El Toro BBQ Chorizo Bacon Bomb

Source: Chef Colin Williams, El Toro BBQ, Phoenix Arizona

2 pounds bacon
2 pounds pork chorizo
2 large jalapeño peppers
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

On a clean surface, place 10 to 12 strips of bacon side by side.

Take the remaining 10 to 12 strips of bacon and, one at a time, basket weave the bacon into a 12-inch square.

Creating sheet of bacon alternating each piece of bacon under then over the vertical pieces of bacon. The finished "woven blanket" of bacon will have a checkerboard appearance.

Next, place two pounds of pork, or beef, Mexican chorizo sausage on a clean surface and flatten out to a thickness of 1/2 of an inch, creating a square shape. The "chorizo sheet" should be slightly smaller than the bacon sheet.

Wash two large jalapeños then slice each pepper lengthwise. Remove the seeds and ribs from the inside of the jalapeños and discard, leaving only the green flesh of the pepper.

Shred the sharp cheddar cheese and set aside.

Carefully, lift the "chorizo sheet" and place it directly onto the "bacon sheet."

Place the four segments of the peppers end to end horizontally across the middle of the chorizo.

Cover the peppers with the cheddar cheese in a long horizontal line.

Starting at the top, carefully, roll the chorizo sheet into a log like a pinwheel, once fully rolled, the chorizo will have formed a "log" around the peppers and cheese in the middle.

Next, starting at the bottom, roll the bacon around the chorizo away from you. As you roll the "log," the bacon will wrap the chorizo in a bacon covering.

Once fully rolled, you will have an uncooked chorizo bacon log roughly 12 inches long and 4 inches in diameter. (It kind of looks like a small bomb.)

Cooking options: El Toro Barbeque Co. slow smokes the assembled chorizo bacon bomb in our pit smoker for 4 hours at 225 degrees F. This is the recommended method, using pecan wood.

You can also place the Chorizo Bomb on the unlit side of your grill (indirect cooking method) and grill for about 3 hours. Be aware of flair-ups from the bacon.

Additionally, you can place the log in a loaf pan and cook in your oven at 375 degrees for two hours, or until the bacon is crisp and browned.

Once fully cooked, remove the finished "log" or "bomb" and allow to set up for 5 minutes.

With a sharp knife, slice 1/2-inch segments from the log. This will produce a round, bacon-wrapped meat loaf with a pepper slice and cheese.