Pit notes
Gloves on. Jalapeño oil burns. Wear gloves to halve and seed them, and keep your hands away from your eyes.
Heat dial. The white pith carries most of the heat. Scrape it all out for mild, or leave a little in for a kick.
Finishing dust. Pitmastery's tip: give the hot poppers one more light dusting of Buffalo Flava Dust just before serving.
Que Club Recipe · Starters & Share Plates
Smoked Buffalo Jalapeno Poppers
Creamy, cheesy, smoky and spicy, with Pitmastery Butter Boom and Buffalo Flava Dust bringing all the Buffalo-ranch vibes..
Ingredients
- 1 block (250 g) cream cheese
- ½ cup (50–60 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Pitmastery Butter Boom, for seasoning
- Pitmastery Buffalo Flava Dust, for seasoning
- 10–12 jalapeños
- 10–12 rashers of streaky bacon
- Ranch dressing, to serve
How to cook it
Smoke the cream cheese. Preheat your smoker to 135°C (275°F). Score the outside of the cream cheese in a crosshatch pattern and coat liberally with Pitmastery Butter Boom.
Place the cream cheese on a tray into the smoker and smoke for 1 hour, allowing it to take on plenty of smoky flavour.
Make the filling. Remove the cream cheese from the smoker and increase the smoker temperature to 150°C (300°F). While the cheese is still warm and soft, mix through the ½ cup of grated Parmesan until smooth and well combined.
Prepare the jalapeños. Slice the jalapeños lengthways and remove the seeds and pith. For a little extra heat, leave some of the pith behind.
Fill & wrap. Spoon the smoked cheese mixture into each jalapeño half, then wrap each popper with a rasher of bacon, securing with a toothpick if needed.
Season & smoke. Sprinkle the outside generously with Pitmastery Buffalo Flava Dust. Place the poppers into the smoker and cook at 150°C (300°F) until the jalapeños are tender and the bacon is fully rendered and crispy, approximately 30–45 minutes depending on the bacon and smoker.
Serve. Serve hot with extra ranch dressing for dipping.
