Smoked Fatty With Pico De Gallo

What can go wrong with a bacon-wrapped, BBQ-rubbed smoked fatty with homemade Pico de Gallo and fire-roasted Poblano peppers? Virtually nothing, if you ask me! This is an amazing treat packed full of tasty ingredients, offering a unique blend of smoky, spicy, and savory flavors.

Sausage, eggs, bacon, and cheese are a hearty combination of fats and protein so they need a counter. We added some fire-roasted poblano peppers to the fatty and homemade Pico de Gallo for a fresh and slightly spicy addition.

This is hands down the best-tasting breakfast sausage log you are going to eat right off the grill. Whether you are feeding a crowd or just trying to have a creative brunch with the family on a Sunday afternoon, this one is going to knock your socks off!

🥓 Ingredients

🛒Breakfast Sausage – You won’t use a full pound. Pick your favorite pork sausage or go for other fillings. Keep in mind what you plan to combine your personal fatty with so the meat will complement it. Look for Apple, Sage, Maple, and Johnsonville even puts out a French Toast variety now.

🛒Bacon – This is one of those times when the thickness of the bacon is key. The first time we made this, we realized that the cut bacon was extremely thin, and it wasn’t cut very square. When choosing bacon, aim for a medium thickness and look for the straightest cuts possible.

This is another area where flavor will come into play. Bacon now comes in Hardwood, Maple, Hickory Smoked, and a whole slew of other ones to test drive on this recipe.

🛒Eggs & Cheese – Scramble the eggs ahead of time and sprinkle in the cheese.

🛒Pico de Gallo – I love a bit of salsa with my eggs, so we added some Pico de Gallo. It adds a touch of freshness that goes really well with a hearty recipe like the smoked fatty.

🛒Roasted Poblano Pepper – The goal was to add extra flavor and minimal heat. The solution was a fire-roasted Poblano pepper. It’s a keeper!

🛒Seasoning – Choose your favorite dry rub for the bacon. I used Burnt Sacrifice’s Dallas Rub. Any of your favorites will do nicely. I would steer away from any exotic flavorings until you have made this a few times.

🔥 Instructions

🌶️Roasting The Poblano Pepper

We wanted a little peppery flavor but didn’t want the heat. A poblano was the perfect answer.

👉Step 1: Preheat the grill on medium-high heat (375°F to 425°F). Our Big Green Egg works as a smoker and a grill, so we were able to roast the pepper and then smoke the fatty without having to use two different appliances. If you only have a smoker, you can roast the pepper in a cast iron pan on the stovetop.

👉Step 2: Place the pepper on the grill grates and let it cook for 5-7 minutes on each side. The skin becomes a bit charred and blistered as you see in the photo above. When both sides are blistered, remove it.

👉Step 3: Cut the pepper in half and scrape out the seeds. The skin can be a bit waxy, but it is easy to peel away.

🥓 Making The Bacon Weave

👉Step 1: Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and place 6-8 slices of bacon side by side to form a square.

Warning: If the bacon is too thin, it will separate. If it is too thick, it will not fold over very well.

👉Step 2: Fold back every other slice in the first row to the halfway point and place a new slice of bacon perpendicular to the fold.

👉Step 3: Unfold the folded slices over the perpendicular slice you just added.

👉Step 4: Now, fold back the alternate slices that weren’t folded the first time. Place another perpendicular slice of bacon at this new fold.

👉Step 5: Unfold the folded slices and continue the process. Keep alternating which slices are folded back for every new perpendicular slice you add until you have a woven square.

Note: Spend an extra minute or two to make sure the bacon forms a tight weave. It is important that you minimize any spaces between the bacon.

👩🏻‍🍳 Making The Fatty

👉Step 1: Layer the sausage on the bacon weave, pressing firmly so it spreads evenly. Rather than mixing the filling ingredients in a bowl, we’ll be layering them. Keep ¾ – 1″ of the bacon uncovered around the perimeter. You need this space for the rolling process later.

👉Step 2: Add the scrambled eggs and any other flavorings you want at this point. We added the pico, roasted poblanos, and shredded cheese.

👉Step 3: Lift the parchment paper and gently roll it over to form a cylinder. Press it together firmly so it will hold everything inside. The bacon will adhere to itself, but if you feel it needs some extra support, then add a few toothpicks. Pin the ends of the BBQ fatty with toothpicks to keep them together.

👉Step 4: Sprinkle the smoked fatty with the dry rub and work it with your hands for even coverage.

👉Step 5: Set up the grill to 375°F using indirect heat. For Kamado-style grills, the plate setter works great. Add your favorite wood chips and get the smoke flowing. I used oak this time. Place the fatty on the indirect heat cooking zone and close the lid.

👉Step 6: Let this smoke for about 45 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 165°F. You’ll be able to look at it and tell that it is done. Add BBQ glaze right before you take it off, or feel free to skip it.

👉Step 7: Transfer the smoked fatty to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks

📌Be Mindful With The Fillings – It is easy to overfill the bacon weave when assembling. Keep in mind that you need to roll it up, so don’t go overboard on the filling.

