Post by BBQ Butcher on Nov 28, 2007 10:12:54 GMT -5
There is no denying it…..we are well into Holiday Season 2007!!!
Every one has had their fair share of turkey (maybe ham) and all the goodies that go with it, not to mention all the leftovers and sweet desserts. “Black Friday” shopping is over, only to lead to “Cyber Monday” shopping and now the blast of Christmas carols are in the air!
Soon we’ll be heading to the office party (his and hers), the neighbor’s gathering, the get together at corner watering hole. Or maybe you’ll be hosting your own party? And I’m not even including the New Years Eve party!!
Yeah, we’ll gain a few pounds from all the food and drink, that’s for sure. Unless you have the will power of a Pit Bull, you’ll be eating the same old mundane party food of ham & cream cheese rollups, smoky sausages in a grape barbecue sauce, spinach dip w/crackers or chips, meat, cheese and/or fruit platters, some soggy water logged shrimp with a commercial cocktail sauce, blah deviled eggs, sausage and cheese stacked on stale crackers……I digress before I give myself indigestion!
Stop the insanity; you don’t have to suffer through all that! With a little imagination and a few tips from me, you can set your appetizers apart from the rest of the crowd.
The following recipes will take a little preparation and can be prepared on your grill or in your oven/broiler at home. As in most of my recipes, please feel free to adjust the ingredient amounts and cooking times to your liking and preferences.
ABT’s are one of the most unique foods you will find cooked on the grill. Short for Atomic Buffalo Turds, ABT’s are jalapeno peppers that have been cored and stuffed before being wrapped in bacon and grilled/baked. Most folks use a cream cheese based filling composed of a variety of meats, cheeses or BBQ rubs. The possibilities are endless and ABT’s can easily be tailored to your personal taste. You could even substitute small zucchini squash for the jalapenos, if your taste leans toward the mild side.
There are a couple of things I have learned that make the preparation a snap. First off, buy large peppers, they are easier to core and have thicker rinds. I cut the stem end off and use a potato peeler or a grapefruit spoon to remove the seeds and shave the inside of the pepper. This is quick and efficient, hardly ever damaging the outer skin. Tip: the seeds and membrane of the pepper is where most of the ‘heat’ comes from. Softening the cream cheese, then blending the rest of the ingredients in with a fork helps in getting consistent flavor throughout and makes them easy to stuff. Always use the cheap stretchy bacon as it forms a cast around the finished product, holding in the melted cheese in the filling. I also find that partially pre-cooking the bacon in the microwave helps to prevent any grease flare ups. Using a drip pan with some water is another good idea.
Standard ABT*
8 large jalapeno peppers (cored)
4 oz cream cheese
2 oz chopped pork, beef etc.
1 tsp BBQ rub
8 slices bacon
Blend the cream cheese, chopped meat and rub well. Stuff the cored peppers with this mix, wrap tightly with one slice of bacon, then secure with a toothpick. Grill on a raised rack for 30-45 minutes or until bacon is done. In your oven, 375° will work.
Sausage Lovers ABT*
8 large jalapeno peppers (cored)
8 Lil’ Smokies (small smoked sausages)
1 TBS BBQ rub
8 slices bacon
Sprinkle some bbq rub into each pepper. Insert one of the sausages, wrap the peppers tightly with one slice of bacon, secure with a toothpick. Grill on a raised rack for 30-45 minutes or until bacon is done. In your oven, 375° will work.
AAB’s MBT (Mild Buffalo Turds)*
2 small zucchini
4 slices ham
4 oz cream cheese
1 TBS BBQ rub
4 slices bacon
Cut the zucchini lengthwise and dig out the pulp with a grapefruit (or other) spoon. Dust the inside of the zucchini with bbq rub and spread half of the cream cheese into the cavity. Layer on half of the ham, then spread the rest of the cream cheese onto that. Top it with the last of the ham, wrap each in 2 pieces of bacon. Cook over a drip pan to catch the drippings at 375°-400° for 45 minutes.
Other suggested items to use when stuffing your ABT’s
Shrimp
Cheddar Cheese
Onion
Leftover Pulled pork or beef
Leftover Brisket
Chicken
Crab meat
Salmon
Olives
Mushroom pieces
BBQ Water Chestnuts*
2 cans water chestnuts drained and cut in half
1/4 lb bacon
Wrap water chestnuts in 1/3 slice of bacon each, secure with toothpicks.
