Sweet, Salty & Spicy Pig Shots On A Stick!

Pig Shots may be my favorite BBQ appetizer ever, and I am not afraid to admit it.  There, I said it, that feels better.  Just as you will feel better once that you make these tasty treats for your friends and family and watch them disappear.  The sweet from the BBQ rub and the saltiness from the bacon, combined with the creaminess of the cheese and the spiciness from the jalapeños with make your taste buds want to explode!

The great part about these mouthwatering treats is that they are not very difficult to put together and only contain 6 ingredients!  Smoking meats doesn’t get much easier than that.  Yes, these are an easy BBQ Appetizer that can be put together at the last minute and still deliver loads of sweet and spicy flavor to compliment any meal.  They make a great BBQ appetizer or could easily be served as a side dish.  However you serve them, rest assured that you will be asked to make them again….and again…..and again…..

One of the most important parts of this barbecue recipe is to make sure that the bacon is cooked enough.  If the bacon is still a bit rubbery, these will not taste as good as they should, and the crispy bacon is needed to help these pig shots to maintain their cup like shape.  In addition to those reasons, the crispy bacon will also provide that necessary crunchy texture to be the Ying to the creamy cheese filling’s Yang.  As long as you follow these simple BBQ recipe instructions, you and your guests will be wondering where in the heck all of them went because they will get devoured so quickly. 

Directions:

1. Remove the block of cream cheese from the packaging and set out on the counter for 1 hour to come to room temperature.
2. Combine the cream cheese, cheddar, jalapenos & BBQ Rub and mix thoroughly.
3. Slice the sausages into ½” thick rounds.  Remove the bacon from the package and slice each piece in half.  Wrap each half around the outside of a sausage link to form a cup.  Use the skewer to go through the bacon, through the sausage and back out the other side through the bacon.  Repeat until all of the sausage or all of the bacon are used up.
4. Place the cheese mixture in a plastic bag and cut a small piece of one of the bottom corners off of the bag.  Squeeze the mixture all toward the cut corner.  Keep squeezing until the mixture is coming out.  Fill each bacon cup with the mixture.  Once they are all filled, place them in the fridge while you get the grill ready.
5. Fill your grill with FOGO Premium Charcoal and prepare it for INDIRECT cooking at 350°.  Once the temperature is holding steady at 350°, place a few Bourbon Barrel Blocks right at the edge of the fire for smoking.
6. Sprinkle the Pig Shots with a pinch more BBQ Rub.  Place the skewers on the grates and cook until the bacon gets crispy and has turned a darker brownish color.  (45 minutes – 1 hour) At this point, you could glaze them with BBQ Sauce and continue cooking for 5 more minutes (I highly recommend doing that) if not, simply remove the skewered Pig Shots to a platter.  Allow them to cool for 5 minutes prior to serving.