Pork Shots ~ Foamheart

[foamheart]

A learning experience, I have been saying forever I didn't see hos these could be very exciting but I really wanted to try and make some of my own.

<Insert a disclaimer here> My little MES30 had shut down a few weeks back, and I bought an new control unit and installed it this week. I never considered it being able to change the temperature values recognized in the box. Go figure. The old box at 275 was really 250. now at 275 the its really 288. Just keep this in mind.

You know how hard it is to even find the Pig Shots on this forum anymore? I mean I found 'em made with dates, and there was SWQIB's but I near about that fancy. But I guess its like a watched pot cause it was the pits.

Cut my bacon in half, I mixed my cream cheese with the secret ingredient (apricot jelly OMG I know), I used store bought Keilbasa, I know I know, but its a learning cure and no need to just jump all over it when you don;t have a clue about whats going on.

You better be special, damn special, if you gonna come to my house expecting these. LOL...... These a pain in the tuckus. So Be ready. Even when you get a grasp of how to do it, it still requires digital dexterity so no drinking till they are set up...LOL One pound of bacon, 8 oz. cream cheese & 1/2 C of jelly makes 20 shots. Or it did at my house.



I rested them then in the reefer overnight till noon today when I started preheat for supper chicken ( thats another thread). I threw 'em in and let it ride at 275 ( to crisp the bacon I thought).



I trot off and start doing other things. BTW there is pecan in the tray.



Looking good, never thought about the cheese expansions ( lesson learned)

I checked again at 2 hours, having seen where folks do it a 275 for 3 or 4 hours to crisp bacon and with my silly store bought teeth gotta be crisp. LOL I am at this point going to put some of my BBQ sauce on top and then paint with Grade B maple syrup.



I used needle nose pliers to try and extract the toothpicks. I knew when I picked 'em up and they were so light that there was something wrong here. LOL The weighed about half what I was expecting. OMG they are hard!! Mind shifts into damage control mode. I take a remote thermometer and get a reading on the box, its running 288 degrees steady. And the door had been opened while I unloaded 'em.

These are crunchy pork shots. The taste was good, not really sweet but a little sweet. Apricot was different, guessing had there been any juice what-so-ever in the sausage it would have off set it well. The cream cheese turned grity? Again over cooked. The BBQ sauce would have made it a more better shot also. I will try these again now that I have finished my initial learning curve.

Everyone who tried one (you know how it is smokes up and everyone comes calling), actually liked them as they were. So I can see how they could be pretty awesome, but it will take me a bit of time to forget how much fun they are to make before doing some more.

I could have told you how great they were and you'd have never known, but better to fail and learn and share IMHO. When ever you change on your smoker run a test smoke first, its worth it.

PS Had I not been doing these I would have ruined the Cured, brined chicken for supper!

 

[JckDanls 07]

I will try these again now that I have finished my initial learning curve.

By all means.. try them again .. the more you make the better you get at wrapping them up.. and the quicker it becomes... I use the brown sugar (2 parts)/favorite rub (1 part) filling instead of the cream cheese mixture...

this time try cooking at 225`for a couple of hours... checking periodically for an even cook (swap racks around if necessary) and doneness... which you will eventually figure out your crispiness by looks after enough batches

 

[mowin]

I use the same filling as jck. Love the things. They never last long when i make em.

Gonna have to try the cream cheese filling soon.

 

[SmokinAl]

Great thread!
Al

 

[gmc2003]

I use a hard cheddar cheese cut up into small cubes instead of the cream cheese. I also use a brown sugar/rub mix. Cooked at a lower temp until bacon is crisp.

Chris

 

[HalfSmoked]

A learning curb try and try again yup good excuse to do more. Great idea looks worth trying.

Warren

 

[foamheart]

By all means.. try them again .. the more you make the better you get at wrapping them up.. and the quicker it becomes... I use the brown sugar (2 parts)/favorite rub (1 part) filling instead of the cream cheese mixture...

this time try cooking at 225`for a couple of hours... checking periodically for an even cook (swap racks around if necessary) and doneness... which you will eventually figure out your crispiness by looks after enough batches

Isn't that what its all about? Constantly seeking something new and different that's delicious to surprise those pesky taste buds. You've got to enjoy cooking or you'll suck at it.

 

[foamheart]

Great thread!
Al

I use the same filling as jck. Love the things. They never last long when i make em.

