Atomic Buffalo Turds! Or as they are commonly referred to ABTs are one of the first BBQ appetizers I fell in love with.  These babies are packed full of flavor and are always a huge crowd pleaser whenever they are served. There are a variety of different ways to make ABTs.  Sometimes using jalapeno “boats” and other times standing up on end.

No matter how they are made there are usually three standard ingredients.  Jalapeno, bacon and some type of cheese.  I think cream cheese is the most popular to use, but any type can be used. Besides the bacon there is often another meat used.  I like to use “lil smokies” because they add a great flavor and provide a little texture to the ABT.

Here’s a step by step instruction on how I make my Atomic Buffalo Turds:

It’s a good practice to use rubber gloves during most of these processes. You don’t want to get the capsaicin on your hands, trust me on this one.  I’ve made the mistake, too many times, of thinking I could do this part and not end up burning some part of my body.  (Left) Wash the jalapenos and then cut them in half length wise.  Remove the seeds and veins.  I use an old fashion  potato peeler to scrap the insides out of the jalapenos. (Right) Fill the jalapeno cavity with cream cheese.

(Left) Next, give the cream cheese a good dash of your favorite BBQ rub.  (Right) Take some lil smokies and cut them in half.  Add a piece of sausage to each jalapeno.  You can use a whole sausage if you want, but I find a half piece is enough.

(Left) Wrap each ABT in half a slice of bacon.  You can use thick bacon if you want, but I think the thin sliced works the best.  Secure the bacon with a toothpick. (Right) Another dash of the BBQ rub goes on next.  Now you’re ready to put them on the smoker.

I prefer to smoke my ABTs at 225 degrees until the bacon is almost done and then crank the heat up to about 300 degrees until the bacon gets good and crisp.  No sauce is necessary but I like to serve my ABTs with a little additional hot sauce or BBQ sauce for dipping if someone wants a little additional flavor.

You don’t need a smoker to make great Atomic Buffalo Turds.  Just set your gas or charcoal grill up with indirect heat.  The bacon and sausage is going to drip so make sure they aren’t directly over the heat source and you’ll be just time.

NOTE:  If you don’t like the heat jalapenos normally have here is a tip on how to tame them.

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There are a variety of “popper” holders available on the internet for purchase.  I’ve got all kinds of BBQ tools and I’m not always hesitant to buy what I need in the accessory department.  But for some reason I just can’t bring myself to spend the money for what is basically a sheet of metal with holes cut in it.

Recently, I saw a post on the BBQ Brethren that showed a simple and inexpensive way to hold your jalapenos while they are cooking…a egg carton.  This post led me to an article in the in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel where I learned the original idea seems to have originated with Arlie Davis.

Making ABTs is very simple and you’ve got to give them a try.  With Spring and Summer right around the corner these need to be on your “to do” list.  All you need are some jalapenos, cream cheese, random fillings, bacon, toothpicks and some kind of holder for your grill/smoker.

So the process to make ABTs is so, so simple…

All you need are some jalapenos, cream cheese, bacon and some kind of meat to mix into the cream cheese.  There’s a variety of different things that can be mixed into the cheese.  I’ve used Lil Smokeys but this time I used some of the Tasso I smoked a couple of weeks ago.

(NOTE:  If  you love jalapenos but can’t stand the heat here’s a tip on how to tame them.  Click here)

So the first step is to cut the tops off the jalapenos.  Make sure you wear rubber gloves and glasses when cooking with jalapenos.  Some misplaced jalapeno juice can cause a lot of pain if you get it somewhere it shouldn’t.

The next step is to remove the insides of the jalapenos.  Taking out the seeds and veins not only makes room for the fillings, but it removes the part that contains a lot of the heat.  (If you want to have completely tamed jalapenos try this technique I wrote about last year.)  The next step is to mix the meat into the softened cream cheese.

Now comes the fun part.  Take your egg carton and turn it upside down.  Remove the bottoms of each cup.  This will hold jalapenos of any size.

Fill the jalapenos with the cream cheese mixture, top the jalapeno with bacon and secure it with a toothpick.

