Personal variation on ABTs

[Old_Sarge]

I've been making smoked, stuffed peppers for a while, but it wasn't until I joined this board that I heard the appellation "Atomic Buffalo Turds". I make something similar, but in the spirit of the Bradley forum I'll call 'em "Atomic Baby Buffalo Turds", or ABBTs, because I use yellow peppers and I have a juvenile sense of humor. My family doesn't like spicy food to the extent that I do, which is weird because I'm of Scottish descent and my wife's Mexican. Be that as it may, I got tired of being the only one eating the ABTs while my wife and kids watched and made bets on how many ABTs I could scarf down before they had to call 911.

The basic recipe is very similar to y'alls ABT:

   * 6 medium to large Santa Fe Grande yellow peppers (at 500-700 Scovilles, a bit milder than the standard green Jalapeno)
   * 1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
   * 1 pack uncooked thin sliced bacon
   * 1/4 lb. cooked meat (I always freeze a small portion of brisket or butt and reserve it for ABBT filling)
   * 1 Tbsp. of your favorite rub
   * toothpicks
   * small bamboo skewers

Rather than splitting the peppers and filling each half separately, I cut off and save the caps and core the peppers, leaving them whole.

Note: keep track of which caps go to which peppers unless you like to play silly puzzle games while you're cooking.

I finely chop the bbq and mix it with the cream cheese into a coarse pate (pah-TAY; I don't know how to make the little skidmark over the E to indicate French pronunciation, sorry). I then shovel the mixture into each pepper and re-attach the cap by stabbing a toothpick diagonally down through one side of the cap and out the far side of the pepper. Sometimes it takes two toothpicks to secure the cap. I then wrap the bacon around the pepper (the protruding toothpick tip makes a dandy anchor point for the end of the bacon strip) and skewer them, two each, on a small bamboo skewer.

Note 2: If you have leftover filling, it tastes dandy on crackers.

Smoking time is the same as the ABT. I like to do 'em at about 250 so the bacon crisps nicely. I think they taste best using hickory pucks, but your mileage may vary.

This recipe produces an equally-delicious but less-spicy appetizer that might appeal to a wider audience, but still packs enough heat to make you appreciate that ice cold beer sitting there at your elbow.

Edited to add photos:

ABBTs before:


And after...

[ronbeaux]

OK, See. I just learned another new tip. You can cook ABT's in my new OBS. So your saying 240 or so until done??

[Old_Sarge]

Yessir. If I'm using thin bacon, I usually get a smoking time of about 1h 45m. Sometimes I forget to buy thin-sliced bacon, and it'll go 2 hours or a little more.

Please bear in mind that I have only done ABBTs once so far in the Bradley; most of my experience with these babies has been on my old wood burner. At 250 with the vent fully open, though, they came out pretty darned good. Worst case scenario, you might have to drop 'em on the grill or in the oven to do a final crisp on the bacon.

[KevinG]

Thin sliced - you mean like the Oscar Mayer pre-packaged stuff or do you need to get it cut special by a butcher?

[Tenpoint5]

Yes Ron you can do ABT's in the Bradley. I usually end up with a couple hours on mine sometimes more. But 2-3 is usually good. When I am cooking something else. The bacon cooks but isn't snap burnt crisp. I don't like my bacon like that anyhow. The bacon will crisp some but not all the way through. I use whatever bacon I have thick or thin it's all good.  Like this

[hal4uk]

Dang, TP - those look goooooooood...

Sarge - if ya wanna get "fancy" next time... (paté)
Depending on operating system - it's something like Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Character Map.
(you can snag all kinds of symbols / fancy letters)

[Old_Sarge]

10.5, those look mighty tasty. I don't mummify my peppers in bacon like that, but I'm going to have to try it next time!

[ronbeaux]

Well alrighty then! I'm on it like a rat on a Cheeto!

[Tenpoint5]

10.5, those look mighty tasty. I don't mummify my peppers in bacon like that, but I'm going to have to try it next time!

Can NEVER have too much bacon!! It's the crack cocaine of the food world!!!!

[Mr Walleye]

Well alrighty then! I'm on it like a rat on a Cheeto!

or... Like a PO'ed wife on a Tiger "Cheeta"!

:D  :D  :D  :D  ;D

Mike

[rdevous]

 
10.5..........What are those two items along the right side in the picture?  Especially the top right corner?

....OK he's distracted....everyone grab one quick!!!


Ray

[ArnieM]

Looks good Sarge and 10.5.  I do mummify mine.  Each gets a strip of (prepackaged) bacon and a toothpick.  I've used both thick and thin sliced bacon and yeah, the thick does take a little longer.  But, if at room temp, it stretches out pretty nicely.  Sometimes the thin gets a little too thin.

I don't use the caps.  I use ham or whatever is handy to "plug up" the tops so the cheese doesn't escape.  But I have my Jal rack now so I can stand 'em up like good soldiers  :D

There was a tip a while back from, sorry can't remember.  Maybe Habs, 10.5, pens ...  Throw (or place) the cored peppers into lightly salted boiling water for a minute or so.  Drain and run under cold water.  (Par boil).)  It may take a bit of the heat out and softens them some unless you really like crunchy peppers.

I've made the same basic recipe with habaneros for my in-laws.  They don't come over too often anymore  ;D ;D ;D

[hal4uk]

No wonder you were so "giddy" when you wuz a plantin' that habanero patch...

[seemore]

Sarge, those look great.
I guess I am like your wife and kids;  I think I would like the yellow peppers more than the jalapenos too.
Mrs.