Sauce:
1 bottle commercial chili sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
Mix chili sauce and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved; drizzle over chestnuts.
Cook on a raised grid at 350° for 15 to 20 min, or until bacon is done.
Clam Stuffed Mushrooms*
20 large fresh mushrooms, stems removed (chop for later use)
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 TBS each of chopped green pepper, onion, butter, and pimento
1 tsp instant chicken bullion
1 can minced clams, drained
2 TBS finely crushed cracker crumbs
melted butter
Brush caps with melted butter. Brown the celery, pepper, onion,
mushroom stems, pimento and bullion in the 2Tbs butter for 5 min; add
remaining ingredients and remove from heat.
Spoon mixture into caps; cook direct on a raised grid at 375°for 10 min.
This is a slight twist on the old favorite, Deviled Eggs. Not overly smoky, but you know it’s there.
After boiling and peeling the eggs, I’ll take a few to the cooker/smoker. For a dozen eggs, I’ll smoke three...for 18, smoke 4-5 and for two dozen, six, etc.
Smoke for an hour at 225° with some pecan and maple wood (or your choice). I’ve also coated the eggs with olive oil and some bbq rub.
Split ALL the ‘un-smoked’ hard boiled eggs and put the yolks into a bowl. Finely chop up completely the whole ‘smoked’ eggs, yolks and whites, and mix in with the yolks from the other eggs.
Okay, now you can let your imagination run wild or you can follow Grandma’s recipe, whatever you like. For this recipe, I have mixed in some bbq rub, garlic powder, pepper, chili powder, sweet pickle relish, horseradish, Ranch dressing, mayonnaise and some hot sauce.
After stuffing the eggs I dusted the tops with some Smoked Paprika.
These make great appetizers, snacks, etc. Be warned though, if you take these to a party/gathering, you’d better make a double batch and some copies of the recipe to hand out.
Smoked Deviled Eggs
Texas Caviar
There are tons of recipes out there on the Internet for Texas Caviar. This ONE recipe that I’ve been making for years is based on my visit to the Big Texan Steak House in Amarillo back in the 90’s. Do not confuse it with their recipe, as I’ve changed it to fit my likes. All amounts are approximate and open to any interpretation.
3 15oz cans of Black Eyed Peas/beans
½ small red onion, chopped and diced thin
½ cup, + or -, canned jalapeno’s, chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic crushed
Ground black pepper to your taste
A few good drops of your favorite hot sauce
1/3 cup, + or -, zesty Italian dressing *
Drain the beans, add the rest of the ingredients except dressing. Stir well. Add dressing and stir until your desired consistency, adding more if you like. Let sit overnight. Stir and adjust your heat level, if needed. Serve with tortilla chips.
• Olive oil and red wine vinegar can be substituted here.
Another great appetizer for the grill is the Stuffed Portobello Mushroom. And, like the ABT’s, the ingredient possibilities are almost endless.
A couple of preparation tips are in order. Try to buy medium sized Porto’s, just enough for one person. Small one’s are fine and tender, but harder to work with while stuffing and cooking. The larger ones, unless you plan on serving one as whole meal, are just plain hard to work with. I remove the stem and save for later use in the stuffing or for soups and stews. I use a grapefruit spoon to scrape out the gills and then wipe out the cavity with a damp paper towel.
Crab/Bacon Stuffed Portobello’s*
1-8 oz pkg cream cheese (regular or reduced fat)
½ cup of Imitation Crab Meat (surimi)
¼ cup of cooked, crumbled bacon
Bbq seasoning of your choice
½ cup of shredded Mexican Four Cheese blend
Smoked paprika
4-5 medium size Portobello Mushrooms, gills removed
Combine the first four ingredients (except the mushrooms) and half of the shredded cheese. Spread out the mixture between the prepared Porto’s and smooth out with a spoon. Cook indirect at 350° for approximately 15-20 minutes or until stuffing is warm. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and smoked paprika. Finish cooking until cheese has melted.
* if you are going to make these recipes in your oven, may I suggest that you use a cookie sheet with sides, some water in the bottom and use a baking rack over the cookie sheet. This prevents food drippings from getting on your oven elements and also to prevent flare ups from the bacon grease.
