Classic barbecue appetizers… large jalapeño chiles stuffed with almost anything you want and then wrapped in bacon and smoked. Hundreds of variations exist from recipes using cocktail sausages to those using pulled pork, barbecue beef or shrimp. Some folks stuff whole, seeded jalapeños while others slice the chiles lengthwise. Sometimes the chiles are smoked, other times they are grilled. About the only constant is the jalapeño is wrapped with bacon. (If habaneros are used instead of jalapeños, the treat is known as an Atomic Dragon Turd.) Here’s my version of ABTs…
12 large jalapeño chiles
1 pound hickory smoked bacon
1 cup pulled pork, finely chopped
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
BBQ rub (your favorite or home-made)
Toothpicks
Half fill a 2 1/2-quart saucepan with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Blanch the bacon for a couple of minutes and drain on a cooling rack.
Combine the cream cheese with the ancho powder, paprika, cayenne and Old Bay. Set the cheese aside. (If the cream cheese is not soft enough to mix, heat it in a microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.)
Wash the jalapeños and pat dry. Wearing gloves cut off the stem end of the chile and remove the seeds and veins using a grapefruit spoon or coring tool. Set the jalapenos in an ABT rack or cut large holes in an aluminum pie plate to hold the chiles upright. If you use a pie plate, you’ll want to put it on a half sheet pan for stability. Stuff the chiles 3/4 full with pulled pork. Top with the reserved cream cheese.
Dust the bacon with BBQ rub and wrap each chile with a strip of bacon. Secure the bacon with toothpicks.
Prepare the smoker for 225 degree F. cooking using your favorite wood (I like to use apple and maple). Place the chiles in the smoker and cook for one to 1 1/2 hours or until the bacon is slightly crisp. (The chiles could also be cooked on the warming rack of a 350 degrees F. propane grill for about 20 minutes.)
Allow the chiles to cool briefly (the cream cheese will be hot). Serve warm with barbecue sauce.
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