Peach and Green Chile Campfire Wild Pig Ribs

On a recent Texas pig hunt, we were cleaning a couple of 100-pound hogs. We always bring a small battery powered reciprocating saw with us on these hunts to help break down the hogs quickly. After cutting out the four slabs of ribs and tossing them into the cooler, we started talking about wild pig ribs and whether or not they were worth the work, since the smaller hogs we shoot for meat have fairly lean ribs to start with.

You don’t need a smoker to turn the ribs from your wild pig into a tasty hunt camp meal. Images by author

After mentioning the fact that I almost always cooked the ribs from our pigs, the next conversation naturally turned to, “how can we cook some up without a smoker?”

You don’t need a lot of gear to turn out some tasty grub at camp.

Our options at camp were my trusty Camp Chef Everest two burner stove and the campfire. I decided on the campfire with a metal grate over the coals.

A low bed of coals and a metal grate (plus some aluminum foil) is all you need.

I started by seasoning the slabs on both sides with a good barbecue rub. Since we were in Texas, I thought it fitting to go with a Texas-based pork rub, Sweet Texas Heat from True Texas Barbecue. You don’t have to use this one, just go with your favorite.

Once the ribs are seasoned, put them directly on the grate. Don’t walk away, the fat from the pork will render down and drip onto the fire, causing a flame to pop up even if you are cooking on coals. Just move the ribs around to keep the flames down, flipping every 10 minutes or so.

Watch the ribs closely. The dripping fat will cause a flame up.

After 45 minutes to an hour, the ribs will be seared on the outer surface and have a good smoke flavor.

Since we didn’t have a way to slow smoke the ribs for hours, I moved each slab to a sheet of aluminum foil. Then it was time for the peach and green chile sauce. While the ribs cooked over the fire, I mixed 8 ounces of peach preserves with a cup of Peach Crown Royal whiskey and a half cup of soy sauce.

After the ribs have cooked a bit, mix the sauce.

When the mixture started to boil, I added a cup of diced roasted Hatch green chile peppers. Move the sauce over to the edge of the fire and allow it to simmer and thicken slightly while the ribs cooks.

Simmer the peach and green chile sauce.

Once the slab is centered over the foil, spoon over some of the peach and green chile sauce.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the ribs before wrapping.

Use the back of your spoon to evenly spread the sauce over the top of the ribs. Once they are sauced, wrap each slab tightly in foil. Move them back onto the grate over a low bed of coals to slow cook and tenderize for another 60-90 minutes. The tight foil wrap will steam the ribs, tenderizing them the same way a slow smoker would.

Steam the ribs inside the foil until tender, then unwrap and place them back onto the grate.

Unwrap the ribs and place them meat side up back onto the grate. Spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the ribs and cook for another 30-60 minutes to set the glaze and form a nice crust.

Spoon remaining sauce over the ribs to set the glaze.

Slice the ribs between the bones and serve for a nice snack or full meal. We ate ours standing over the fire before we headed out for the next evening’s hunt, tossing the cleaned bones into the nearby brush as we finished. It just seemed fitting.

Don’t have a handy campfire and a nearby grove of trees for caveman-style bone chucking? Just cook the ribs on your smoker at 200 for 2 hours, then wrap and continue cooking for another hour. Make the sauce on your stove. Finish the ribs by turning your grill up to 275. Unwrap the ribs and place them back on the smoker. Glaze with remaining sauce and cook for another 45-60 minutes to set the sauce.

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