Hurtado Barbecue: Texas Twinkies

Review - Hurtado Barbecue: Texas Twinkies

Hurtado Barbecue made the 2021 Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joint and after visiting there, I see why. Located a stones throw away from the Dallas Cowboy’s stadium in Arlington, TX. I attempted to order the Texas Twinkies three days in a row during my DFW BBQ tour. The first day they were randomly closed for a catering event, the second day I swung by at 2pm and they were out and on the 3rd day, I arrived 30 min after opening, so if you want to try these babies, make sure you get there early, and it’s worth checking their IG page to avoid the random closure, especially if you’re going early in the week.

After reviewing the youtube video below to identify the ingredients, I used the knowledge gained from Meat Church’s tutorial on making these amazing tailgate treats to connect the dots. The big lesson I learned after making these and then trying the real thing, is that I was shorting the amount of brisket that I should be using. So make sure you have plenty of chopped brisket on hand, and make that the main ingredient that is stuffed in the jalapeno. Also, if you are not a fan of pimento cheese or have buddies that aren’t (like I do), there’s no reason you can’t sub smoked cream cheese like I did with half the batch.

Recipe adapted from Ft Worth Star-Telegram Youtube Channel

Ingredients:

1) 8-10 Large Fresh Jalapenos (the bigger the better)

2) 1 lbs of Chopped Brisket

3) 1 C. Pimento cheese

4) 1/2 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese

5) Black Pepper

6) Sweet Rub

7) Sweet BBQ Sauce (optional)

8) Bacon (Standard cut works best)

Directions

1. Maintain a Pit temp of 250*F.

2. Slice the Jalapeno like a T-shape starting at the top, Core out the veins and seeds with a spoon or spoon’s end. Leaving veins will increase the spiciness. Rinse it out under water.

3. Place the jalapenos in the smoker for 30 min to loosen them up.

4. In a bowl, combine #2 chopped brisket, #3 pimento cheese, #4 sharp cheddar cheese.

5. Stuff the jalapenos with the combined ingredients from step 4.

6. Wrap each jalapeno with 1-2 pieces of bacon (3 if needed).

7. Sprinkle with a sweet rub and add a little black pepper on top.

8. Place on a wire rack and put it in the smoker for 1.5 hours or when bacon is done.

9. Optional: If you want to add a nice glaze at the end, at the 75 min mark, add BBQ sauce to the top and let it cook for 15 more minutes.

10. When ready, remove and let cool for 10-15 min.

    Watch your friends and family savor every bite.

Let us know how it turned out in the comments below.