Bacon & Gruyère Jalapeño Poppers and Why You Should Avoid Factory Farmed Meat

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All dads deserve a real treat on Father's Day! What is better than spicy jalapeños filled with aromatic cheese and herbs - all wrapped in bacon? Bacon is the real "meat candy" for all keto-dieters. However, not all bacon is good for you and you have to be selective. Beware of sugar, sulphites and other unnecessary additives.

When choosing your meat source, go for outdoor reared pork and avoid conventionally raised factory farmed meat. Unfortunately, the vast majority of pork produced in the US comes from factory farms. Outdoor reared pork may not be easy to find and will cost you extra money but it's totally worth it. Here is why factory farmed sources should be avoided:

• Cruelty. Animal suffering is given no meaningful consideration. Food, Inc. is a must-watch documentary - absence of clean air, sunshine, space and proper food results in chronic pain and diseases - profit always comes first!
• Antibiotics entering the food chain, polluting our environment and damaging our health. Producing cheap meat in such conditions requires feeding the animals with additives to help them grow quickly and disease-free. They are often given antibiotics to prevent diseases resulting from the poor conditions pigs are raised in.
• Ecological damage from faecal waste. Large amounts of faecal waste is released into the environment. Factory farms often prefer to pay fines than changing their damaging methods.
• Systematic human rights violations in meat and poultry industry employment (Human Rights Watch, 2004).

Bottom line: You should always opt for bacon from outdoor reared animals and avoid conventionally raised factory farmed pork at any cost.

Hands-on10 minutesOverall30-35 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving, 6 poppers)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (3%), protein (22%), fat (75%)

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• 12 Jalapeño peppers, deseeded (170 g/ 5.9 oz)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (250 g/ 8.7 oz)
• ¹/₂ cup Gruyère cheese, grated or any hard cheese of choice (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
• 12 slices bacon, cut lenghtwise or 24 slices Pancetta, thin cut (360 g/ 12.7 oz)
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro or parsley

Note: The actual fat content will be lower, as some of the bacon fat will be lost during the cooking process. Therefore, the recipe will contain less fat and fewer calories.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F. Wash the jalapeños and pat-dry with a towel.
   
2. Halve and deseed the jalapeños.
   
3. Mix the grated Gruyère cheese, ricotta and finely chopped cilantro (or parsley).
   
4. Fill each jalapeño halve with the cheese mixture.
   
5. If too wide, halve each bacon slice lengthwise. Wrap each jalapeño halve in the bacon slice and place on a baking rack or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
   
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy.
   
7. Serve hot or cold - Enjoy!

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