8 Best Smithfield Meats To Buy For Your Next BBQ

Whether you know it or not, you're probably already a fan of Smithfield meat products. The brand is well-known for selling high-quality packaged meats like pork tenderloins, bacon, and hams. It's also responsible for bringing the world products like Nathan's all beef hot dogs and Eckrich sausages. It's no wonder that Smithfield is one of the most trusted names in the meat business.

The brand's reputation is one reason it's a favorite with customers, especially for gatherings like a barbecue. Other reasons are the products' flavor and the number of items available. Home cooks can make everything from pulled pork to stuffed pork chops to an eye-catching bacon lattice with Smithfield meats. This list has some of the brand's most highly rated and delicious products for you to throw on the grill or in the smoker for your next backyard barbecue. And if you're new to grilling, or just want a few pointers, these celebrity chef grilling tips can help ensure you have the best party on the block this year.

As any pitmaster will tell you, ribs are an incredibly popular but finicky item that take a great deal of know-how to cook to tender perfection. While barbecue enthusiasts have a variety of opinions on the best way to do that, it's best to avoid making common mistakes – like boiling the ribs or keeping the silverskin on — to achieve the best flavor and texture. You also have to know about the different types of ribs to know best how to cook them.

Pork loin back ribs, sometimes just called pork back ribs, is another way of saying baby back. This type is very meaty and slightly curved. Extra meaty back ribs have more loin meat still attached to them, and some pitmasters suggest trimming the meat to a uniform thickness to ensure the rack cooks evenly.

Smithfield's extra meaty pork loin back ribs are among the company's highest rated products. Customers say they're an excellent buy and are very flavorful. Others proclaim these are their go-to ribs because they turn out tender, juicy, and delicious when cooked low and slow. Fans also appreciate the extra meat, saying it's better to feed a family with. Some say its the best pork they've ever had at a barbecue and that the meat-to-fat ratio is perfect.

Pork loin filet can be a confusing term. The cut of pork lies in the middle of being a pork loin or a tenderloin, which come from different parts of the pig and have different flavors and textures. A pork loin is also called a roast due to its thickness and the amount of collagen. A tenderloin, on the other hand, is much thinner and leaner, making it easy to cook quickly over high heat. The pork loin filet cut combines the best of both worlds and is made by trimming a pork loin into a thin strip that resembles a tenderloin.

Smithfield offers a variety of marinated pork loin filets, including an applewood smoked version that's topped with bacon crumbles. Fans call the product amazing, delicious, and simple to cook, with the perfect blend of seasonings. It grills beautifully and comes out tasty and tender, and one person said the flavor was outstanding. Another customer called it their "new favorite meal" and was impressed with the amount of bacon crumbles included with the filet. One cook declared they couldn't stop eating the pork. If you want to add even more texture to the filet's smoky taste, you can add a variety of fruits or chutneys to the meal to give it even more of a wow factor.

Baby back or loin back ribs are an incredibly popular cut of meat for grilling and smoking. They're often seen on restaurant menus because they are meatier than other types and cook quickly. St. Louis style ribs, on the other hand, can be easier to cook, thanks to their uniform shape, even if they take a little longer. This type of spare rib is trimmed by a butcher into a rectangular shape, and they tend to be flatter, making them easier to portion. St. Louis ribs are a Missouri classic, while baby backs are also beloved in the Midwest, particularly in Chicago and Kansas City styles.

Smithfield's fresh pork St. Louis style spareribs are largely praised by pitmasters and home cooks for their combination of fat and meat. The fat and collagen breaks down, making the product juicy and tender after a long, slow cooking session. Pitmasters say they've had good results with Smithfield ribs. Others say the ribs have wonderful flavor, and fans appreciate that these are a more economical choice than many baby back options.

Bacon is a wonderful thing to put on (or in) a burger. The only problem is how to cook it when you're grilling. Due to the high fat content, it's best to use a cast iron skillet, or a makeshift foil pan, on the grates to cook the bacon and avoid a grease fire. Then there's the issue of choosing which kind of bacon you'd like to use. While there are all manner of types smoked with apple- or cherrywood, hickory is probably the most common. And the thickness of the meat is something to consider as well. Center-cut has less fat, while thick-cut is meatier. That means the center-cut can be crispier, and the thick-cut can have a wonderful chewiness.