📌Secure The Ends – Toothpicks are your friend here. I didn’t need them for the rolling this time, but I did use them to secure the ends. Remove them before serving.

📌Cold Bacon – Use bacon straight from the fridge, as it’s easier to work with.

📌Tight Weave – Spend the time when weaving the strips of bacon to make sure it is super tight. It will make rolling the smoked fatty that much easier.

📌Straight-cut Bacon – Look for the straightest packs of bacon at the store. I was surprised at how wavy some packs were. The straighter the cut, the easier it is to weave.

📌Easy Rolling – Use the parchment paper to help roll the smoked sausage fatty up. A piece of plastic wrap would also work if that’s what you have on hand.

When I reached the point where the parchment was going to roll onto itself, I gently pulled it out and then started to roll again using the parchment.

📌Use Seasoning Sparingly – Be mindful of how much salt or barbecue rub you use to season the fatty, especially when using sausage which is usually pretty high in salt.

🍱 Storage and Reheating

❄️Storage – If you have any leftovers, store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

♨️Reheating – Cut a slice and reheat in the microwave for a minute or two. Make sure you cover this when reheating, as it tends to splatter.

🔪 Meal Prep

✔️Scrambled Eggs – Cook the eggs ahead of time and refrigerate.

✔️Bacon Weave – Prep the weave a few hours ahead and store it in the refrigerator rolled in parchment paper.

✔️Salsa – Make the pico de Gallo 1-2 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Technically, you could make it 1-2 days ahead but it doesn’t have such a great texture when it’s not fresh.

🔄 Additions and Substitutions

This is the perfect recipe for adding and replacing ingredients. The stuffing can be any combination you want!

👍Smoking Wood – For any smoked dish, the wood will play an important part in the final flavor. For a rich BBQ recipe like smoked fatty, we prefer a stronger smoke flavor so we usually go for oak, pecan, or hickory.

The key is to use the smoking wood sparingly. This is a short smoke of under 1 hour so a stronger essence will give great results if used correctly. Feel free to check our smoking wood chart if you need a milder option.

👍Poblano Substitutes – Replace it with jalapeno, chipotle, or other peppers. Keep in mind some of these varieties are hotter than poblanos so make sure you can handle the heat!

👍Pork Sausage Alternatives – Instead of pork sausage, you can use grilled meatloaf, ground beef, ground turkey, or even ground lamb for a Mediterranean twist.

👍Different Cheeses – Cream cheese, Provolone, cheddar, pepper jack, gouda – they’re all worth trying.

👍Dry Rubs – Choose your favorite dry rub. Swapping out the seasoning blend will make a big difference. This all-purpose dry rub makes an excellent choice if you’re looking for a versatile homemade option that’s worth keeping in the pantry.

My pulled pork rub and homemade rib rub are also lovely for smoked fatty, and just as easy to make as the all-purpose seasoning.

👍Explore BBQ Sauces – Making your own barbecue sauce is also exceptionally easy! Try this amazing whiskey BBQ sauce, the smoked pumpkin bourbon BBQ sauce, or a tangy cherry bourbon BBQ sauce.

👍Other Toppings – The beauty of smoked fatty, is its versatility. It’s easy to make your own so feel free to add shredded hash browns, sautéed mushrooms, diced avocado, grilled sweet potato wedges, cooked beans, crushed tortilla chips – or any other ingredients you like.

🧄🌿 Flavor Combinations

Garlic Lovers	Roasted garlic cloves
Hot Pepper	Roasted habaneros and Sazon seasoning
Buffalo Seasoned	Buffalo seasoning or Frank’s Hot Sauce
Savory Blends	Rosemary, thyme, and oregano
Smoked Salmon	Thin slices of smoked salmon on eggs
Onion Lovers	Caramelized onions (and mushrooms)

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

🥔Sides – As long as you have the grill going, grill some baby potatoes with garlic to round out the breakfast. I also like to serve grilled root vegetables with this. The starches work well with this recipe.

Need more options? Plenty of choices in our BBQ sides list!

🍺Drinks – Let’s not forget the beverages! Beer will always be a good option – and a popular one. This is a hearty dish, so a malty lager or a robust ale will pair nicely.

Wine lovers can enjoy it next to a glass of bold red wine like a Syrah or a Zinfandel.

For a non-alcoholic option, pair the smoked fatty with a sparkling cider or a black tea – they will counter the fattiness of the dish nicely.

♨️More Smoked Breakfast Recipes

The smoker can produce some of the most mouthwatering meals and breakfast is no exception!

⭐There’s not much that wouldn’t pair wonderfully with some smoked bacon slices.

⭐Smoked shotgun shells are another fabulous bacon-wrapped sausage treat that will disappear really fast from the plate!

⭐Eggs are a breakfast staple and you can take them to the next level with this smoked eggs recipe. Smoked deviled eggs will definitely impress everyone in both taste and appearance. They also work great as a party appetizer!

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