Brad Billard has found a renewed passion for cooking since building his ugly drum smoker in 2019. A hospitality guy through and through, Brad’s been in the front and back of the house at various restaurants but now, it’s all bbq! Whether on his drum smoker, charcoal or pellet smokers you’re sure to find Brad around his grills.
Living in Southern Ontario, Brad grew up with strong East Coast roots where the kitchen is the heart of the house. You can see the passion Brad has for cooking and entertaining his guests…whether it’s traditional southern bbq with a twist or a little Canadian flare. Co-host of The Eh-BC’s of CDN BBQ, Brad is on a mission to grow bbq in Canada and foster those relationships between businesses and backyard bbq enthusiasts like himself.
Smoked Bacon Wrapped Jalepeno Poppers
Makes 24 poppers
Ingredients:
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12 Jalepeno Peppers
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1 pkg of cream cheese (450g)
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24 slices of bacon
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1 block of cheddar cheese (400g)
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BBQ rub (Meatchurch’s Holy Voodoo works real well but so would anything TexMex, Jalepeno, Mexican etc.
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BBQ sauce to baste (Pick your most favorite one
Prep:
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Cut jalapeño peppers in half lengthwise, keep the stem attached where possible
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Remove the seeds and pith (the whites of the pepper)
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Mix 2-4 Tablespoons of your BBQ rub of choice into the cream cheese with a fork and when fully mixed, fill the Jalepeno halved pepper. (There is not set amount, it comes down to preference and taste)
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Cut cheddar cheese into pinky finger sized strips and place on top of cream cheese mixture
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Wrap each halved pepper with a single slice of bacon
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Once wrapped, sprinkle a dusting of the bbq rub onto the bacon.
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Place poppers in the smoker at 225*C for 90 minutes
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After 90 minutes, baste the poppers with your bbq sauce of choice and let them tack up for 15 mins
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Remove and serve
Tips:
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Wear some latex or food handling gloves when cutting and removing seeds. Or, at the very least, wash your hands thoroughly after handling jalepeno peppers before touching any of your body parts, lol.
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Softened cream cheese works better when mixing the bbq seasoning
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Bacon with the chill removed makes them easier to wrap
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Place a tray or some foil under your poppers when in the smoker as the cheese likes to drop a bit!
BRAD
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