THE CULINARY CRACKER

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork sausage

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded Parmesan

1 pound large fresh jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until evenly brown. Drain grease. In a bowl, mix sausage, cream cheese and Parmesan. Spoon 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each jalapeño half. Arrange stuffed halves in baking dishes. Bake 20 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

ARMADILLO EGGS

Yields 6

Sausagestuffed Jalape Os

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 pound pork sausage

12 slices bacon

6 jalapeños with tops, seeds, cores removed

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 ounces shredded cheddar

2 tablespoons sweet rub (find in spice aisle)

1 cup BBQ sauce

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar and sweet rub. Spoon some of mixture into each jalapeño. Use back of spoon to press filling completely into each jalapeño. Wrap and entirely cover each jalapeño with sausage. Roll jalapeños back and forth into an egg shape. Wrap each armadillo egg with 2 pieces of bacon. If needed, secure with toothpicks. Arrange armadillo eggs on lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 30 minutes, until sausage is evenly browned and bacon is desired crispiness. Remove from baking sheet. Place on serving dish, brush with BBQ sauce and serve.

Caribbean Mango Habanero Ribs

Serves 4

DRY RUB INGREDIENTS

2 slabs baby back ribs

¼ cup brown sugar

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon allspice

1 tablespoon chili powder

MANGO HABANERO SAUCE INGREDIENTS

11.3-ounce can of mango nectar

1 fresh mango, cubed

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons red habanero sauce

3 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon allspice

½ cup water

Mix all dry rub ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over ribs and rub in well. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, overnight preferred. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cut each full rack of ribs in half, making 4 half racks. Wrap each half rack in aluminum foil. Bake for 2½ hours. Half an hour before ribs are done, add fresh cubed mango to blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, add mango purée and remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add a little water if sauce gets too thick. Reserve 1 cup of sauce for later use. Preheat outdoor grill for high heat. Remove ribs from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Remove ribs from foil and place on grill. Brush barbeque sauce on ribs while they are grilling. Grill ribs for 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer ribs to a platter. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Cut and take reserve sauce and drizzle on ribs just before serving. Extra sauce can be used for people who want more sauce.