In part driven by one of those “what should I do with this last incredibly tasty pound of slow-roasted pork shoulder in the fridge” moments yesterday, the big bin of plump, fresh jalapenos at my favorite market answered the question for me.
Right then I knew it was time to whip up a batch of Bacon Wrapped Crispy Pork Shoulder Poppers for dinner, using the crisping technique we’ve talked about before here to add a simple but very, very good flourish to the pork shoulder.
Popper fans know that you can of course use any combination of cheese(s) that float your boat, we’ve come to appreciate most this combination of Monterrey Jack and cheddar, with a bit of creme cheese mixed in to hold everything together in pepper shell.
Our favorite binge of late is to dip these poppers in a smoothly blended taqueria style guacamole or this Tomatillo Avocado Salsa, though drizzled with a raspberry BBQ sauce, or even just a simple raspberry sauce, they’re amazing.
Might want to double up on this one.
14-16 large jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded, membranes scraped
6 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temp.
4 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb pulled or chopped pork shoulder, see note below (try this Rib Rub Pork Shoulder)14-16 slices bacon, cut in half
Garnish / serve with: Cilantro leaves, thinly sliced pickled red onion, pickled jalapenos, your favorite barbeque sauce, your favorite taqueria style guacamole
Preheat the oven to 400.
Clean and prep the peppers, set aside; parchment line a baking sheet.
As an optional but don’t miss step – chop or pull the pork, sprinkle with a bit more of the rub above (or your favorite), and crisp over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet. See aside when done.
Stir together the pork, both grated cheeses, and the cream cheese until evenly mixed; now spoon generously into each jalapeno half.
Finally wrap each popper with a half-slice of bacon, tucking the edges underneath the popper, and line up your popper army on the baking sheet.
Slide into the oven and bake for roughly 25 minutes or until the bacon has browned nicely and cheese is just beginning to brown; broil for the final 2 or 3 minutes if you’re into extra-crispy bacon.
Remove from oven, cool slightly (that melty cheese is danged hot), garnish from the list above, and go to it.
Hot damn, and enjoy.
