A fantastic starter for a long, lazy day BBQ-ing with friends. Just make sure your friends like it spicy! Makes 24 poppers.
Ingredients:
For the dry rub:
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
For the stuffed poppers:
- 200 grams ribeye steak
- salt and pepper
- vegetable oil
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 150 grams cream cheese
- 60 grams finely grated cheese (gouda or cheddar)
- 12 jalapeno peppers
- 24 thin slices of bacon
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rub together and set aside.
- Season steak with salt and pepper
- Sear steak on high heat in oil for 1 min on each side – then set aside to rest
- Chop the onion and garlic and fry in the same pan until soft
- Slice the steak into 24 strips and place into pan with onions and garlic (off the heat) and set aside
- Mix the cream cheese and grated cheese in a bowl and set aside
- Cut each jalapeno in half and de-seed (use gloves!)
- Spoon cream cheese filling into each pepper half
- Top with a slice of steak and some onions
- Wrap each filled pepper slice with a slice of bacon, using a toothpick to secure if necessary
- Refrigerate for at least an hour
- Just before cooking, sprinkle dry rub onto each popper
- Heat BBQ to 150 degrees C with coals off to one side
- Add pecan wood chips to coals and place poppers on grill opposite the coals
- Cover with BBQ lid, with the vent over the poppers to draw the smoke across them
- Cook for about 1 hour
