Smoked Beef Shots on the Yoder Smokers YS640

• 8 oz cream cheese (1 block) softened at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated Gouda cheese
• 1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 14–16 ounces beef bacon, sliced
• 14–16 ounces beef kielbasa links
• 2 jalapenos, thinly sliced into coins

1. Prepare the filling. Mix the softened cream cheese, sour cream, Gouda, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and green onions together until well-mixed. Season with fresh ground black pepper to taste. Place the filling in a piping bag, or plastic bag with the end snipped off. Set aside.
2. Assemble the beef shots. Slice the kielbasa into pieces about 1/3 of the width of the beef bacon (roughly 1/2-inch pieces). Measure out a slice of beef bacon to wrap around one of the pieces to check the measurement. Slice the beef bacon into 2 equal-sized pieces. Use half of the slice to wrap around 1 piece of kielbasa, and secure in place with a toothpick. Repeat with the rest of the pieces.
3. Place the prepared beef shots on a wire rack with a baking sheet. This will make them easy to transfer in and out of the smoker.
4. Fill the beef shots. Place a slice of jalapeno inside the shot. Pipe the cheese filling in, all the way up to the edge of the bacon. Repeat with the rest. You may prepare these a few hours ahead of time, storing the tray in the fridge.
5. Smoke the beef shots. Preheat your Yoder smoker to 300°F. Once it’s ready, set the prepared tray of shots into the smoker and allow them to cook for 1 hour.
6. Check for crispy bacon. After about 45-50 minutes, take a peek and make sure they are on their way to the finish line. Cook them for the full hour, or keep going if you need the bacon to be slightly more crispy. Use your intuition.
7. Remove and serve. Be careful, the molten cheese will burn your mouth!

Notes