Are you looking for a MACHO and MANLY kind of appetizer for your upcoming Super Bowl party?? Well, here it is, folks....Good and Saucy Venison Bacon Poppers! My guys go completely BONKERS over them. #Bacon #Venison #Poppers #SuperBowl #PartyFood
1lb.venison steaks, we used sirloin these poppers are also delicious made with sliced dove breasts
18large jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise, stems in tactseeds and membranes removed
16oz.herb & garlic spreadable cream cheese
18strips of thick bacon, rolled thin with a rolling pin, then cut in half lengthwise with kitchen shears
your favorite bbq sauce, for slathering the poppers at the end of the smoking/grilling time
Instructions
Slice the deer steaks into thin, elongated pieces, approx. 2-3" in length.
Meanwhile, combine the marinade ingredients together in a gallon freezer bag. Add deer steak slices, seal bag and place into a large mixing bowl; let steak marinate for 8-10 hours.
Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membranes, placing the halves onto a platter, cut side up. Spoon the cream cheese into the cavities of all jalapeño halves.
On a cutting board, lay out the bacon slices, working in batches; use a rolling pin to roll out each bacon slice until it's elongated and much thinner. Using your kitchen shears, slice each strip of bacon in half lengthwise.
Remove the deer steak slices from the marinade and pat dry. Place a slice of the steak on top of the cream cheese in each jalapeño. Wrap each jalapeño with a long, thin strip of the prepared bacon, starting at one end of the jalapeno and working to the other, gently stretching the bacon a bit as you go, wrapping the stuffed jalapeno tightly. (May secure bacon with toothpicks, if needed, but we never do.)
Preheat your smoker, grill, or oven to 350 degrees F.
Using tongs, place the wrapped jalapenos onto the preheated smoker or grill, cut-side-up, cooking for 25-30 minutes or until the deer meat is cooked, the jalapeños are softened, and the bacon exterior is nicely charred. (If you're cooking these poppers in the oven, place into a large, seasoned cast iron skillet or a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.)
Remove the cooked poppers from the smoker or grill; immediately slather the poppers with warm bbq sauce. Serve at once.