Saddle up for Texas Twinkies
My family loves a little spice on everything from chicken to eggs to pasta. So I always have a couple of of fresh chili peppers on hand to add some oomph.
One of my favorites is the humble and easy-to-find jalapeno, because it only burns with a mild to moderate heat, even when eaten raw. But lately, my local grocery store stopped selling its chili peppers loose by the pound. Unless I go complain to a produce manager that I only need one or two, I’m stuck with an entire bag of six or eight peppers. One can only use so many pickled jalapeno slices. Enter jalapeno poppers.
I used to scoff at these spicy appetizers, which my teenaged son begged to order whenever we went out to eat. They just looked so ... messy.
Then I stumbled upon a recipe for a southern treat known as the Texas Twinkie, and, boy, did I change tunes.
Conceived by the folks at Hutchins BBQ in McKinney, Texas, as a way to further showcase their award-winning brisket, these just might be the best guilty snack to ever come out someone’s kitchen.
Most jalapeno poppers are merely stuffed with some sort of cheesy mixture and then breaded and fried. These beauties not only include chunks of tender, smoked brisket in the filling, but also are swaddled in thick slices of bacon that crisp up just so when the peppers are baked. A dab of sweet barbecue glaze gets slathered on top. They’re addictive.
Hutchins makes Texas Twinkies on a hot grill, but I opted for a hot oven. As for the smoked brisket — a dish not in my wheelhouse — I turned to Bobby D’s, a barbecue restaurant in Kenmawr Plaza in Kennedy.
Well aware that more people are doing their best to eat more plants, I also devised vegetarian and vegan versions of the Twinkie. They’re not as savory, but they’re also guilt-free. Any would be perfect for your March Madness party, or anytime you’re craving something spicy.