If you're looking for the latter, Smithfield thick-cut bacon gets high marks from customers. Fans say the bacon is their favorite, thanks to its high quality, and that the price for the product is great. One customer called it thick and meaty, while another noted that they don't have to use much oil in the pan while cooking it. One person suggests preparing it in the oven to make it crispy and still have an excellent chew. That's also a great way to make bacon for a crowd with less mess.

Pork shoulder is easy to confuse with pork butt because they both come from the pig's arm area. While the butt is actually the hog's shoulder, the picnic shoulder roast is just below that and is the top of the pig's arm. The picnic roast is generally sold in a more triangular shape, but can be trimmed into a square or rectangle. Both cuts contain fat and have a rich taste, but the picnic shoulder is a little leaner. That's one reason professionals suggest cooking it at a slightly lower temperature than pork butt. That helps cook the meat and render the fat without it drying out.

Smithfield sells marinated picnic shoulder roasts that are more uniform in size for easier grilling and smoking. The Sweet & Smoky BBQ version is praised for being perfectly seasoned and very flavorful. People say they keep one in the freezer year-round because it makes a crowd-pleasing meal. One fan even said it was among the best meat they'd ever tasted. Another customer petitioned Smithfield to sell the picnic shoulder at their local market again because they enjoyed the product so much.

Bratwurst are a summertime favorite across the country, but they can be found on grills nearly year-round, thanks to enthusiastic tailgaters on football game days. The sausages have been around for more than seven hundred years and came to the states with German immigrants in the 1800s. While they are similar to another grilling staple, the hot dog, brats are thicker and often have more flavor. To prevent them from splitting on a grill's grates, many people will par-cook them in beer with a little butter and onions to give them an even more savory taste.

One of Smithfield's newest products is the Jalapeño & Cheddar Brats. These sausages are already getting great reviews, with several people saying they're better than Johnsonville's version. The links are high quality and incredibly tasty, according to customers, who call them fantastic. People said they have a satisfying snap and great flavor without the jalapeños overpowering the bite. The sausages are juicy with plenty of cheese packed into them. So, if you like a little spice, these are a great thing to throw on the grill this summer.

Pork chops are an amazing cut of meat when prepared correctly. Because they tend to be leaner, it's very easy to overcook them, but when done properly they're juicy and flavorful. One thing that can turn a great piece of pork into a subpar one is not accounting for the cooking time of a bone-in or boneless chop needs. A bone-in one will need slightly longer to be done, while a boneless one generally only takes a few minutes on the grill to reach medium-rare. It's suggested that pork be heated to 145 F to be safe for eating, and using a two-zone grilling technique can help backyard chefs do that without drying out the meat.

Smithfield's Anytime Favorites Hickory Smoked Boneless Pork Chops can be heated very quickly because they're already fully cooked. That means you only have to put them on the grill to heat through and get some great char marks. Fans call the product delicious and one of their favorite pork chops. They appreciate how easy they are to prepare and the hearty flavor. Several people say they keep a pack in the freezer for an quick and easy dinner. If you happen to have any leftover, just make some cheesy grits or a breakfast burrito the next day.

Pork shoulder butt roasts, also called Boston butts, are one of the best cuts of pork to smoke. The butt, which is actually the pig's upper shoulder, is often sold with the bone still inside, which helps regulate the meat's internal temperature and keep it from overcooking. That's one reason pitmasters love the cut for things like pulled pork. Other reasons are the amount of fat and collagen running through the thick cut of pork. Those slowly melt as the roast is cooked for several hours and keep the protein juicy and flavorful.

Smithfield's Fresh Pork Bone-In Shoulder Butt Roast fits those criteria beautifully. Customers say the meat is incredibly tender and moist, with great texture and taste. Several people noted that the roast's size allowed them to have a few days worth of meals from it. The pork is well marbled but not overly fatty and is consistently high quality. Some note it smokes well over wood chips and pellets, while another person used the roast to test their new smoker and ended up cooking it for 13 hours to achieve the perfect pulled pork. Many people also enjoy the value they get from the meat, noting that it can be pricey but is worth it for the quality and amount.

Deciding which Smithfield products should be on this list involved narrowing down dozens of different pork items, including hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, roasts, and loins. I had to examine multiple factors, such as the overall customer experience, the value and taste of the meaty item, if they were regularly available, and the prices.

I then searched through social media posts, comment threads, professional reviews, and user review sites. Only the products with the most positive grilling and barbecue reviews across several platforms were chosen for the final list.