# Crispy ABT's?



## downstatesmoker (Oct 7, 2009)

Does anyone know of a method to get the Jalapeno's to retain their crunch while making ABT's?  It's been my only disappointment with these wonderful creations.  I like to have a good crunch when I bite into a stuffed jalapeno.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

-Chris


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## jdsmith (Oct 7, 2009)

How about smoking the bacon and cheese on their own, and then putting it all in/on a fresh uncooked pepper?  If you really want the fresh crunch, maybe that would be the way to go???

Just a thought.


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## pignit (Oct 7, 2009)

The longer you smoke them.. the less crunch your gonna get. I get a lot more crunch out of the ones I cook on the gas grill with indirect heat. You can get the bacon crunchy and the inside hot while keeping the crunch in the pepper. The longer you cook em.... the softer they get.


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## rodbuilder (Oct 7, 2009)

I nuke my bacon about 1/2 way cooked first and then smoke for about an hour at 230...  Bacon if cooked and pepper still crunchy...


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## chisoxjim (Oct 7, 2009)

When I wrap my ABT's with thinly sliced capicola, the pepper retains its crunch as the capicola crisps up really quick.  ABT's will take a little over an hour this way vs the 2+ hours it takes for my bacon wrapped ones.


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## downstatesmoker (Oct 7, 2009)

About how long does that take?  Nuking bacon 1/2 way that is.


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## mballi3011 (Oct 7, 2009)

I would morcowave the bacon about 1:30 minutes and then wrap the jalapeno with it then smoke it at about 230 for maybe 1 1/2 hour and see what happens. That should give youa crispier for you.


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## richoso1 (Oct 7, 2009)

That'd been my experience also.


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## rodbuilder (Oct 8, 2009)

When I nuke my bacon I use a large paper plate with paper towles in between layers.  I do 2 layers at a time and nuke for 1 1/2 minutes...  I use thick cut bacon from costco...  Hope this helps...


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## workoutchamp (Oct 8, 2009)

I'm a smokin' foo (like most of us here I assume), but our experience has been ABTs come out best in the oven at 300 and convection.

If you want smoke, do chips or pellets in a foil bag with some holes punched in and put it near the heat source.

Everyone likes something different, but try the oven, I think you'll like the results.


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## downstatesmoker (Oct 8, 2009)

Thanx for all the suggestions.  Next time I make ABT's I'll let you know what I tried and how they came out.


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## scarbelly (Oct 8, 2009)

In my Albertsons market they have a thin bacon that I use for ABT's - it cooks quickly and the ABT's are still crunchy


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## jnstrom (Nov 23, 2009)

I put them in the smoker at 310-315. I know it is not officially smoking but it still gets the smoke flavor. I also make sure they are straight on the grill with no foil underneth them (water pan on the bottom). It takes about 1 to 1.5 hours anyway and comes out crispy.


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## hoser (Nov 24, 2009)

you could also make your own buckboard bacon...slice it nice and thin and wrap in that. Buckboard cooks up very fast...I'm sure you'd still have a good crunch.


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## BandCollector (Nov 24, 2009)

In the oven?  Won't that set off the smoke alarms? lol

Take care,  John


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## pignit (Nov 24, 2009)

Another trick to crispin the bacon up is to put a few toothpicks in the japs in the corners and a couple in the middle of the rack and lay a piece of foil folded into a square large enough to cover the rack of japs. The toothpicks hold the foil off the japs and hold more heat to crisp the outside up. It actually works. In conjunction with these other ideas.... might get the results your wantin.


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## fire it up (Nov 24, 2009)

I nuke mine on 50% power for 20-30 seconds, check then keep going until they are half cooked.


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## cppbrian (Dec 2, 2009)

As others have said, when I cook my ABT's over the grill on a high heat they retain the crunch like a fresh jalapeno. I personally like the softer cooked pepper taste. When I bite into a crunchy pepper ABT the hot filling likes to squirt out.  With a softer pepper it seems to be cleaner to eat.
They also stay crispy when cooked over the campfire.  I take one of those hot dog racks that folds over (something like this, not the exact one I have http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index....ROD&ProdID=430)  
And I put the ABT's in the rack and hold it over the fire to cook it.


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## sescoyote (Dec 10, 2009)

Also remember that the longer they cook the less of a kick you get with your japs.   The crunchier they are the hotter they will be.   I mean, the Better they will be.


