Harald Zoschke, the chilehead griller of Bardolino, Italy, has come up with another masterpiece. To quote him: “Hey kids, look–here’s a tasty snack. Your turtle was too old anyway.”
“Just kidding,” he writes. “The tasty turtles with the (almost) authentic look are made from ground beef – the patty gets a cheese-stuffed jalapeño pepper as a spicy “surprise center,” and the shell is a bacon weave wrap. The legs and neck are made from small brats. The turtles are grilled indirectly, with applewood smoke adding extra flavor. Shortly before done, we brush ’em with BBQ sauce and finish them 5 minutes over direct heat. Kudos to who ever came up first with this creepy but tasty highlight for every barbecue party!”
- Make a bacon lattice with the ground beef in the middle of it, topped with a cheese-stuffed jalapeño.
- Shape the ground beef so it looks like a turtle and add small bratwursts for the neck and legs.
- Cook over indirect charcoal heat with a tray of wood chips to add smoke.
- Brush with barbecue sauce as you grill it.
- Here is the finished turtle, resting.
- And the inside looks delicious!