Beef and Cheese Jalapeno Pepper Poppers

1. Add the cooking oil to a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot add the beef (or chorizo), garlic, white part of the scallions, salt and pepper to taste and cook until meat is browned. Then set it to the side to cool.

2. Meanwhile, if you have a jalapeno pepper roasting stand, cut about 1/4 of an inch off of the top of each pepper (set the tops aside—you’ll use them later). Use the tip of a small paring knife to remove the seeds and as much of the vein as possible from the peppers, be careful not to break the peppers.

If you don’t have a stand then do not remove the tops; instead, remove the stem then cut each pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seed and veins.

3. In a small bowl combine the browned meat, salsa, cream cheese, Mexican blend cheese, green part of the scallion and the cilantro; mix well.

4. Spoon the mixture into a Ziplock bag and cut a small triangle off of the bottom corner of the bag. Using the Ziplock bag as a piping bag, put the cut tip into the opening of a pepper and squeeze the mixture into the pepper. Repeat with the remaining peppers.

If using the Jalapeno pepper roasting stand, then place the peppers carefully into the stand and replace the tops on the peppers, so that they look like little hats. If you have cut the peppers in half, then fill each half with the filling and set them on a tray.

** The first 4 steps can be prepared in advance, with the assembled peppers held in the refrigerator until you’re ready to grill.

5. Preheat your grill to medium-low heat when ready. Put the peppers in the Jalapeno Popper stand on the grill over indirect heat for about 20-25 minutes. If you like a little color on the peppers, then place them over direct heat (medium low heat) for about 5 minutes, until the peppers are soft, but not charred.

If you are not using the stand, then put the poppers directly on the grill at medium low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the pepper is soft, but not charred.