Well, the “big game” is happening this weekend and we all know what that means: it’s time to bust out your best appetizers!
I’m not much of a football fan, but I do love going to the parties and seeing (and tasting) what everyone has contributed to the feast. You’ll normally find me hovering near the buffet table, slowly making my way through every dish, asking “Who made this?” or “What’s the recipe?”
This recipe for Jalapeno Pork Poppers was given to me by Sean’s brother in law, Tony Rosa. While on a summer trip to the southern U.S., a fellow BBQer grilled up these bite sized apps and graciously shared the recipe, which then made it’s way to Windsor. Tony cooked a few up at a family party and I have been thinking about them ever since. Jalapeno, wrapped in pork, wrapped in bacon. Yes, please.
They are normally slow cooked on a BBQ over 2 hours but since we are in the midst of winter, I opted to cook these indoors.
This makes about 24-30 poppers depending on the size of the tenderloin.
Jalapeno Pork Poppers
1 pork tenderloin
4-5 jalapenos, sliced, seeded
15 strips of good smoked bacon, cut in half
2 cups of Italian or garlic dressing
Cut the pork tenderloins into half inch medallions.
Place the pork into a container. Pour the dressing over top of the pork. Make sure the pork is fully submerged. The original recipe used an Italian dressing, but I opted to use a garlic dressing I had in my fridge.
Cover the container and let it marinate in the fridge overnight.
Place 1-2 jalapenos in the middle of the pork medallion.
Fold the pork medallion in half with jalapeno in the middle.
Wrap half a strip of bacon around the pork and use a toothpick to hold together.
If you are cooking on the BBQ cook off heat at 250 degrees for about 2-3 hours until they are golden brown.
If you’re cooking indoors, place the medallions in a baking dish or baking sheet lined with foil and pop them into a 225F oven for about an hour. Once the pork has cooked through, take the medallions out of the oven and put them onto a heated skillet on the stove. Cook each medallion until the bacon is crispy on all sides.
Place them on to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the grease. Serve.
