1st attempt, Bummer

[nutt]

Well the first time I do anything it always takes me longer cuz trying to figure my way around how to do it best, and I just take my time with everything(generally no reason to hurry when I’m in my happy zone :-) point is these took me forever and the effort put into versus the mouth/tummy happiness did not equate. I mean I smoked a butt for 7 hours just to go into these! Anyways this is what I did:

jalapeños with Oaxaca and half brick of cream cheese and PP and 4 char’d poblanos(these had smoked Gouda and PP). Used a foolish amount of thick bacon and EVEN MORE tooth picks!! Holy smokes! Went a little nutt’s on that front. Smoked for 2 hours, chilled and then into the oven for I think 45 minutes?

I seasoned I THOUGHT with plenty of goodness but I guess not? Just was not an explosion of flavor. I think I just should have gone simple first time out the gate! Wife always says I complicate things too often. Also we don’t eat spicy food that often so I honestly didn’t know how much heat to add to the peppers.....
on to the proof or this was only a mildly negative dream?

The guys wanted the bacon darker even though I told them it was cooked and crispy so they went crazy with my torch.....but tasted fine so.

I will try again because obviously if we all gave up on the first attempt we wouldn’t be good at anything.

I look forward to your input and feedback.....Let it rip folks

 

[Steve H]

You can bump up the spices for the filling. I use cayenne. But with what you already had mixed in I would have been fine with the heat. But, I'm a bit whimpy in regards to that. Yeah, the bacon was a tab overboard. I use thin sliced bacon. If you want to use thick cut. Then you can precook it a bit first. Then wrap.

 

[chef jimmyj]

They don't look bad, at all. I use Half a Jalapeno,like a Boat. Easy to fill and a half strip Thin Bacon covers if not too full. I go simple with a stick of Ex-Sharp Cheddar. I smoke at 225 for an hour then crisp the bacon at 450 in the oven for a couple of minutes.
I think your choice of filling sounds good. If heat is not your thing, lots of stores carry bags of mixed color mini sweet Peppers. Not that different than Bell Peppers, sweeter, a similar length but just a bit wider than Jalapenos. A full slice of thin bacon is needed...JJ

 

[HalfSmoked]

As you said you learned from what you called your mistakes. We have all been down that road how do you think we learned. So try again and use the experience you have learned.

Warren

 

[Steve H]

Oh, I think these look good as they are. Sorry I didn't mention that.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Thanks for the like Dirty Nails it is greatly appreciated.

Warren

 

[nutt]

Thanks so much guys!! I cut about 1/4 of them into boats to see the difference, for sure faster to stuff and wrap. Ya I imagine the norm bacon would cut down on the grease, used lots of paper towels..til the wife came home and took the roll away and brought out “napkins”. Said we were not animals. LoL

Why did mine not turn into volcano’s? I Smoked @225

 

[HalfSmoked]

Thanks for the like nutt it is greatly appreciated.

Warren

 

[Steve H]

Why did mine not turn into volcano’s? I Smoked @225

You mean like these?

LOL! That usually happens when there was too much moisture left inside the jalapenos.

 

[bregent]

They look good to me. When I make my own bacon, I slice at least half of it extra thin that I can use for ABT's and Moinks. It's crisps up much easier than thick.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Thanks for the like JC in GB it is greatly appreciated.

Warren

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I used to core out and stuff the whole pepper, but like JJ I half them now. I remove all the seeds and pith. Sometimes I will add some of the seeds back into the filling. All depends on the heat of the peppers. I still wrap the bacon around the halves.

I use thin cut bacon, and I actually stretch it to make it thinner. Couple ways to accomplish the stretch. Method I like the best is to lay bacon on cutting board, hold one end and run the backside of a knife away from the end you're holding. Then I cut the slice in half. Use one half for each half of pepper.

As for fillings I'm all over the place with them. Usually depends on what I have on hand unless I have something special in mind. I like to use garlic and onion powders, paprika, chipotle. I have been known to add ranch dressing , french onion dip mix or even Old Bay. I always mix the filling and let it rest a hour or so (or even overnight) in the fridge then taste to see if it needs anything. I have found that if you really want the smoke flavor to shine use smoked proteins, smoked cheese and chipotle in your filling. Some of our favorite proteins to add are smoked salmon, cooked dungeness crab, cooked shrimp.

 

[thirdeye]

The filling takes a lot more BBQ rub than you think, and I warm the cream cheese in the micro so it incorporates better. I also do the boats and buy the really thin bacon.

 

[tridiot]

Agreed on more seasoning than you think, especially if you're going heavy on the cheeses. Cream cheese really REALLY mellows out the spices and the tangy flavor can overwhelm most everything else. I think go light on the cream cheese and heavier on the seasoning. They look great, but pictures can't show us texture and such, if the bacon was really thick it's hard to get crispy and they get chewy and not so appetizing.

It's a great first effort, but you will learn what YOU like. The way you had them probably plenty of people would love. I always have some kind of critique of whatever I do, when my family are all rolling their eyes and telling me I'm too picky, never happy, etc.

I like to go heavy on the spice, and again, if you're putting cheeses, especially cream cheese, inside, this goes double.

 

[bigfurmn]

Right or wrong is relative. Personally I would be asking for another. Those look good!

 

[bpopovitz]

They look great to me. I agree on the seasoning. I use my copycat recipe of Emerils essence, below. And I put about a tbsp Of that per 8 oz of cream cheese

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme