07/07/2023
BBQ poppers
These can be made with any smoked meat. Here at laughing rabbit we only fire up the smoker when we can fill it so we always have smoked meats in vacuum pacs ready to go for any recipe. I rarely use measurements when making these so it's a general guideline.... Like most recipes are.
1lbs of smoked meat
( pulled pork, ribs, or brisket hold more of a mouth feel than chicken and if using chicken you will want a little more sauce than the others)
1/2lbs of cheese shredded (chedder is my goto but playing with the mix is half the fun. Also, get a block and shred it yourself as bagged shred has flour and additives you don't want)
2 blocks of cream cheese, room temp
A BBQ sauce of your preference, I mainly use stubbs
15 or so jalapeños
2 tbs fajita seasoning
2tbs garlic powder
2tbs black pepper
1tbs salt
2 pack of cheap bacon, 12 oz is about 15 slices
Heat oven to 425. Place cheese, cream cheese, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of barbque sauce, and dry spices in large bowl and using your hands ( gloves are very helpful here) mix ingredients thoroughly. You want to use enough bbq sauce that the mix is moist but not sopping wet. Chop the meat and mix in. You'll have a fine mix when your done depending on how course you chopped the meat, I prefer fine. Take the jalapeños and cut jaut the stem part away, cut in half. When deseeding, cut across the top leaving a part of the pith so that the filling won't flow out and remove the rest of the seeds and pith.
A note on bacon. Thin is your friend here. I usually buy the hill country brand for these as it's cheap and thin, but basicly the cheap bacon in a box is the ones ya want.
Fill jalapeño with enough mix to fill and be mounded up, I usually pull up 3finger tips and use that. Wrap with a piece of bacon from top to bottom. Place on baking sheet. Do yourself a favor and spray with Pam first or parchment paper if your fancy, I ain't fancy. Once all are wrapped place in oven on middle rack for 20 minutes. At 20 min pull out and brush with bbq sauce that was previously used. Place back in oven for another 20 min. Enjoy.