Enjoy your holiday!
Every one has had their fair share of turkey (maybe ham) and all the goodies that go with it, not to mention all the leftovers and sweet desserts. “Black Friday” shopping is over, only to lead to “Cyber Monday” shopping and now the blast of Christmas carols are in the air!
Soon we’ll be heading to the office party (his and hers), the neighbor’s gathering, the get together at corner watering hole. Or maybe you’ll be hosting your own party? And I’m not even including the New Years Eve party!!
Yeah, we’ll gain a few pounds from all the food and drink, that’s for sure. Unless you have the will power of a Pit Bull, you’ll be eating the same old mundane party food of ham & cream cheese rollups, smoky sausages in a grape barbecue sauce, spinach dip w/crackers or chips, meat, cheese and/or fruit platters, some soggy water logged shrimp with a commercial cocktail sauce, blah deviled eggs, sausage and cheese stacked on stale crackers……I digress before I give myself indigestion!
Stop the insanity; you don’t have to suffer through all that! With a little imagination and a few tips from me, you can set your appetizers apart from the rest of the crowd.
The following recipes will take a little preparation and can be prepared on your grill or in your oven/broiler at home. As in most of my recipes, please feel free to adjust the ingredient amounts and cooking times to your liking and preferences.
ABT’s are one of the most unique foods you will find cooked on the grill. Short for Atomic Buffalo Turds, ABT’s are jalapeno peppers that have been cored and stuffed before being wrapped in bacon and grilled/baked. Most folks use a cream cheese based filling composed of a variety of meats, cheeses or BBQ rubs. The possibilities are endless and ABT’s can easily be tailored to your personal taste. You could even substitute small zucchini squash for the jalapenos, if your taste leans toward the mild side.
There are a couple of things I have learned that make the preparation a snap. First off, buy large peppers, they are easier to core and have thicker rinds. I cut the stem end off and use a potato peeler or a grapefruit spoon to remove the seeds and shave the inside of the pepper. This is quick and efficient, hardly ever damaging the outer skin. Tip: the seeds and membrane of the pepper is where most of the ‘heat’ comes from. Softening the cream cheese, then blending the rest of the ingredients in with a fork helps in getting consistent flavor throughout and makes them easy to stuff. Always use the cheap stretchy bacon as it forms a cast around the finished product, holding in the melted cheese in the filling. I also find that partially pre-cooking the bacon in the microwave helps to prevent any grease flare ups. Using a drip pan with some water is another good idea.
Standard ABT*
8 large jalapeno peppers (cored)
4 oz cream cheese
2 oz chopped pork, beef etc.
1 tsp BBQ rub
8 slices bacon
Blend the cream cheese, chopped meat and rub well. Stuff the cored peppers with this mix, wrap tightly with one slice of bacon, then secure with a toothpick. Grill on a raised rack for 30-45 minutes or until bacon is done. In your oven, 375° will work.
Sausage Lovers ABT*
8 large jalapeno peppers (cored)
8 Lil’ Smokies (small smoked sausages)
1 TBS BBQ rub
8 slices bacon
Sprinkle some bbq rub into each pepper. Insert one of the sausages, wrap the peppers tightly with one slice of bacon, secure with a toothpick. Grill on a raised rack for 30-45 minutes or until bacon is done. In your oven, 375° will work.
AAB’s MBT (Mild Buffalo Turds)*
2 small zucchini
4 slices ham
4 oz cream cheese
1 TBS BBQ rub
4 slices bacon
Cut the zucchini lengthwise and dig out the pulp with a grapefruit (or other) spoon. Dust the inside of the zucchini with bbq rub and spread half of the cream cheese into the cavity. Layer on half of the ham, then spread the rest of the cream cheese onto that. Top it with the last of the ham, wrap each in 2 pieces of bacon. Cook over a drip pan to catch the drippings at 375°-400° for 45 minutes.
Other suggested items to use when stuffing your ABT’s
Shrimp
Cheddar Cheese
Onion
Leftover Pulled pork or beef
Leftover Brisket
Chicken
Crab meat
Salmon
Olives
Mushroom pieces
BBQ Water Chestnuts*
2 cans water chestnuts drained and cut in half
1/4 lb bacon
Wrap water chestnuts in 1/3 slice of bacon each, secure with toothpicks.