Gonna have to try the cream cheese filling soon.

I couldn't find (I don't say there wasn't any, only I couldn't find any), any recipes to plagiarize, so i was on my own with my memories......LOL

Great thread!
Al

Thanks Al, would rather have had a bad thread and great pork shots though.....LOL

 

[foamheart]

I use a hard cheddar cheese cut up into small cubes instead of the cream cheese. I also use a brown sugar/rub mix. Cooked at a lower temp until bacon is crisp.

Chris

But if you use cheddar, why not just put it in the sausage when making it? Well you'd lose the presentation value I guess. After sleeping on it, I am thinking the thicker bacon although wtrapping easier, if I use thinner it would cook faster and crisp up everything else. Like I said it was a learning experience.

 

[foamheart]

A learning curb try and try again yup good excuse to do more. Great idea looks worth trying.

Warren

And excuse is a good one to get the smoke rolling. Sqwib's luau pork shots are looking better and better now that I know more. I will be doing this again, hopefully with better results.

 

[idahopz]

I've never made anything like these - look delicious Foam, and a perfect appetizer for a get-together

 

[ab canuck]

Me either, Never tried anything like that, will have to give this a shot. Man that list is getting long again....

 

[gmc2003]

But if you use cheddar, why not just put it in the sausage when making it? Well you'd lose the presentation value I guess. After sleeping on it, I am thinking the thicker bacon although wtrapping easier, if I use thinner it would cook faster and crisp up everything else. Like I said it was a learning experience.

Foam, unfortunately I'm not yet into making kielbasa, and yes thin bacon.

Chris

 

[mowin]

Foam... Don't think there's a right or wrong way to make pork shots.

I did a search and kind of did a simple brown sugar, rub mix. I did use thin sliced bacon. Smoked at 225* for about 2 1/2 hrs.

They lasted about as long as it took me to get my phone out of my pocket. Made 85 of em.

The possibilities are endless as far as filling goes.

Im thinking of making some breakfast shots. The filling would be a egg and sausage mixture..

 

[foamheart]

I've never made anything like these - look delicious Foam, and a perfect appetizer for a get-together

They have sort of died off. Then the other day I saw Richie doing a version. I now know a lot more than I did last week. I'll come back again to them.

 

[foamheart]

Me either, Never tried anything like that, will have to give this a shot. Man that list is getting long again....

Yes Sir, there is a load of new stuff you know has gotta be good. It just takes awhile.

 

[foamheart]

Foam, unfortunately I'm not yet into making kielbasa, and yes thin bacon.

Chris

I have made some Kielbasa, When I used to travel, I cooked alot. And Kielbasa is the closest thing to Cajun smoked sausages I could normally find. I really need a slicer.

 

[foamheart]

Foam... Don't think there's a right or wrong way to make pork shots.

I did a search and kind of did a simple brown sugar, rub mix. I did use thin sliced bacon. Smoked at 225* for about 2 1/2 hrs.

They lasted about as long as it took me to get my phone out of my pocket. Made 85 of em.

The possibilities are endless as far as filling goes.

Im thinking of making some breakfast shots. The filling would be a egg and sausage mixture..

I will get back to thembut.... it seems to have cooled off this week making me think of making sausage and andouille. We'll see. But they will get back to the front burner again.

As to the breakfast shots.... have you tried Cases thingies? I don't remember what he called 'em but They were a piece a parchment paper in a muffin pan with beaten eggs and I put crab meat and andouille in mine...... Course if I remember I used biscuit dough rather than parchment paper too. They were like baby quiches.

 

[chopsaw]

Thanks for posting this . I had not heard of these . Read it yesterday , and did them today . Came out very good . I'll be doing these again .

 

[GaryHibbert]

Sure sounds like you had a fun time Kev. LOL.
I use thin cut bacon and I roll it out even thinner so it cooks up even faster and I DON'T like undercooked bacon. Then i give it a coating of my pork rub (has brown sugar in it). I'm not much on cream cheese so I use old cheddar or blue cheese.
Adding apricot jelly to sounds delicious!!!
Is your new controller a stock Masterbuilt part? If it is--lucky you. My MES 30 is just like your old one. I'd love to get one like your new one.
Well, the good news is...you didn't end up with smoked cured chicken a la charcoal.
Gary