Cult BBQ Food
I want to share something with you that I’ve discovered in practicing my recent obsession with true slow smokin’ BBQ. While at the end of the day, it’s all about the meat, any serious Q’er will tell you the appetizers and sides are just as important. If you’ve ever gorged on the Elvis platter (pictures below) from Memphis Blues BBQ on either Broadway or Commercial, you know what I’m talking about.
But the appetizer I’m about to share is not even a part of the Memphis Blues menu, it’s a cult favorite among backyard Q’ers and weekend warriors, an appetizer so unbelievably addicting it has been said that it is physically impossible to make enough of them no matter what size gathering you are hosting.
Now, don’t prepare yourself for something modern or revolutionary, fancy plating or exotic ingredients. You won’t find it here, what you will find however, are:
ABTs!
Now, stick with me for awhile on the name, I didn’t invent this, but ABT stands for:
Atomic.
Buffalo.
Turds.
I know, I know. Moving on, an ABT is, essentially, a jalapeno which has been cut in half and seeded, filled with cream cheese (Q’ers often add their own seasonings to the cream cheese mixture), then, a mini sausage is placed onto the cream cheese, and the entire thing is wrapped in bacon and smoked. I don’t know about you, but any sentence with both the words bacon AND smoke in it, I pay attention. Here is a full tutorial:
Start by halving and seeding the jalapenos:
They should look like this when you’re finished:
Fill the halves with cream cheese, and at this point you can mix anything you want with the mixture. Shredded cheddar cheese, cumin, paprika, brown sugar are all nice additions:
Place one mini sausage in the middle of the halved peppers:
Wrap the entire concoction in bacon and secure it with a toothpick:
Place them in a pre-heated smoker at 250F or a gas grill with wood chips and smoke slowly for approx 2 hours. In a pinch you CAN do these in the oven, but seriously, the smoke flavor really makes them what they are. When they come out, they should look like this:
Here is a delicious cross-section:
The slow cooking will also remove nearly all of the jalapeno’s heat, and they are just ridiculously delicious.
I may take some flack for this, as this is about as far away from quote unquote “gourmet” cooking as you can get, but let’s just relax a little bit, and realize that some of the best tasting food out there can come from backyards and homes, and not from over-priced over the top restaurants. Keep it simple!
July 24th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Are these legal???
Oh man, they look really awesome!
July 24th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
They very well may be illegal in several countries, now that I think of it.
But as far as I know we’re safe to enjoy them anywhere in North America….I hope!
July 27th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
I can honestly say that these are one of the greatest things I have ever tasted. Drew was nice enough to cater one of our management outings and dazzled everyone with this tasty concoction. It was amazing and highly recommend.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
im craving to eat that!
January 31st, 2009 at 3:54 pm
[...] We’ll start off with a tutorial for a recipe we posted on the Drew Cooks! food blog several months ago, and in my opinion this is the mecca of party food. The ultimate crowd pleaser: Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos, Smoked and Stuffed. [...]
March 28th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo
April 7th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Hi !
I am Piter Kokoniz. Just want to tell, that your posts are really interesting
And want to ask you: what was the reasson for you to start this blog?
Sorry for my bad english:)
Thank you!
Your Piter Kokoniz, from Latvia
May 5th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Enjoying reading your blog. Hard work always pays off.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:15 am
Hi, cool post. I have been wondering about this topic,so thanks for writing.
July 18th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
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regards
weber grill recipes
January 15th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Yo, been doing these for years too. With a slight twist. I smoke ‘em 1st @ 225* until they get limp. 30-40 minutes. Each pepper is a bit different. While that is going on, mix the room temp cream cheese with minced garlic, and some grated cheese, bacon bits, pulled pork etc. my favorite is x sharp cheddar. Set aside. Roll your favorite bulk sausage into a sheet between 2 layers of plastic wrap. I use a rolling pin rolled across 2 – 1/4″ wood dowels so the sausage is 1/4″ thick. Pull the peppers, let them cool off so you can handle them. Slice off the top and remove the seeds and the ribs inside the pepper with a potato peeler, the long skinny kind. Now stuff the peppers with the cream cheese mix. Then wrap the sausage around the pepper, sealing the ends and encasing the whole pepper. Back into the smoker, 225* for 30 minutes or so. Enjoy