Was planning on doing poppers for the first time today and the wife throws a curveball rib request at me. Being last minute, had to settle for a rack from the grocery store vs Costco.
The ribs.
Mustard and coated one half with an ancho chile rub the other with byrons butt rub. No time to "get happy" in the fridge so into the #2, top rack bone side down, @225 with 3.5oz of cherry/post oak. Decided to do a 2/2/1 since the ribs looked scrawny and was going to have to open the box up anyway to put the poppers in.
Two hour mark removed and foiled, bone side up, with butter brown sugar honey and a splash of apple juice. Back into the smoker for the next two.
The poppers.
12 large jalapeños. Cut 6 in half and removed the seeds and veins, the others cored, removing seeds and veins. I used the same filling for both.
8oz of softened cream cheese
8oz of sharp cheddar
8 pieces of crumbled bacon
1 tbs onion powder
a handful of chopped fresh chives
Mixed with a hand blender and filled the peppers. Wrapped the cut jalapeños with a half strip of bacon each, length wise.
Put the poppers in the smoker, bottom rack, with one hour to go on the ribs. Unfoiled the ribs and turned back to bone side down. Let my 2/2/1 go to a 2/2/1.5 and removed ribs, wrapped, and let rest until the peppers were done.
Thirty minutes later (total of two hours for the jalapeños) removed poppers and finished (bacon wrapped) under the broiler, one minute, to crisp up.
Results were really good. The best ribs I've done so far in the SI, not falling off the bone but tender and pulled clean. No one even asked for BBQ sauce. The poppers were really good as well, enough of a kick without burning the eyebrows off. Couldn't eat a whole bunch of them, actually pretty heavy with all the cheese and bacon, but a nice appetizer or side.
Toss in some homemade Mac and fresh green beans and we had a feast!
