ABT or other appetizer

bigsteve · Mar 23, 2009

I volunteered to make an appetizer for a pot luck this Saturday night. I originally figured what would be better than ABT's??? But I'm second guessing now. ABTs sometimes don't look very appealing, and I'm afraid many if not most will shy away when they hear the word Jalapeno. So I'm looking for ideas for a smoked appetizer.

It seems like a fatty has great taste for an appetizer, but I don't know how to present it. Sliced and cut into cubes doesn't look so hot, and sometimes the small chunks fall apart.

Any ideas??????

I'd rather not buy some pizza rolls and heat 'em up.

fired up · Mar 23, 2009

How about smoking some homemade smoked mini meatballs in bbq sauce, keep them in a crock pot. Or you could do a pulled pork butt and keep warm in a crock pot with little buns or biscuits on the side to make mini sandwiches. If you wanted to do something cold you could smoke some tomatoes and do a smoked tomato bruschetta, or maybe smoked cheeses with crackers. Just some ideas, hope they help.

wutang · Mar 23, 2009

I will second the meatballs. You could always do chicken wings. I have also done little smokies wrapped in bacon and dusted with brown sugar. Those are great.

smokebuzz · Mar 23, 2009

How bout pizza rolls on the smoker???

OR chunk up some chicken breast, roll it soak it in some rub and brown suger, then wrap in bacon or sausage and smoke.

Maybe smoke some chedder, swiss, gouda, i could do this all day, so pick a cheese or 4 and smoke it up, always a hit.

bbq engineer · Mar 23, 2009

If you have the ability to cold smoke some cheese, set out a tray of that and some smoked sausage with a tub of crackers.

Maybe some smoked salmon and crackers with a yogurt dill sauce?

Geek with Fire's Jalamento cheese rolls looked like a winner for an appetizer as well.

I love Buffalo wings...smoke them first of course! Often, I get legs at costco, and I make Buffalo Legs (A/K/A HOT LEGS!) for a meatier smoked version...people love them!

Darrin did some absolutely Killer looking Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Shrimp ...I guarantee you would be a hero if you showed up with a crock pot of those!

Just a couple thoughts...good luck!

BBQ Eng.

azrocker · Mar 23, 2009

Those Buffalo Shrimp get my vote!

Good Shrimp Source. These are really sweet. Much different then gulf shrimp. I have been to the farm. It is amazing. They raise the shrimp then irrigate with the water. They are not cheap though :-(
http://www.desertsweetshrimp.com/catalog_c265450.html

werdwolf · Mar 23, 2009

These are from Abelman. I think you would need to make them smaller if you have a lot of people. They were about the size of a tennis ball when done. they were great though.

BLP meatballs

Don't really know which section to post this is because it's not all beef, but, they are meatballs.

I call them BLP because they are an equal porion of ground beef (80/20), ground lamb and ground pork. I also used powdered garlic, parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, bread crumbs, pamesan cheese, spinach, and eggs. It's a wonderful meatball recipe!

½ lb ground beef
½ lb ground pork
½ lb ground lamb
½ cup of bread crumbs. Use ¼ cup in meat and the other to roll in
½ tsp Red Pepper flakes
1 ½ tsp parsley
1 ½ tsp basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
½ cup parmesan cheese
5 oz thawed spinach, squeezed
1 egg

Mix all the ingredients less a ¼ cup of bread crumbs. Lightly mix the meats together without squishing it.

Chill in fridge covered for 24 hours. Make 1 ½ oz balls, about golf ball size. Roll them in the remaining bread crumbs. Put them in a mini muffin pan so that they do not touch the bottom. Pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

If smoked, do them at 225 with Cherry Wood. I used Maple Bacon as well. I skip the second half of the bread crumbs and use Jeff's Rub instead. You might even crisp the bacon a bit before wrapping depending on taste. Pulled at 1 hour and dipped in 50% water, 50% BBQ sauce mix. Then back on smoker for 20 minutes. Pulled at 165 and still juicy and moist. Smoke time was 1 hour, 20 minutes.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...threadid=27614

Abelman

fired up · Mar 23, 2009

The problem with the shrimp is they need to be served right away or they will be rubbery. If you are cooking them on site then go for it. If not I would find something that will hold up better.

bigsteve · Mar 23, 2009

Wow, you guys are on a roll! Y'all sure have more imagination than me!

cajunsmoke13 · Mar 24, 2009

I agree with Firde Up. Smoke some meatballs, or buy the premade and throw them in the crockpot with your favorite BBQ Sauce. I add water to my sauce so it's not so sick. Also, you could substitute Little Smokies for the meatballs. Always a hit at my parties. Can't go wrong.

txbbqman · Mar 24, 2009

Big Steve, you may be Ok with the ABT's. I understand your concern but they may be a bigger hit than you think.

Several years ago a co worker of my wife asked me to make some for their bank Christmas party, I too was skeptical at how these "banking types" would handle a Jalapeno, well needless to say they were a huge hit and I am now on the hook for 200 every Christmas party.

I gotta teach one of the other husbands how to make them.....

bigsteve · Mar 24, 2009

Hmmmmmmmm

A tiny little spark just crackled deep in the recesses of my middle aged brain. It's cloudy, but it's starting to look like barbequed meatballs in sauce. Wait a minute, it's a little more clear...... The meatballs are being formed using raw fatty meat........ Smoked, then simmered in BBQ sauce in a crock pot. Hmmmmmmmmm

bigsteve · Mar 24, 2009

Well, they're not totally "off the table." I was just having second thoughts.

bigbaldbbq · Mar 24, 2009

A MOINK might be good. A bacon wrapped meatball, glazed in BBQ sauce. Or some wings.

bbq engineer · Mar 24, 2009

Big Steve,

It sounds like you have a plan, and I think you are on to something...it sounds easy enough to pull off, shows your craft, will be readily accepted by everyone (they won't be freaked out...some people can be so dam* wierd about eating, and Jalapeno's might freak them out), and they will be easy to make in advance / refrigerated / and reheated in the crock pot. Besides, Who could argue with using a toothpick as your silverware?

BBQ Eng.

indyadmin1974 · Mar 24, 2009

I think ABTs are very surprising. It's like the mob mentality. A few may scoff at them, but once they see others scarfing them down, they'll try them. You may want to try a variety though. Wings are very easy.

bigsteve · Mar 24, 2009

Well, fattie meatballs and Jalapenos are both cheap enough. I suppose I could bring both.

wutang · Mar 24, 2009

Now you're talking! Why tease them with a little of the goodness when you can "wow" them with a variety of stuff.

azrocker · Mar 24, 2009

what he said ^

athabaskar · Mar 25, 2009

This sounds pretty insane on paper. It is nothing short of heaven in your mouth.

2 12 oz jars Heinz chili sauce
1 32 oz jar grape jelly

Put the chili sauce and jelly in a crock pot, heat until the jelly is melted and sauce is smooth, stirring often. Add smoked meatballs.

I'm not a huge fan of sweet meat but I can eat the hell outta these meatballs. The chili sauce offsets the sweet very well and the smoke adds another level of flavor. I would suggest one pot of these and one with your favorite bbq sauce. You will have plenty of bbq style to eat while these disappear.

ABT or other appetizer

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