Dave Parker
The BBQ Pitmasters met at the house of John and Marlene McNemar for a BBQ feast second to none! For this get-together, John had the unique idea of all members bringing two appetizers. It was an appetizer-thon for all.
John McNemar smoked bacon-wrapped meatballs, aka moink balls. These have been around for 40 years and are made with beef meatballs and half slices of thin pork bacon. Together, you have moo + oink, or moink, balls. John added BBQ sauce and a special rub to the moink balls. The showstopper was smoked ham and egg cups. Muffin tins were filled with thinly sliced ham, eggs, whipping cream, peppers, and shredded cheese. They were smoked at 350 degrees.
Bob Morrison added an appetizer of smoked scorpion tails. Bob stuffed halved and cleaned jalapeños with cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and onions. He loaded the boats with the mixture and wrapped each boat with bacon. He seasoned each boat and smoked with hickory pellets. Bob also brought smoked/grilled mango and papaya salsa. Diced jalapeños, onions, mangos, papaya, and pineapple were smoked and added to sweet corn, cilantro, and agave nectar, leaving a delicious fruit salsa!
Steve Courtney smoked up a wonderful vegetable dish. Steve sliced up squash, zucchini, red peppers, red onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes and added garlic, pepper, salt, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil as seasoning. The dish was smoked with oak and applewood chunks and was a perfect vegetable for the group.
Paul Dorwaldt smoked meat church jalapeño chicken tenders, melted in Monterey Jack creamy cheese, with a slice of bacon. Garlic aioli with avocado oil and Smokehouse BBQ sauce were added to the sides of the bun.
Bob Riley added smoked BBQ marinated pork with 1836 Spice. Garlic butter and BBQ sauce were added to shotgun shells stuffed with breakfast sausage, pepper jack cheese, and his famous Cowboy Capital of the World Seasoning.
Dave Parker brought smoked, bacon-wrapped, Fireball-infused pineapple and peach with Fireball glaze. The pineapple and peaches were marinated overnight in Fireball. They were wrapped in smoked bacon and glazed with Fireball, hot honey, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. A second appetizer was smoked jalapeño mummies. Jalapeño boats were stuffed with cream cheese and a Mexican shredded cheese. A seasoning of bourbon peach was added, and the boats were wrapped in thin slices of puff pastry to resemble a mummy. After they were smoked, edible eyes were added.
It was an over-the-top appetizer night! BBQ you can’t find or buy anywhere!