Pig Shots

The 4th of July is for grilling and this appetizer is easy to make, visually arresting and delicious with or without margaritas.  I'm not sure who came up with this idea first, but I owe my education to a cigar buddy who told me about them over a year ago.  I did a search for the recipe and a website called MeatChurch came up early on the search page, so I'll give them credit for the recipe and also for having a great name

Ingredients
2 lbs smoked sausage or kielbasa
1 lb bacon (like, Hormel Original Black Label)
8 oz whipped cream cheese (like, Philadelphia Whipped)
8 oz shredded cheese (sharp cheddar or Mexican blend)
1 finely minced green onion
1/2 finely minced fresh jalapeno pepper (cored and seeds removed)
juice of 1/2 lemon
barbecue spice rub (like Stubb's or Weber)
toothpicks or wooden/bamboo skewers

The Recipe
Cut the sausage into 1" pieces. Cut the slab of bacon in half.

Mix the cream cheese, lemon juice, shredded cheese, minced onion and minced jalapeno in a mixing bowl, and add 1/2 tbsp of the barbecue spice rub.  Stir well to combine.

Wrap each piece of sausage with the 1/2 strip of bacon such that you leave a little rim of bacon on top of the sausage, creating a small "bacon bowl." Secure the bacon with a toothpick or skewer, then spoon in a tablespoon or so of the cheese mixture into the bacon bowl and dust with a little more barbecue spice rub.

Place the pig shots on a wire rack in a sheetpan lined with aluminum foil for easy clean up.

Cook on a smoker or gas grill with a smoke pack over indirect heat at 375 degrees for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, with the lid closed, of course. To make a smoke pack, just put a cup of wood chips in an aluminum foil packet with a few holes poked in it, and put the packet over direct heat.