BEEF POPPERS WITH CREAM CHEESE

Yields ~ 36-40 Poppers

Zesty Italian Marinade

¼ Cup – White Wine Vinegar

¼ Cup – Lemon Juice, fresh

1 Tbsp – Dijon Mustard

1 tsp – Italian Seasoning

2 cloves – Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp – Honey

1 tsp – Kosher Salt

¼ tsp – Black Pepper, ground

½ Cup – Canola Oil

Poppers

276 g – Inside Round Marinating Steak

½ Cup – Zesty Italian Marinade

375 g – Bacon, thin cut, sliced in thirds

8-10 ea – Pepperoncini, cored, deseeded, and quartered

1/3 Cup – Cream Cheese, lightly whipped

Method:

Italian Marinade: In a food processor or blender, add all ingredients except oil and blend on high until well combined, about 30 seconds.
In a slow steady stream, add oil until it forms an emulsified dressing, about 1 minute.
Transfer to a sealed container and chill until required.

Assembly:

Slice steak into very thin strips about 2” in length. Add to a shallow covered container and pour ½ Cup of Zesty Italian Marinade. Toss to coat and fully submerge. Allow to marinate for a minimum of 8 hours up to 24 hours in fridge.
Layer lengthwise one ½ piece of bacon, one strip of marinated steak and one chunk of pepperoncini, lined up from the bottom leaving about 1-2″ of bacon space along top. Roll upwards into a tight roll and pierce with a toothpick through the middle to secure, assuring you’ve pierced through the pepperoncini, so it doesn’t fall out when cooking. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Barbecue: Heat grill on high heat. Using a grill mat, place poppers on top and grill about 10-12 minutes, turning as to evenly brown all sides. Adjust heat as necessary as to not char your poppers too badly!

Stove Top: In a non-stick frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat, fry skewered poppers until bacon is lightly crispy, browned and steak is cooked through. About 8 minutes, flipping halfway.

Allow to rest for about 5 minutes and then serve with a dollop of whipped cream cheese on top.

Recipe curated by Anna Borys and featured in the May 2022 edition of Cattle Country.