Impress your friends with bacon wrapped goodness. I wanted to create an Instructable that used "recycled" food. This is a great way to turn leftovers into awesome bbq.

Remember good Barbecue is all about good technique.

What you will need:

Your favorite peppers.
Your imagination.
And a pinch of garlic.

What I will be using to make 2 different kinds of stuffed peppers:

3 homegrown jalapenos
4 ounces of cream cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
Garlic (fresh or granulated)
Leftover taco beef
Leftover smoked pork butt
My favorite bbq sauces
Goya Mojo Criollo
1 Slice of bacon per half pepper
1 small wiener dog begging at my feet

Step 1: Making the Taco Filling

I am starting with the Taco stuffed pepper.

In a small mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, taco beef, shredded cheese and a dash of granulated garlic. You can also use 1 clove of crushed fresh garlic.

For easier mixing you can soften the cream cheese by setting it out on the counter for 30 minutes or nuke it for 30 seconds.

Step 2: Making the Smoked Pork Filling

When I make pulled pork I always make an extra butt to food saver for a rainy day.

In a food processor or handy chopper add cold smoked pork in small batches. Pulse blend until roughly chopped. Be sure not to over process and end up with pork dust. Now combine the shredded pork and your favorite bbq sauce. Add in a little at a time, you want to achieve a moist paste like consistency.

Along with the bbq sauce I also added a few shots of Goya Mojo Criollo. This stuff is amazing!

The shredded pork with sauce on it's own is great. I could eat this like ice cream.

Step 3: Preparing the Peppers

Time to slice up the peppers.

Since I'm using jalapenos I'm wearing gloves. Capsaicin is sticky and will stay on the skin for hours or days even after washing .

Wash and dry peppers. Slice off the end of each pepper and then slice lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membrane.

A word on our friend the Jalapeno.

You can control the spiciness or heat of the pepper by how much membrane you remove. If the membrane is white the jalapeno will be mild but if the membrane is yellow the jalapeno will be very hot. Why? Because the oils that carry the capsaicin tend to take on a yellow color even though pure capsaicin is colorless. Either way I remove almost all of the membrane because I like to enjoy the flavor of the pepper in this dish.

Step 4: Stuff and Wrap the Peppers

Place a generous helping of the filling into each pepper. You can pack the filling down with your hands or a spoon.

Now wrap each stuffed pepper with a slice of bacon. I like to start by placing one end of the bacon on the cut/open end of the pepper and wrapping around the pepper toward the point. Done correctly there should be enough to lap the end of the bacon back over the top. You can use toothpicks to hold the bacon in place. I would avoid using colored or flavored toothpicks for this.

Plate and cover prepped peppers with plastic wrap for at least 1 hour but overnight is best. This allows the flavors to meld and for everything to firm up.

All of the prep work is best done after a long day with a small dog begging at your feet.

Step 5: Smoking the Peppers

If you do not have a smoker set your grill up for indirect cooking. Smoke for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how hot your grill is running. Place a sheet of foil with raised edges under the cooking grate to catch the drippings. I prefer to use apple wood for smoke flavoring when I make bacon wrapped goodies. Cherry wood is also very good.

Sprinkle your favorite bbq rub on top of each pepper. Place bacon wrapped peppers on grate over the foil. Close the lid and let them smoke.

Step 6: Enjoying the Peppers

After the peppers are finished smoking remove them from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes. You can enjoy these treats as an appetizer or the main course. I like to dip mine in ranch dressing.