Smoked Pig Shots
Smoked sausage and thick-cut bacon filled with a spicy, cheesy mixture, smoked until you end up with a flavor bomb of bbq deliciousness. YES!
Ingredients
- 12 Bacon thick cut, cut in half lengthways
- 10 oz Smoked sausage
- 8 oz Cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup Sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup Jalapeno peppers diced small
- 2 tbsp Dry rub
Dry Rub (Memphis Style)
This dry rub recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups of rub. This recipe only calls for 2 tablepoons.
FYI
- 1/2 cup Paprika
- 1/4 cup Chili powder
- 3 tbsp Kosher salt
- 3 Black pepper
- 3 Brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp Garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Onion powder
- 1 tbsp Dried oregano
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Dry mustard
- 1 tsp Cayenne powder
Instructions
- Cut the stem off the jalapeno, then cut them in half lengthways. Deseed the jalapeno, removing the membrane as well.
- Optionally, cut 24 whole jalapeno slices (very thin).
- Dice the jalapeno into very small cubes so they will pass through the piping bag without any issue. Set aside.
- Cut the smoked sausage into 1/2 inch slices and set them aside.10 oz Smoked sausage
- Cut 12 pieces of thick-cut bacon in half lengthways, giving you 24 bacon strips.12 Bacon
- Take a piece of bacon and wrap it around a piece of sausage slice and secure it with two toothpicks by inserting them through the sausage to the other side in a cross pattern.
- Repeat this process with the remaining bacon and smoked sausage until you have all 24 pieces assembled.
- Place the sausage and bacon shot glasses into the refrigerator while you prepare the cheese filling.
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, diced jalapeno, and dry rub.8 oz Cream cheese, 1/2 cup Sharp cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Jalapeno peppers, 2 tbsp Dry rub
- Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix and combine well until the mixture has a uniform color.
- Transfer the cheddar and cream cheese filling into a piping bag. If you don’t have one, just put the filling into a zip lock bag and cut the corner out of it.
- Optionally, place a very thin slice of jalapeno on top of the cheese filling, or place that slice on top of the smoked sausage rounds before piping in the filling.
- Remove the sausage bacon shot glasses from the refrigerator and pipe the cheese filling in, about a tablespoon in each.
- Get the smoker to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the wood of your choice. Place the pig shots into the smoker. If you’re using a grill, put them over to the side, allowing them to cook with indirect heat.
- Smoke for about 1 hour, give or take a few minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the cheddar and cream cheese filling is golden brown.
- Pull them from the smoker and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Remove the toothpicks
Notes
Cook to temperature, not time. These will take approximately an hour to cook but the size of the smoked sausage,type of bacon, and heat of the smoker/grill can affect cooking time.
The bacon should be nice and crispy and the cheese filling should be golden brown. An internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the cheese filling indicates it's done.
Storage
Let cool to room temperature, store them in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to four days.
To reheat, place them in the oven (or air fryer) at 300 degrees until the cheese mixture has hit approximately 160 degrees F.
If you are wanting to freeze them, store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
It’s best to let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, but you can place them out on the counter and let them thaw and immediately reheat at 300 degrees F, as previously mentioned.