I think a moment of observation and imagination will do more than any string of words I could put together here… However, once you snap back to, these bacon wrapped and grilled jalapeños and sweet peppers are singly the best thing that you could do for your burger or take with you to a cookout this weekend.
There is no real recipe here [my favorite kind of recipe]. I bought the largest jalapeños I could find and a bag of those red, orange and yellow sweet peppers. I cut off the stems, very carefully hollowed them out using a pairing knife and then wrapped each with a strip of bacon.
The peppers were arranged on a grill grid and cooked with indirect heat. Once the peppers had softened up, I flattened them out with a grill press to facilitate better burger building.
Optionally, don’t flatten the peppers and once they are cooked and the bacon has crisped, remove from the grill and pipe softened goat cheese or cream cheese for a pretty amazing appetizer!
If you don’t have a grill press – a cast iron skillet or a brick wrapped in foil would work as well (if you can’t get one of these three, then you’re on your own). With the press on them, I cooked them for 5 more minutes per side. Total cooking time will be between 30 and 40 minutes.
- 12 large jalapeño peppers and/or sweet peppers
- 12 strips bacon
- -
- Extras:
- Grilling grid
- Grill press
- Set up grill for indirect cooking with high heat (no flame directly underneath). Place a drip pan to catch the bacon grease beneath the grates. Top the grates with a grilling grid over the drip pan. Preheat grid as well.
- Cut off the stems off the peppers and very carefully hollow them out using a pairing knife. Wrap each pepper with a strip of bacon.
- Arrange the peppers on the grid and close the grill cover. Cook for about 20 minutes; flipping them after 10 minutes. Flip once more and set a grill press on them to flatten; cook 5 minutes more per side with the press. Total cooking time will be between 30 and 40 minutes.
Cheer & Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
