Carolina Twinkies!

-Begin by preparing the pork belly. Trim and cut it to your desired size. Ideally, let it sit uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out the skin. If you forget, scrape off excess moisture from the skin and poke small holes in it. 

-Flip the belly over and season the meat side generously with your BBQ rub, avoid getting any seasoning on the skin.

-Fire up the pit, 300°F. 

-Place the pork belly on the pit, skin side up, and apply a thick layer of table salt over the skin to protect it during cooking. Close the lid and let it cook for 3–4 hours.

-Once done, remove the salt crust and wipe the skin clean. Flip the pork belly so the skin side faces down. 

-Mop the meat with your mop sauce and continue to mop periodically for about 1 more hour. When the skin is crispy, pull the pork belly off the pit and let it rest.

-While the pork rests, prepare the jalapeños. 

-Slice each one lengthwise, leaving them mostly intact. Roast them on the pit for about 30 minutes until softened. During this time, place a couple of seasoned blocks of cream cheese on the pit to soften as well. Once the jalapeños are tender, remove them, let them cool, and carefully remove the seeds and membranes.

-When the pork belly has cooled slightly, peel off the crispy skin. 

-Pull apart the pork meat by hand, then chop it and the crispy skin into small pieces. Fold them together, taste for seasoning, and adjust as needed. Add a splash of mop sauce for extra flavor.

-For the cream cheese filling, combine the softened, seasoned cream cheese with the chopped pork belly mixture. Mix well and adjust seasoning to taste. I used SnakeBite.

-Stuff each roasted jalapeño with the cream cheese mixture.

-Place the stuffed peppers in the freezer for a short time to firm up the filling, making them easier to handle. 

-Once chilled, wrap each jalapeño with thinly sliced bacon and season the exterior with your BBQ rub of choice. I used SnakeBite.

-Return the bacon-wrapped jalapeños to the pit at 300°F. Cook until the bacon is fully cooked and crispy, mopping with your sauce during the last 10 minutes. Remove from the pit and allow to rest briefly before serving.

-Enjoy!

Mop Sauce:

-Melt the butter in a pan, then add the chopped onion and cook until softened. 

-Stir in the sliced lemon, paprika, garlic powder, red chili flakes, and black pepper. 

-Add the apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and mustard. 

-Let the mixture boil for 5–6 minutes. Finish with some beer.