Place the “carton” of ABTs in your smoker.  I smoke mine at 225 degrees for about an hour or until the bacon gets crisp.

You can do these on a grill but make sure you use indirect heat.  The reason using a cardboard egg carton works is because you are not putting these over a direct flame or direct heat.

DO NOT place the cardboard egg carton over direct heat.  The cardboard absorbs the bacon drippings and will make the egg carton very flammable.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Larry Gaian

Nice texture:

Went looking through the refrigerator for something to make a sandwich and found a leftover hard boiled egg. How about a simple egg salad sammie on good old plain “Grandma Sycamore’s White Bread.”

Dug out a couple of ABTs from the freezer. Mixed some Baconnaise with chipotle for a sauce on them:

On the egg salad it rocked. On the ABTs the sauce, even with chipotle mixed in was overpowered by the bacon, cheese and jalapeno.

Tried it on a simple piece of celery. It was really good.

Tried it on a simple Baconnaise Burger:

Some tomatoes, pickles, onions and other stuff:

Got a couple more ideas up my sleeve, but they are going to have to wait for me to be hungry again.

A few slices were taken off the brisket and the rest is in the freezer.  I’m done…

5:12pm, Saturday, September 6th:

4:18pm, Saturday, September 6th:

Chicken is pulled and in the freezer.

2:25pm, Saturday, September 6th:

ABTs are done!  I’m just going to eat a couple and freeze the rest.  Half also went to a neighbor.

1:58pm, Saturday, September 6th:

Chickens done!

I’m just going to pull the chicken so it’s resting on the counter.

Since it was important to quality control the chicken also I glazed two pieces with Cherry BBQ Sauce (more on that later).  They tasted amazing.

Oops!  This would be why the dog follows me around when I’m cooking.

1:22pm, Saturday, September 6th:

ABTs are on.

1:18pm, Saturday, September 6th:

Pulled the fatties.  The close up shot is Wolf’s Bold Rub.

1:10pm, Saturday, September 6th:

Brisket is done.  Looks really good.  It’s now foiled and resting in the cooler with the butts.

11:38pm, Saturday, September 6th:

Remember the little corner I cut off the brisket.  It’s off the smoker and has now gone through quality control.  It passed…

11:30am, Saturday, September 6th:

The chicken is now on the WSM.  Half rubbed with “Simply Marvelous Poultry Rub” and the other half with the every popular “Plowboy’s Yardbird Rub.”

11:10am, Saturday, September 6th:

Five fatties just went on the UDS.  The toothpicks just help me keep track of which rubs are which fatties.  No fillings on these.  Pretty much going to be for breakfasts.  One each fatty rubbed with:

Wolf Original Rub, Wolf Bold, Cajun Foreplay, Todd’s Crabby Dirt and DDogs Apple Rub.

10:04am, Saturday, September 6th:

Second pork butt is off the smoker, foiled and resting in the cooler.

8:15am, Saturday, September 6th:

The brisket is rubbed down with Spicewine Hefer Dust and is on the smoker.  I trimmed a little corner off that was thinner than the rest of the flat.  This will be used for quality control down the road a little.

I’m also using my new super fast RED Thermapen today…

The remaining butt on the smoker is at 182 degrees.

7:45am, Saturday, September 6th:

Gotta love the smell of smoke first thing in the morning.

7:05 am, Saturday, September 6th:

The “Dirty Butt” is at 195 degrees and ready for the cooler.

4:50am, Saturday, September 6th:

Temp is up a little, adjusted the air intake.  Butts are at 166 degrees.  No foil today.

12:30am, Saturday, September 6th:

Temp is stable at 225 degrees.  I’m going to bed for a few hours of sleep.  Brisket, fatties and ABTs go on in the morning.

10:50pm, Friday, September 5th:

I have a big cook this weekend.  Pretty much just to restock the refrigerator.  Just put two butts on the UDS.  One has been rubbed with Simply Marvelous Sweet and Spicy and the other with Todd’s Dirt.