Smoked Jalapeno Bombs

Why call them Jalapeno Bombs?  Well, they have more kick than Jalapeno Poppers since there is no cheese to mitigate the heat and I figure that will get the attention of the folks at NSA and they need recipes also.  OK, so it's mostly because they have more kick than a popper.

The beauty of mine is that I grow the peppers and they are hotter than most store bought peppers and I make the hot Italian sausage that goes in them.  For this application I still buy commercially prepared bacon.  These also reheat well so I make quite a few.

Jalapeno Bombs with Tomato Pie

These Jalapeno Bombs pair well with mac & cheese, french fries, onion rings, and we even had them with tomato pie.  They have also been the side dish for smoked ribs on occasion.  They are even good just by themselves with a bit of crusty bread.

Jalapeno Bombs with Beer Battered Onion Rings

Jalapeno Bombs with 3 Cheese Rigatoni and Cheese

For the hot Italian sausage, use which ever sausage you like best.  I make my own sausage.  I  have a couple of good recipes but as often as not I'll use a ready made seasoning mix from Butcher and Packer, http://www.butcher-packer.com/.  Butcher and Packer have just about everything you could want to processing meat or making sausage.  I get my natural casings from them as well as the seasoning mix and high melting temperature cheese so I can make smoked sausages with cheese.  While their mix has good flavor, I usually add some extra pepper flakes from peppers I've grown and dried.  You know, for that extra boost.

Usually, this will take about 16 Jalapenos since I'll use a whole package of my sausage and I pack it in 1 lb units.

Smoked Jalapeno Bombs

Jalapeno peppers
hot Italian sausage
bacon, thick sliced, cut in half

Slice the Jalapenos in half lengthwise.  Be sure to cut the stem in half as well.  Using a spoon, clean out the seeds and the ribs from the pepper halves.  Scoop a bit of sausage with the spoon and fill the pepper half so it is slightly rounded.  Wrap a piece of bacon around the pepper half.  Smoke for at least one hour in the smoke of your choice.  Enjoy.

Notes:  If your skin is sensitive to the capsaicin be sure to wear gloves and avoid touching your eyes or face.  The heat of a pepper is primarily in the seeds and ribs.  If you want a bit more heat, like I do, just leave a bit of the rib in the pepper.

If you start your bacon wrap with the end just hanging over the side of the pepper half, it should wrap around to overhang at the front and not require a toothpick to keep it on. If you want more bacon or have longer peppers then use the whole slice of bacon.

Jalapenos fresh from the garden

A work in progress

Jalapeno Bombs fresh from the smoker

Jalapeno Bombs with Fried Okra and Parmesan Roasted Smashed Potatoes

As you can see, these Jalapeno Bombs are a versatile dish.  They are a regular feature at our house during the summer while our Jalapeno plants are producing.  I hope you give these a try.  You'll not be disappointed.

Uncle T