The Piedmont "Apple Peach" Cobbler
Chapter 5 — Drinks & Sweets
A twelve-inch cast-iron skillet sits on the rack. A patchwork crust browns. The peach juices bubble. If you have ever stood in the gravel parking lot at Lexington Barbecue breathing in the exhaust of the oak and hickory pits, you know the snap of the bark and the dust of Piedmont dirt—and you do not leave without ordering the cobbler. Mechanically, it is the most brilliant dessert a backyard pitmaster can make: as your pork shoulder rests in a cooler, you open the smoker vents, toss on a chunk of sweet applewood, and turn your pit into an outdoor wood-fired oven. Bake it in the residual heat, spoon the fruit into a bowl, and don't rush the first bite.
Before you start
Mix the flaky pastry dough
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together, then cut in the cold butter cubes until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Hydrate and chill the crust
Drizzle in the ice water a little at a time until the dough holds together, divide into two flat disks, and chill for at least 45 minutes. Freeze the second disk for your next barbecue.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour2 1/2 cup
- granulated sugar2 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- unsalted butter1 cup
- ice water1/2 cup
- fresh freestone peaches4 cup
- firm-sweet apples3 cup
- granulated sugar3/4 cup
- light brown sugar1/4 cup
- all-purpose flour2 tbsp
- fresh lemon juice1 tbsp
- ground cinnamon1 tsp
- ground nutmeg1/4 tsp
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- liquid smoke1/4 tsp
- large egg1 large
- coarse raw sugar2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Prepare the fruit filling
In a large bowl, toss the peaches, apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until the fruit is thoroughly coated and begins to release its juices.
- 02
Assemble the cobbler in cast iron
Pour the fruit mixture directly into a lightly buttered 10-inch or 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
- 03
Roll and drape the pastry
Roll your chilled dough disk to a 1/4-inch thickness, drape it over the fruit, and tuck the overhanging edges down inside the skillet walls to seal. Cut three or four slits in the center for steam.
- 04
Apply the wash and sugar
Brush the top of the pastry evenly with the beaten egg wash, then sprinkle generously with the coarse raw sugar.
- 05
Bake on the smoker during the meat's resting phase
With your pork shoulder resting in a cooler, open your smoker vents to hit 350F, add a small chunk of sweet applewood or pecan, and bake over indirect heat for 45 to 60 minutes until the fruit bubbles aggressively and the crust is shattered and golden.
- 06
Let the cobbler rest before serving
Remove the skillet from the heat and exercise patience, letting it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so the starches set into a rich, glossy syrup.
Notes
Embrace canned fruit in the off-season
In the dead of winter, do not apologize for substituting three 15-ounce cans of high-quality peaches in heavy syrup, drained. Legendary BBQ joints rely on canned fruit to maintain year-round consistency.
Wood selection matters
Applewood, pecan, or peach wood are ideal. Avoid hickory or mesquite for baking, as their pungent phenols will leave a bitter, acrid residue on the delicate pastry.
Nailing the indoor oven workaround
If baking indoors, mimic the ambient campfire edge by whisking exactly 1/4 teaspoon of high-quality liquid smoke into the lemon juice before adding it to the fruit. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack below the skillet to catch inevitable syrupy boilovers.
Charcoal kettle adjustments
If you used the snake method to smoke your meat, shake the ash out and light a half-chimney of fresh briquettes. Dump them heavily on one side to create a hot and cool zone, and bake the skillet on the cool side with the top and bottom vents fully open to hit 350F.
From Cook BBQ at Home.