Remember when I wrote about the peach pork ribs I made? That was child’s play.
This past weekend, I followed a recipe that took the peach flavor up a couple notches and left no doubt what the dominant element of this dish is.
Max-Peach Ribs
My lack of culinary originality is well documented. I stand on the shoulders of giants when it comes to cooking in general, but in this case, barbecue cuisine. For this day’s cook, I followed (pretty much to a tee) Malcolm Reed’s (of HowToBBQRight) Peachy Baby Back Ribs.
I’ll recap my cook, but if you want to just skip my compelling and adventure-filled tale, you can just skip to the recipe below.
Ordinarily, I’m partial to St. Louis style ribs, but because the recipe calls for baby backs, and my local grocery store just happened to have some at a decent price, I went that route.
After trimming and applying the mustard binder, I hit the ribs with a medium sprinkle of Killer Hogs BBQ Rub, then a medium coat of Heath Riles Peach Rub.
I let those babies sweat in the rub while I fired up my Char-Griller 980 to 275 degrees. I didn’t have any peach wood chunks, so I substituted with pecan chunks.
Once the grill was up to temp, the ribs went on. After about an hour, I began spritzing the ribs every 20 minutes with the mixture of peach nectar, water, and apple cider vinegar. After about another 90 minutes, and after the ribs took on that nice, deep mahogany color, I took them off and wrapped them.
For the wrap, I laid down a handful of monk fruit extract (instead of brown sugar), a few tablespoons of Kosmos Peach Jalapeno Glaze, and topped the back of the ribs with about a half a stick of butter.
I returned the wrapped ribs to the smoker and let them go for about another 45 minutes. Before they came off, I made the glaze: one cup of peach preserves (heated to liquify) and one cup of Killer Hogs BBQ Sauce.
After unwrapping the ribs, I coated them with the glaze mixture and put them back on for about 20 more minutes. When they were ready, I rested them for about 20 minutes and sliced them up.
If you want peach flavor to compliment the natural sweetness of pork, this is one barbecue dish you definitely want to try. This definitely won’t be my go-to pork rib option every time, but this is a delicious and flavorful change of pace if you’re looking to diversify your rib game.
The Wine: 2021 Buttonwood Grove Riemer Block Riesling
Even before I confirmed by biting into these ribs, I knew there would be a sweeter, fruit-forward flavor to them. So, I wanted to make sure I paired them with something that would hold up to that sweetness without going overboard.
From my wine rack I pulled a 2021 Buttonwood Grove Riemer Block Riesling – a bottle I picked up when I visited the Finger Lakes region at the end of summer 2023.
This Riesling is a semi-dry wine, with light floral and citrus notes on the nose, with complementary citrus and mineral flavors on the palate. It’s not a purely dry wine, but also not sweet, which made it a good balance with the ribs – a nice pairing partner that wasn’t a powerful sweetness bomb.
About Buttonwood Grove Winery
Dave and Melissa, both originally from Skaneateles, NY, share a deep-rooted passion for agriculture and winemaking. Dave’s early exposure at Beak & Skiff Apple Farm fueled his love for caring for the land and introduced him to winemaking. After attending Cornell College of Agriculture, they seized the opportunity to purchase Buttonwood Grove in 2014. Since then, they’ve expanded vineyards, built a new winemaking facility, enhanced cabins, and established a vibrant summer music series. In 2017, their dedication earned them the Governor’s Cup for the Best Wine in New York State, specifically the 2016 Riesling.
Under the ownership of Dave and Melissa, Buttonwood Grove Winery continues to build on its reputation for exceptional wines in the Finger Lakes. Their commitment to preserving the vision of previous owners while adding their distinctive touch is reflected in the vineyard expansions and the success recognized by prestigious awards.
About the Finger Lakes Wine Region
The Finger Lakes winegrowing region has a rich history, excelling in the production of cool-climate wines, particularly Riesling. The unique geography, characterized by deep lakes and diverse topography, plays a crucial role in shaping the terroir and influencing winemaking practices in the area.
The presence of long, deep lakes—most notably Cayuga and Seneca—helps moderate temperatures, preventing extreme cold or heat. This moderation extends the growing season, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and develop complex flavors.
In addition, the region’s topography, with sloping hillsides and varying aspects, provides diverse microclimates. Vineyards are often planted on hillsides to maximize sun exposure and drainage.
There isn’t a wide variety of wines grown in the Finger Lakes region – like we might think of Napa or Australia. But this area does do a few varietals very well, in particular Riesling, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc. Like the Buttonwood Grove Riesling I chose for this wine pairing, the Finger Lakes are renowned for their Riesling wines. The cool climate and the lakes’ moderating effect on temperatures create optimal conditions for producing high-quality Rieslings with a balance of acidity and sweetness.
If you try this dish and pair it with something similar or completely different from the Buttonwood Grove Riemer Block Riesling, let me know in the Comment section.
Cheers!
Peachy Baby Back Pork Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 slabs baby back ribs (Compart Duroc Ribs is what I used)
- ¼ cup Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub
- ¼ cup Heath Riles Peach Rub
- 1 cup Peach Nectar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 stick butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup Kosmo’s Peach Jalapeño glaze
- 1 cup Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup Peach Preserves (melted)
Directions
- Prepare smoker for indirect cooking at 275 degrees using peach wood for smoke flavor.
- Trim and remove membrane from two racks baby back loin ribs.
- Season with The BBQ Rub followed by Peach BBQ Rub.
- Let the ribs rest for 30 minutes while the smoker comes up to temperature; then place each slab on the pit.
- Combine the peach nectar, water, and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz the ribs every 45 minutes.
- At the 2 hour mark remove the ribs from the pit and wrap in aluminum foil. For the wrap add 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup Kosmo’s peach/jalapeño rib glaze and 1/2 stick of butter cut into pats. Place the ribs meat side down back on the pit.
- Continue to cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 202-204 degrees in between the bones.
- Carefully remove the ribs from the foil wrap and place back on the cooking grate. Glaze the ribs with a mixture of The Bbq Sauce and Peach preserves. (Warm the preserves in the microwave before mixing with the bbq sauce)
- Let the ribs glaze for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce sets.
- Remove from the pit and serve.