of each meatball.

   

• Second Shelf for the Meatballs, Not the Main Grate: The direction to place the rack on the second shelf of the YS640s keeps the meatballs in the ambient smoke zone rather than directly over the firebox, where the temperature is highest. At 250°F indirect, they reach 160°F internal at an even rate without the bottoms cooking faster than the tops. Use a wire rack over a pan to allow airflow on all sides.

   

• Whisk the Grits Continuously When Adding Dairy: When the hot milk and cream mixture goes into the cooked grits, whisk constantly and vigorously until fully incorporated before adding the cheese. Grits that have thickened over 45 minutes will resist the dairy at first — whisking forces the liquid in rather than letting it pool on top. Once fully incorporated, add the Parmigiano Reggiano, then the cheddar, then the butter, whisking between each addition so each one melts fully before the next goes in.

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