Need help with ABTs 1st timer

[JohnMcD348]

OK, I'm planning on making a few ABTs to try out the idea. I want to make a few with suasage, a few with Cream Cheese and a few with Chedder and a few with a combination.

I need to know if I should precook the sausage some before stuffing the Japs. I'm using regular Jimmy Dean type patty sausage to stuff with. I figure on smoking them for about 1-2 hours. I'm only doing 24 so I can experiment a little here and there.


Sorry for the short notice


JTMcD.

[mm_0_mm]

I definately precook any meat I stuff the japs with.

[JohnMcD348]

Thanks for the info. That's what I was figuring on. I'll precook the sausage and then I'll smoke'em till the bacon I cover'em with is done.

JTMcD.

[BBQ_MAFIA]

I never precook the meat.

So far all my ABTs have come out great this way.

[ZILLA]

Lots of the guys I know use left over frozen Q chopped up in the Chili's. Pulled pork, chopped brisket, chopped cooked frozen shrimp, just a mix of different cheese. Be creative. It will be great. I bet cream cheese and crumbled Cheetoes would be good.

[Jorge]

Originally Posted by JohnMcD348

OK, I'm planning on making a few ABTs to try out the idea. I want to make a few with suasage, a few with Cream Cheese and a few with Chedder and a few with a combination.

I need to know if I should precook the sausage some before stuffing the Japs. I'm using regular Jimmy Dean type patty sausage to stuff with. I figure on smoking them for about 1-2 hours. I'm only doing 24 so I can experiment a little here and there.


Sorry for the short notice


JTMcD.

And for the person that always claims that nothing is hot enough for them...a little chopped habanero Not that I'd do something like that myself....I'd get the better half to do it, and make sure the places the toothpick just so...for easy identification.

[JohnMcD348]

OK, here's how it went. I had 24 Japs and I stuffed some with only sausage, some with only Cream Cheese, Some with only Chedder Cheese and some with varying combinations of each. All were covered with regular bacon and a toothpick was placed through to hold them in place. I was using a 24 hole Jap cooker to hold them in place. I smoked them with my BSKD for about 1:30 give or take a few minutes at around 210-230*. Now that I have a wireless remote Therm, I am able to keep a closer more accurate eye on my temps. I used a combination of mainly Apple wood and a few chunks of Hickory for flavoring.
I took them out when my friends came over and the bacon appeared to be done, not crisp but done. We took some off the rack and they japs were still a bit crisp and quite "tangy"....Thank God for Bud Light and Yuengling( I think I found a new favorite beer). I went back to my BSKD and raked the coals off to the side near the vent and placed the rack onto the firebox grate for about 45 minutes. The temps inside the firebox were running around 330-350 for most of that time. When I took the rack off of the grilling surface, it was obvious that they were overdone. very droopy and some had slumped over and spilled their contents. The bottoms of most were black where they stuck through the rack and a very dark green above. They were still very "tangy", more so than I thought they would be after haing been cooked.
After sampling every combination of the peppers, I can say I was not overly impressed. Granted this was my first attempt and I consider it a learning experience. There was no real flavor found in any of them, except for the slight burn of the Jalapeno. This is where I think I went wrong.....
I used Jimmy Dean plain breakfast Sausage and it didn't really have enough spices to make it noticable. I used regular Philly Cream Cheese that would work better as a base for ingredients rather than as a main stuffing, and the Chedder that I used was regular Chedder. I probably should go with something like and Extra Sharp next time. I think next time I will smoke for awhile and then with a smaller caol fire, finish off in the grill area. Also, I don't think I cleaned the Jalapeno out well enough. I got out all the seeds and such but I may have left too much of the inner skin intact.
Well, I'll keep my notes and try something a little different and on a smaller scale next time.

JTMcD.

[kcquer]

JTMcD, try stuffing poblano peppers cut in half long ways (willkat calls them boats) if the jalapenos are too zingy for your tastes. I vastly prefer them and stuffing them is much simpler.

