ABT's Trouble with the Bacon

GATA_USA

What is the best kind of bacon (thin or heavy) and should it be pre-cooked before wrapping.

Do you cook on direct or indirect heat. What temp and for how long?

Tried to cook these a couple of times with little success. Any suggestions to make these better?

fletcherfam

I am not as experienced as most on this forum, however, I have cooked ABTs 3 times now. Since I do not have an indirect set up yet I go with a direct cook. I cook them at about 375 +/- for 45 minutes or so. If doing direct I found you have to be careful to not put the ABTs right over the center of the hot coals so the bacon does not get burned. What have been your problems thus far?

smokesniffer

I have used both types of bacon. Run a toothpick through the end of bacon to hold it in place. Egg  temp is around 250-275 for a couple of hours. I have done them at 350, but keep an eye on them. Good luck, I am a newbie to the egg, every time you do a repeat meal, it gets better. Try some mushroom caps to go along with the ABT's

Smoker_Guru

I use regular bacon. Indirect is best with a drip pan as there will be a lot of grease. You can cook them at any temp from 240 to 400. Just cook them until the bacon is done to your liking, anywhere from an hour+ at low temps to 45 minutes or less at high temps. This is assuming you are not using any raw meat for the stuffing. If you use any kind of raw meat (i.e. sausage, chicken or what ever) you need to cook until the internal temp is atleast 160.

I always precook any meat I am adding to the stuffing. That way I just have to make sure the bacon gets done and that's easy to see.

Hope that helps, Scott

NibbleMeThis

I like thinner bacon for mine and I go indirect at 250f dome for at least 90 minutes.  Bacon always crisps up fine that way for me.  Also, I don't use a whole strip of bacon, just one half per ABT.

Griffin

Same as Chris. Thin bacon, indirect, low and slow.

rickHP

I was pretty successful doing these at about 375 for 45 minutes direct on a raised grid. Could probably have gone a little longer to soften the peppers more. I did not use meat in the filling but wrapped with what I guess was a medium thick sliced bacon. Certainly would not precook the bacon.

GATA_USA

Appreciate the help. Let yall know how they turned out.

My kids love 'em. I just got to get better at it.

GATA_USA

Appreciate the help. Wasn't cooking them long enough. Let yall know how they turned out.

My kids love 'em. I just got to get better at it.

GATA_USA

 

DevDave

I do not pre-cook my bacon, and I go for the thickest Maple Bacon I can find:

ABT with Thick Slab Mable Bacon in Hickory

fairchase

   I buy the cheapest thin bacon I can find . For me the thin stretches and wraps better than the thick bacon.
Also put the bacon on the counter for 30 minutes or so before use, When it gets warm it will stick to itself much better. I find by doing this I don't need to pin with toothpicks.

FingerLicker

I've done them 4 times and had near-perfect results every time, not skill just happened to hit the right combination I guess. I use 1/2 strip raw thin bacon pinned with a toothpick, and raw ground sausage inside so I cook to 160 degrees on the thermapen (I check several of the thicker ones to be sure). I have always removed them as soon as they reach 160 and it's taken 15-20 minutes every time with dome temp at 350. Cooked them indirect on one grid over the legs-up plate setter with a drip pan, and also did double batches with two grids on the big adjustable rig with a drip pan on the lowest level. It makes lots of grease and it did ignite once, no big deal but I snuffed it out by closing down the egg for a few seconds to avoid torching the ABTs.

There wasn't much difference using two grids versus one except that we make them both hot and sweet, and putting some jalapeno peppers on the top grid gave the sweet peppers below some unexpected zing from the drippings, a bit of an unpleasant surprise for the diners that don't like them spicy. From now on we'll keep all the sweet peppers on the top layer but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing.

Hic

2-1-1 on a rib rack indirect - perfect every time.

cajunrph

I did some this weekend. I used cream cheese and boudin sausage. For those not familiar with boudin it is a cajun sausage that is made up of pork, rice and spices. The casing is removed and the sausage is crumbled into the cream cheese. I went with a raised cooking service, (four fire bricks on the fire ring to raise the cooking surface to the lip-Redneck engineering at its finest) at 375 for 40 minutes. They turned out good, everyone at the party loved them. Once the word was out they attacked them like sharks on a whale carcass. Some were a little burnt, I will go at 325 next time. Also I'll try the indirect method at some point. I used thin bacon, half strips. I also cut the jalapeños in half so it was ABT's on the half shell. Thin bacon is the way to go and as long as all the ingredients are cooked, then cook the ABT's till the bacon is done. Direct would be faster, indirect leads to more smoke flavor. Just hop in and try it out. Eat your mistakes, or give it to the dog. My dog got one that fell on the ground. She loved it. Good luck. 

cajunrph

. Try some mushroom caps to go along with the ABT's

Thanks for the idea, never thought of it. Lots to eggesperiment with. 

Squeezy

I like to do them low heat for xtra smoke using half strip of bacon. When I can, I prep day before and refrigerate and yhey hold together will without toothpicks ... just need to be careful taking off the grill....

 

Kristinnn

we throw em on around 350-375 after the chicken, direct.  Ive never timed it but youll see it brown and the bacon getting crisp- maybe 20 mins.  I find that grassfed hickory smoked uncured bacon crisps the best from a farmers market compared to uncured from whole foods.  dont eat the cured crap. bad for u.  And i prefer thin..that is all a matter of opinion of course.  my hubby likes it thick