Cinco de Mayo ( in Spanish means the fifth of May) has become a big celebration day in Arizona, the other Southwestern States, and in parts of Mexico.  It may be a big celebration day where you are too.  Not quite a holiday, but still a big reason to hold a party.  Here is a popular, but really simple, snack to help celebrate.

 

Bacon wrapped Chorizo Jalapeño Poppers

Here’s what you need:

• fresh, whole raw jalapeño peppers about 3 – 4″” long;
• spicy bulk Chorizo sausage (buy in the meat department, either beef or pork),
• pound of bacon

Pre-heat the solar oven while preparing the recipe.

Slice the raw jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise.  De-seed the peppers using a spoon.  Want it mild?  Remove all of the seeds.  Want it a little (or a lot of) kick? Leave in a few seeds.  ((NOTE: You can use gloves to protect your hands if you are sensitive to the heat.  And BE CAREFUL AND DO NOT RUB YOUR EYES !))

Stuff the jalapeno halves with a large tablespoon of the raw chorizo sausage.  It is already spicy, so we don’t add anything else.

Wrap the stuffed pepper with a slice of bacon.

Place the poppers on a open pan.  Using a grate will help them cook faster, and keep them out of any grease that cooks out.  Bake in the solar oven until the chorizo and the bacon are fully cooked.

My poppers cooked for 2 hours.  The day was sunny with a temperature of 77° at the beginning, climbing to 90°.  The solar oven was 275° when the poppers were started and climbed to a temperature of 350°.