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## scpatterson (Dec 10, 2009)

I throw the heat to mine at the end and they are good and crunchy...1 Thing is not o over lap the bacon a bunch. I use 1 layer and just do over lap the edges


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## downstatesmoker (Oct 7, 2009)

Does anyone know of a method to get the Jalapeno's to retain their crunch while making ABT's?  It's been my only disappointment with these wonderful creations.  I like to have a good crunch when I bite into a stuffed jalapeno.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

-Chris


----------



## jdsmith (Oct 7, 2009)

How about smoking the bacon and cheese on their own, and then putting it all in/on a fresh uncooked pepper?  If you really want the fresh crunch, maybe that would be the way to go???

Just a thought.


----------



## pignit (Oct 7, 2009)

The longer you smoke them.. the less crunch your gonna get. I get a lot more crunch out of the ones I cook on the gas grill with indirect heat. You can get the bacon crunchy and the inside hot while keeping the crunch in the pepper. The longer you cook em.... the softer they get.


----------



## rodbuilder (Oct 7, 2009)

I nuke my bacon about 1/2 way cooked first and then smoke for about an hour at 230...  Bacon if cooked and pepper still crunchy...


----------



## chisoxjim (Oct 7, 2009)

When I wrap my ABT's with thinly sliced capicola, the pepper retains its crunch as the capicola crisps up really quick.  ABT's will take a little over an hour this way vs the 2+ hours it takes for my bacon wrapped ones.


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## downstatesmoker (Oct 7, 2009)

About how long does that take?  Nuking bacon 1/2 way that is.


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## mballi3011 (Oct 7, 2009)

I would morcowave the bacon about 1:30 minutes and then wrap the jalapeno with it then smoke it at about 230 for maybe 1 1/2 hour and see what happens. That should give youa crispier for you.


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## richoso1 (Oct 7, 2009)

That'd been my experience also.


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## rodbuilder (Oct 8, 2009)

When I nuke my bacon I use a large paper plate with paper towles in between layers.  I do 2 layers at a time and nuke for 1 1/2 minutes...  I use thick cut bacon from costco...  Hope this helps...


----------



## workoutchamp (Oct 8, 2009)

I'm a smokin' foo (like most of us here I assume), but our experience has been ABTs come out best in the oven at 300 and convection.

If you want smoke, do chips or pellets in a foil bag with some holes punched in and put it near the heat source.

Everyone likes something different, but try the oven, I think you'll like the results.


----------



## downstatesmoker (Oct 8, 2009)

Thanx for all the suggestions.  Next time I make ABT's I'll let you know what I tried and how they came out.


----------



## scarbelly (Oct 8, 2009)

In my Albertsons market they have a thin bacon that I use for ABT's - it cooks quickly and the ABT's are still crunchy


----------



## jnstrom (Nov 23, 2009)

I put them in the smoker at 310-315. I know it is not officially smoking but it still gets the smoke flavor. I also make sure they are straight on the grill with no foil underneth them (water pan on the bottom). It takes about 1 to 1.5 hours anyway and comes out crispy.


----------



## hoser (Nov 24, 2009)

you could also make your own buckboard bacon...slice it nice and thin and wrap in that. Buckboard cooks up very fast...I'm sure you'd still have a good crunch.


----------



## BandCollector (Nov 24, 2009)

In the oven?  Won't that set off the smoke alarms? lol

Take care,  John


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## pignit (Nov 24, 2009)

Another trick to crispin the bacon up is to put a few toothpicks in the japs in the corners and a couple in the middle of the rack and lay a piece of foil folded into a square large enough to cover the rack of japs. The toothpicks hold the foil off the japs and hold more heat to crisp the outside up. It actually works. In conjunction with these other ideas.... might get the results your wantin.


----------



## fire it up (Nov 24, 2009)

I nuke mine on 50% power for 20-30 seconds, check then keep going until they are half cooked.


----------



## cppbrian (Dec 2, 2009)

As others have said, when I cook my ABT's over the grill on a high heat they retain the crunch like a fresh jalapeno. I personally like the softer cooked pepper taste. When I bite into a crunchy pepper ABT the hot filling likes to squirt out.  With a softer pepper it seems to be cleaner to eat.
They also stay crispy when cooked over the campfire.  I take one of those hot dog racks that folds over (something like this, not the exact one I have http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index....ROD&ProdID=430)  
And I put the ABT's in the rack and hold it over the fire to cook it.


----------



## sescoyote (Dec 10, 2009)

Also remember that the longer they cook the less of a kick you get with your japs.   The crunchier they are the hotter they will be.   I mean, the Better they will be.


----------



## scpatterson (Dec 10, 2009)

I throw the heat to mine at the end and they are good and crunchy...1 Thing is not o over lap the bacon a bunch. I use 1 layer and just do over lap the edges


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