The school year is coming to a close and Memorial Day is approaching – 2 great signs that Summer is on its way. If you feel like I do, I just want to dive in and start doing some of the things we used to do before the pandemic started – travel, perhaps? Yes, it’s time to get out and about, gather with our friends and family and start creating the “new normal” that may forever be changed from how we did things before to some degree, but can still allow us to create wonderful experiences together. Being in the food business and selling to grocery and other outlets around the country has forced me to be hyper focused on the affects the pandemic has had on the way we all live and eat. But you don’t have to be in business to see the changes all around us.

Living in Fredericksburg, we have all seen the rise in B&B rentals and the increase of people traveling via RV or travel trailer – all due to the pandemic and forced changes in travel behavior. Also, as we have mentioned before, the increase in cooking from home and looking for new and creative ways, and flavors, to feed your family and keep “food boredom” from setting in. While we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and we can eat out now with more confidence, the guidelines across the country are different and wherever you may roam this summer, if by chance you are staying in a B&B or an RV OR if you are visiting friends and family and staying in for dinner, we have a delicious and easy recipe for you. This recipe was created by our own Leo Aguirre – Creative Extraordinaire. It is super easy but does take some cooking time to make it great, so plan ahead. You can put it in the oven in the morning for a late lunch or just after lunch for dinner and forget about it until mealtime. Case’s tip for the week: To add that extra layer of flavor, when the ribs are done, you can drizzle them with peach preserves or peach honey while still hot – even peach salsa – that’s what makes cooking fun and easy. I do it with our products every day. If you want it to taste a little more savory, whisk any product with a little bit of Worcestershire sauce or even A-1 and make it your own. I hope you try Leo’s great recipe: Peaches & Whiskey Oven-baked Pork Ribs. It is the perfect Summer BBQ meal and you don’t even have to fire up the grill. Just don’t forget to pack the sauce!

PEACHES & WHISKEY OVEN-BAKED PORK RIBS

Ingredients
1/3 cup Fischer & Wieser Peaches & Whiskey BBQ Sauce (available at HEB or Das Peach Haus)
1 large onion
1 large peach
3 lbs baby back pork ribs
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup water

Preparation
Preheat oven to 225° F.
Cut onion into 1/2″ slices.
Place ribs in a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish (cut ribs in half to fit into pan).
Rub olive oil onto both sides of ribs, then repeat using brown.
Place onion and peach slices on top of ribs.
Pour 1/2 cup water into dish and cover tightly with foil.
Bake for approximately 5 to 6 hours.
Remove foil and brush ribs with 1/3 cup Fischer & Wieser Peaches & Whiskey BBQ Sauce.
Bake uncovered for an additional 45 minutes or more at 325° F until temperature of ribs reaches 185 ° F.
Remove from oven. Carefully drain liquid, and discard onion and peaches.
Cut ribs into individual pieces and serve immediately, or cool and freeze for a later date.

By Case Fischer