Pages

8/31/09

Rattlesnake Tails


Rattlesnake Tails

A few months ago I ran across an intriguing recipe for Rattlesnake Sliders. The story behind them stuck with me and emerged in a brainstorm this past weekend.

I was at the store and tried to remember as much as I could of the recipe for the filling. In the end, I wound up with something a little different, but the basic inspiration is still there. Thanks, Rebecca.

In short, these are Anaheim peppers stuffed with a combination of ground turkey and spicy pork sausage, wrapped in bacon, smoked, then glazed with a mixture of barbecue sauce, honey and butter. They are sticky sweet, with just a touch of spicy goodness.

Ingredients
12 whole Anaheim chiles, as straight and round as you can find
12 slices Standard (thin sliced) bacon
1 lb Ground turkey, 85% lean
1 lb Hot breakfast sausage (I used Jimmy Dean brand)
1 Tbsp Tiger Sauce
1 Tbsp Garlic salt
1 1/2 Tbsp Your favorite BBQ seasoning (of course I recommend mine)
2 tsp Lemon pepper
Optional: 1 Jalapeno chile, seeded, veined and minced

Glaze
1/2 cup Your favorite barbecue sauce
1/4 cup Honey
3 Tbsp Butter, melted

Method
Wash the Anaheim chiles and cut the stem ends off so that they are of equal length.

Cut a long V-shaped sliver out of one side of each chile. Start at the cut end, about 1/4" wide and end about an inch from the tip. The intention is to get them to open enough to seed, de-vein and stuff.

Remove the seeds and veins from each chile.

Mix all of the remaining ingredients, except the bacon, well in a large mixing bowl.

Roll a tapered cylinder of the stuffing and fit it into the chile, packing it loosely from the tapered end up. You want it full, but not overflowing.

Wrap each chile with one of the bacon slices. Starting about 1" from the cut end, tuck the end of the slice between the inside of the pepper and the stuffing. Stretch it around the pepper in a spiral pattern moving toward the other end (not overlapping). Tuck the other end in the tapered end of the chile, just as you started. It should leave you with about an inch of chile exposed at each end.

Start your fire and prepare for indirect cooking over medium heat (about 300º).

Add one small chunk of fruit wood (apple or cherry) to the fire about 10 minutes before adding the chiles. Wood chips soaked for 30-60 minutes will work well, too. If you're using a gas grill, make a smoker pouch.

Dust each wrapped chile lightly with the seasoning.

Cook the chiles indirect about 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning once at the halfway point.

Mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl.

Glaze each chile on one side, turn, glaze the other side, and cook another 15 minutes.

Glaze and turn the chiles again, then cook another 10 minutes.

Remove and serve immediately.

Enjoy.

13 comments:

  1. I just saw the photo of this on your site and it caught my attention. This looks awesome, I am going to have to give this a try!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Made these last night - they were excellent!

    ReplyDelete
  3. any variations you'd do now with the glaze?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jeffrey - I'd probably add some Tiger Sauce.

    ReplyDelete
  5. John,

    Here are my planned variations:

    Hot Italian sausage instead of breakfast
    Sriracha sauce instead of tiger
    Six-cheese Italian blend cheese added to meat mix
    A smidge of SM Sweet seduction to the meat mix
    1 jalapeño minced to the meat mix
    Meat "cylinders" rolled in dark brown sugar before stuffing
    After wrapping in bacon, dust in SM Sweet and Spicy
    Bronco Bob's Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce for glaze

    Advice request: Client wants peppers frozen and vacuum sealed. Should I glaze on smoker prior to freezing? Or, should I send along sauce for application while reheating peppers?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jeffrey - I'd definitely glaze them toward the end of reheating.

    ReplyDelete
  7. can I broil these somehow.. I dont have a grill

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fern, all you need is some wood....a hole.....just use your imagination. My wife and I built a homemade pitt out of dirt, rocks, and a grill top. Cooks BETTER than a regular grill. Plus gives food that real outdoor woodsy flavor;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fern - I suppose you could bake/broil them, but they just won't be the same. Get yourself a little Weber Smokey Joe.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I made them with chorizo and skipped the Tiger sauce, smoked them over apple wood and they were incredible! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  11. BTW, we served them with cilantro/lime rice, mango salsa and fresh tortillas.
    For a cajun twist, I might have to try Andouille sausage and seasoning sometime...

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have made these many times for friends and they say they are to die for!!! thank you !
    I can't get tiger sauce here so I use Devils Spit in the meat and the glaze, works great!
    Joe

    ReplyDelete
  13. Joe - Thanks for your kind words. I'm really glad that you and your guests enjoy them.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Comments containing profanity or blatant promotion/spam will not be published