Sauce:
1 bottle commercial chili sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
Mix chili sauce and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved; drizzle over chestnuts.
Cook on a raised grid at 350° for 15 to 20 min, or until bacon is done.
Clam Stuffed Mushrooms*
20 large fresh mushrooms, stems removed (chop for later use)
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 TBS each of chopped green pepper, onion, butter, and pimento
1 tsp instant chicken bullion
1 can minced clams, drained
2 TBS finely crushed cracker crumbs
melted butter
Brush caps with melted butter. Brown the celery, pepper, onion,
mushroom stems, pimento and bullion in the 2Tbs butter for 5 min; add
remaining ingredients and remove from heat.
Spoon mixture into caps; cook direct on a raised grid at 375°for 10 min.
This is a slight twist on the old favorite, Deviled Eggs. Not overly smoky, but you know it’s there.
After boiling and peeling the eggs, I’ll take a few to the cooker/smoker. For a dozen eggs, I’ll smoke three...for 18, smoke 4-5 and for two dozen, six, etc.
Smoke for an hour at 225° with some pecan and maple wood (or your choice). I’ve also coated the eggs with olive oil and some bbq rub.
Split ALL the ‘un-smoked’ hard boiled eggs and put the yolks into a bowl. Finely chop up completely the whole ‘smoked’ eggs, yolks and whites, and mix in with the yolks from the other eggs.
Okay, now you can let your imagination run wild or you can follow Grandma’s recipe, whatever you like. For this recipe, I have mixed in some bbq rub, garlic powder, pepper, chili powder, sweet pickle relish, horseradish, Ranch dressing, mayonnaise and some hot sauce.
After stuffing the eggs I dusted the tops with some Smoked Paprika.
These make great appetizers, snacks, etc. Be warned though, if you take these to a party/gathering, you’d better make a double batch and some copies of the recipe to hand out.
Smoked Deviled Eggs
Texas Caviar
There are tons of recipes out there on the Internet for Texas Caviar. This ONE recipe that I’ve been making for years is based on my visit to the Big Texan Steak House in Amarillo back in the 90’s. Do not confuse it with their recipe, as I’ve changed it to fit my likes. All amounts are approximate and open to any interpretation.
3 15oz cans of Black Eyed Peas/beans
½ small red onion, chopped and diced thin
½ cup, + or -, canned jalapeno’s, chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic crushed
Ground black pepper to your taste
A few good drops of your favorite hot sauce
1/3 cup, + or -, zesty Italian dressing *
Drain the beans, add the rest of the ingredients except dressing. Stir well. Add dressing and stir until your desired consistency, adding more if you like. Let sit overnight. Stir and adjust your heat level, if needed. Serve with tortilla chips.
• Olive oil and red wine vinegar can be substituted here.
Another great appetizer for the grill is the Stuffed Portobello Mushroom. And, like the ABT’s, the ingredient possibilities are almost endless.
A couple of preparation tips are in order. Try to buy medium sized Porto’s, just enough for one person. Small one’s are fine and tender, but harder to work with while stuffing and cooking. The larger ones, unless you plan on serving one as whole meal, are just plain hard to work with. I remove the stem and save for later use in the stuffing or for soups and stews. I use a grapefruit spoon to scrape out the gills and then wipe out the cavity with a damp paper towel.
Crab/Bacon Stuffed Portobello’s*
1-8 oz pkg cream cheese (regular or reduced fat)
½ cup of Imitation Crab Meat (surimi)
¼ cup of cooked, crumbled bacon
Bbq seasoning of your choice
½ cup of shredded Mexican Four Cheese blend
Smoked paprika
4-5 medium size Portobello Mushrooms, gills removed
Combine the first four ingredients (except the mushrooms) and half of the shredded cheese. Spread out the mixture between the prepared Porto’s and smooth out with a spoon. Cook indirect at 350° for approximately 15-20 minutes or until stuffing is warm. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and smoked paprika. Finish cooking until cheese has melted.
* if you are going to make these recipes in your oven, may I suggest that you use a cookie sheet with sides, some water in the bottom and use a baking rack over the cookie sheet. This prevents food drippings from getting on your oven elements and also to prevent flare ups from the bacon grease.
Enjoy your holiday!