How To Cook With Chestnuts: Slow-Cooked Pork Ribs with Greens & Chestnuts

United Chestnuts Test Kitchen with Melanie Jones

As we focus on how to cook with chestnuts, nothing reminds us of fall more than the smell of something slow-cooked and soulful filling the kitchen. This recipe brings together country pork ribs from our friends at Pick n Grin Farms, tender turnips greens, and roasted chestnuts from chestnut growers partnering with United Chestnuts.

Listen to an inspiring recent podcast on Branching Out: Growing Together with Willie Huston, owner of Pick n Grin Farms. Nothing like knowing where your food comes from.

This is a dish that feels both Southern and seasonal — and it’s part of our mission to show how chestnuts belong in everyday American cooking. I’d like to dedicate this recipe to my brother-in-law Daryl Palubiak. He first taught me how spectacular slow cooked ribs could be. This is a riff off his creation!

🌰 Ingredients

Main Dish

• 2–3 lbs country-style pork ribs (mine are from local hog farmer at Pick n Grin Farms)
• Kinder’s Cowboy Butter (sprinkle on both sides)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapenos cut in half
• 1 ½ cup apple cider
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1½ cups chopped, greens: collard greens or turnip greens
• ¾ cup peeled, boiled chestnuts (rough-chopped)

🍽️ Instruction

1. Sear the ribs. I sprinkled seasoning on the ribs after letting them come up to room temperature. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Brown ribs on all sides until golden.
2. Layer in the crockpot. Add sliced onions and garlic, then place ribs on top. Pour in apple cider and vinegar. Sprinkle with brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook low and slow. Set to Low for 6–7 hours or High for 3–4 hours until ribs are fork-tender.
4. Add greens and chestnuts. In the last 30 minutes, stir in turnip or collard greens and chestnuts so they absorb the rich, smoky broth.
5. Serve. Spoon ribs, greens, and chestnut broth over creamy mashed potatoes or stone-ground grits.

💡 Test Kitchen Notes

The chestnuts lend a buttery sweetness that balances the savory ribs and earthy greens. You can use turnip, collards, kale or mustard greens depending on what’s in season. This dish freezes beautifully — making it perfect for meal prep or family gatherings.

I served this with Roasted Chestnut and Butternut Squash soup.

Recipe developed by Melanie Jones, Chestnut Chef for the United Chestnuts Test Kitchen.

Please consider contributing to the chestnut cooking conversation on the United Chestnuts Community Facebook Group!

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