Rattlesnake Tails

How to make Rattlesnake Tails Recipe - from John Dawson

Serves: 12

Ingredients:
12 whole Anaheim chiles, as straight and round as you can find
1 pound ground turkey, 85 percent lean
1 pound hot breakfast sausage (I use Jimmy Dean brand)
1 tbsp Tiger Sauce
1 tbsp garlic salt
3 tbsp BBQ Rub
2 tsp lemon pepper
Optional: 1 jalapeño chile, seeded, deveined, and minced
12 slices standard (thin-sliced) bacon

Glaze:
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp butter, melted

Method:
Wash the Anaheim chiles and cut the stem ends off so that they are of equal length.

Cut a long V-shaped sliver out of one side of each chile. Start at the cut end, about ¼ inch wide, and end about an inch from the tip. The intention is to get them to open enough to seed, devein, and stuff.

Remove the seeds and veins from each chile.

Mix all of the remaining ingredients, except the bacon and half the BBQ Rub, well in a large mixing bowl.

Roll a tapered cylinder of the stuffing and fit it into each chile, packing it loosely from the tapered end up. You want it full, but not overflowing.

Wrap each chile with one of the bacon slices. Starting about 1 inch from the cut end, tuck the end of the slice between the inside of the pepper and the stuffing. Stretch it around the pepper in a spiral pattern moving toward the other end (not overlapping). Tuck the other end in the tapered end of the chile, just as you started. It should leave you with about 1 inch of chile exposed at each end.

Start your fire and prepare for indirect cooking over medium heat (about 300 degrees F).

Add one small chunk of fruit wood (apple or cherry) to the fire about 10 minutes before adding the chiles. Wood chips soaked for 30 to 60 minutes will work well, too. If you’re using a gas grill, make a smoker pouch.

Dust each wrapped chile lightly with the remaining BBQ Rub.

Cook the chiles indirect about 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning once at the halfway point.

Mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl.

Glaze each chile on one side, turn, glaze the other side, and cook another 15 minutes.

Glaze and turn the chiles again, then cook another 10 minutes.

Remove and serve immediately.