Jalapeno poppers have risen to become a trendy snack throughout the United States. These meat-stuffed jalapenos are fantastic for an appetizer. Bonus: they’re finger food. Their visual appearance is somewhat like a finger, too.
Hot, Hot, Hot Jalapeno
So what exactly is a Jalapeno popper? Basically, it consists of a hollowed-out jalapeno filled with some type of stuffing. Cheese is a go-to, but these go one step further by adding luscious meat. The cube steak helps cool down the intense natural heat of the pepper. And don’t forget that satisfying crunch from frying or grilling.
Scrutiny of Cube Steak
Because cube steak is rather tough, you get to tenderize it using a meat hammer. Don’t be shy. You want to do a good job on this portion. In terms of internal temperature, remove it at 120F for medium rare and 130 for medium. Over-cooking this meat will create more toughness.
Meat-Stuffed Jalapenos – Ingredients
Large Jalapeno peppers (2-3 per person)
Grilled Skirt Steak THIN
Cubed pork
Cilantro
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz Mexican shredded cheese
Cuso’s Smoky Garlic Buffalo BBQ Rub
Meat-Stuffed Jalapenos Instructions
- Clean out the Jalapenos very carefully. If possible, use gloves.
- Sprinkle the Lemon Pepper Rub evenly over the pounded steak
- Put them on the grill to get a nice char.
- Using a Chef’s Knife, mince up the pork very finely (the smaller, the better)
- Mix together the cilantro, cheese, pork, and a bit of the Smoky Garlic Buffalo BBQ Rub
- Roll the filling into small rounds that will slide right inside the peppers.
- Smoke the peppers at 225F for one hour.
PitMaster’s Memo
Digging around in the Jalpeno’s history, this pepper seems to have originated in Central America and Mexico. The creation of Jalapeno Poppers is dicey. There are a lot of stories, but most settle on the Poppers having their birth in Texas in the early 1970s. They didn’t have the same name back then, but there is one decadent thing you can try yourself. Early jalapeno poppers were wrapped in bacon! There is no such thing as too much bacon.
Sides
Buttermilk Biscuits
Three Bean salad
Twice baked potatoes
Pulled pork sliders
Rice Pilaf
Sauteed asparagus
From the Bar
Bloody Mary
Martini
Mint tea (cold)
Pale Ale
Pinot Noir
Zinfandel