[sfisch]

I like mixing grated parmesean cheese & italian bread crumbs in with the cream cheese then stuffing them.

[VitaminQ]

My OL likes anaheims given the ABT treatment. I've gotten rave reviews from a mixture of cream cheese, shredded cheddar, finely chopped little smokies and a little worcestershire sauce as a stuffing. I also cut the tops off of japs and core/seed with a vegetable peeler, then fold the bacon over the top. Admittedly, that's a little harder with a long, skinny pepper like an anaheim or poblano.

[JohnMcD348]

Originally Posted by VitaminQ

My OL likes anaheims given the ABT treatment. I've gotten rave reviews from a mixture of cream cheese, shredded cheddar, finely chopped little smokies and a little worcestershire sauce as a stuffing. I also cut the tops off of japs and core/seed with a vegetable peeler, then fold the bacon over the top. Admittedly, that's a little harder with a long, skinny pepper like an anaheim or poblano.

I used a vegetable peeler on mine also. I guess I just didn't scrap the sides very well. I mainly just got the seeds out. I like the idea of mixing the stuffing together and even the worchestershire. I'll definitely try it next time. If I coudl figure out how to upload some pics I would.

JTMcD.

[cabo]

Ok, this is late, but you did say you were going to try again.

Most of these things I can’t take credit for, because Mecca (Long Island) is not only a great party, but it can also be a learning experience.



I usually cook ABT’s when I’m cooking something else, so cooking times, I’m not too sure about, but 2 hrs. is probably a minimum. I’ve never had the need to finish them off on the grill, or firebox grate. Temps (depending on what else I’m cooking) can very, from the 225 mark to 250 or more.

Coring the Japs can be a little tricky. There are several devices on the market that will make the job easier. I use a grapefruit knife. Depending on how much heat you want, getting the seeds out is paramount, but also the white, or light green meat that the seeds cling to retains a good bit of heat. I like tasty hot so I’m not that picky for myself. Did some for a friends party awhile back, and had a fireman, who claimed he loved hot food, dancing around the room. His wife called him a wus. I guess I got a little careless towards the end of the coring process.

Stuffing process can be made a little easier by nuking the stuffing just enough to soften it up for use in a pastry tube.
Good luck

[JohnMcD348]

Originally Posted by cabo

Ok, this is late, but you did say you were going to try again.

Most of these things I can’t take credit for, because Mecca (Long Island) is not only a great party, but it can also be a learning experience.



I usually cook ABT’s when I’m cooking something else, so cooking times, I’m not too sure about, but 2 hrs. is probably a minimum. I’ve never had the need to finish them off on the grill, or firebox grate. Temps (depending on what else I’m cooking) can very, from the 225 mark to 250 or more.

Coring the Japs can be a little tricky. There are several devices on the market that will make the job easier. I use a grapefruit knife. Depending on how much heat you want, getting the seeds out is paramount, but also the white, or light green meat that the seeds cling to retains a good bit of heat. I like tasty hot so I’m not that picky for myself. Did some for a friends party awhile back, and had a fireman, who claimed he loved hot food, dancing around the room. His wife called him a wus. I guess I got a little careless towards the end of the coring process.

Stuffing process can be made a little easier by nuking the stuffing just enough to soften it up for use in a pastry tube.
Good luck

Great info, thanks

JTMcD.

[VitaminQ]

Originally Posted by cabo

Stuffing process can be made a little easier by nuking the stuffing just enough to soften it up for use in a pastry tube.
Good luck

Good point, Cabo. Mine is usually soft enough after the cream cheese has been out for a while, plus the added worcestershire, that It's pretty flowable. I do the ziploc pastry bag mod.

[Kevin]

And some japs are just hotter than others. I clean my japs very well, and I have a high tolerance for heat. I put ground habs in my beans, but I did a batch of abt's last summer that just plain sucked. Way too much heat to even enjoy eating. Probably made em 25 or 30 times, and only that one batch was too hot so I attribute it to the peppers themselves.