This Little Piggy.

This Little Piggy

By Mother Goose

“This little piggy went to market,

This little piggy stayed home,

This little piggy had roast beef,

This little piggy had none.

This little piggy went ...

Wee, wee, wee,

all the way home!”

However, my little piggies ended up inside bacon, crescent roll dough and pancakes!

 

In 1957, a cute recipe appeared in the new Betty Crocker’s Cooking for Boys and Girls cookbook.  This cookbook was geared towards parents, alright, let’s be honest, the homemaker mom, to teach her children cooking skills.  Hotdogs were baked inside a bread dough, and enjoyed for lunch or dinner.  In 1965, Pillsbury introduced crescent rolls, and included a recipe for crescent roll dogs which added slices of American cheese to the process.

The name “pigs in a blanket” is another one of those “Who claims to have invented it first?” origins.  Essentially the “pigs” refer to sausages that were roasted, wrapped in rolls, and eaten by laborers.  This is traced back to Germany, around the 1400s (remember, they also invented the ever-popular hotdog) where they were called Würstchen im Schlafrock (translation: sausages in pajamas).  In the 1600s, the Irish, English and Scottish laborers were following the lead of German laborers, and ate these sausage rolls alongside meat pies and pasties.  In the 1900s, a recipe for “kilted soldiers” became popular for the Christmas holiday.   Small sausages, named chipolatas, were wrapped, and roasted, in bacon. The “cocktail” pigs in a blanket were basically born, and the bread wrapped version followed.

 

 

 

The breakfast style pigs in a blanket?  Grilled sausages wrapped in fluffy pancakes, drenched in maple syrup, breakfast style pigs in a blanket?  As far as I could ferret out of culinary sites, full of historical data, was linked to IHOP.  The first International House of Pancakes opened in a suburb of Los Angeles in 1958, and breakfast style pigs in a blanket was on the menu.  I have to presume that they got the idea from the 1957 Betty Crocker cookbook, revised it by using thinner pancakes for easy rolling, instead of bread or crescent dough, and it was a hit.

 

 

 

The concept of wrapping sausage inside some type of dough is worldwide, however, in America, hotdogs are used more often.  Sausage is primarily made with meat from the pig, while hotdogs can be all-beef, poultry only, or some combination of pork, beef and poultry.  For a meal, full length hotdogs, smoked sausages, or grilled brats can be rolled in dough, baked in the oven, and served with condiments and side dishes.  The cocktail style are the mini versions of the meats, again, also wrapped in dough and baked. 

 

Now making those is a lot of work, but there is a much easier way of course.  Purchase the full length, wrap in the dough and cut them up into bite size, individual pieces before baking.  First off, this is less work than wrapping those tiny “little smokies” or cocktail franks, and price wise, less expensive in the long run.  Do a price comparison, and depending on where you live, and prices charged at your favorite market, it probably will be less in price.  Also, compare your prices to buying the premade, frozen brands; make sure to check how many are in the package.  One can of crescent roll dough has eight pieces; one package of hotdogs is, usually, also eight.  After rolling the hotdog in the dough (make sure to seal up the dog completely), cut into four sections; that is 32 pieces.  Unless you are buying from a bulk store, the average size at a local market is 12-24 pieces, and the price is kind of high for the amount inside the package.  You are paying, for the convenience, of having the work done for you.

 

20 minutes at 375F.

Another plus, to making it at home, is you can add what you want; press shredded cheese, bacon bits, diced jalapenos, diced onions, or savory seasonings onto the dough, then procced with the wrapping and baking.  The dough is your canvas, now be a culinary artist!  As I have pushed in many of my articles, children at home, get them involved, and they do not have to be little ones.  Get those teenagers and college-aged to learn kitchen skills as well; prep work, creation, completion, and clean up!

 

Summer will be officially beginning soon, and here come all the summery events, parties, picnics and simply having fun in the sun times.  Do not forget the perfect little snack for all those times, pigs in a blanket.

 

Mary Cokenour

 

Nathan's Joins the Black Angus Clan.

Being a Brooklynite, and a lover of New York foods, I have worshipped at the temple of Nathan's located in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. Once I had moved to Utah, I had to come to terms to the fact that I would not be eating a Nathan's hotdog again. Ah, but I was wrong! The local supermarket, City Market, and WalMart began bringing in packaged Nathan's hotdogs and added them to their already abundant hotdog sections. 

So there I was the other day, already to grab the usual green and yellow package when my eye spied a package with black coloring on it.  Stamped on the front was "Made with 100% Angus Beef", and on the ingredient listing it was listed as the first item which means "predominant" ingredient.  Salt and paprika were the seasonings; gluten free in a natural casing and I couldn't wait to try them out.

Being the winter, I wasn't going outside in 10 degree weather to grill up two hotdogs.  I preheated the oven to 350F, lined a pan with aluminum foil and let these puppies cook for 7 minutes.

The franks themselves measure at 6 and 1/2 inches long, while the typical bun is 5 and 1/2 inches, so I did wonder about the shrinkage factor of these new franks.  I was pleasantly surprised to find they remained longer than the buns.  Typically hotdogs begin to shrivel once removed from the heat, but these stayed plumped up much longer.  The taste was incredible; truly beefy and none of the harshness down the throat that over seasoned, or preservative full, hotdogs typically has.  They have snap to them when bitten into and are juicy; they have all the factors to bring you to hotdog nirvana.

Yes, they are a bit more expensive than Nathan's regular beef franks, but are worth it by far!  Next time shopping for hotdogs, try out Nathan's Angus Franks...hail to the beef!!!

Mary Cokenour

Boar's Head Brand

Boar's Head Brand

Website: http://www.boarshead.com/index.php

In 1905, Boar's Head Brand was founded in New York City by Frank Brunckhorst.  He began distributing quality delicatessen items via horse drawn wagons to "mom and pop" shops.  By 1933, the business had grown so large, that he opened up his own plant in Brooklyn, New York, so he could cure his own meats.

Anyone born and raised in New York, or in any surrounding area which featured Boar's Head Brand in their delis or supermarkets,  knows the quality.  It's the standard by which all other brands of deli meats and cheeses are judged.  Luckily, the City Market in Moab, Utah finally brought in this fine brand.  Moab is a huge tourist mecca, so I'll bet dollars to donuts that's the reason why; tourists were requesting Boar's Head when hitting the deli section of the store.

Take, for example, the Beef Frankfurters; all beef (first ingredient on the list), sugar, dairy and gluten free, in an all natural sheep casing.  Whether they're grilled, roasted in the oven or boiled in water you'll get that satisfying snap when biting into one.  Mildly seasoned (salt and paprika), so you'll get the real taste of the beef, not a lot of stage dressing.

To really showcase the franks, Sweet Vidalia Onions in a mild spicy sauce and don't forget that spicy brown deli mustard.  Ketchup is blasphemy!

Looking for a great sandwich, try the various meats like the beef bologna.  Our favorite way is a toasted onion bagel, spicy brown mustard, American cheese and thinly sliced beef bologna.  Just wonderful!  No one in their right mind would even think of making a Reuben without using Boar's Head Brand corned beef, pastrami or roasted turkey and Swiss cheese.

Take it from this ex-New Yorker; you want quality deli meats and cheeses, go Boar's Head Brand or go without.

Mary Cokenour

Elk Burgers, Sirloin Steak and Fish...oh my!!!

This 4th of July weekend was one of quality time - adventures away for the home, barbecuing food up for the family, and doing something I have put off for way too long - cleaning out the garden shed.

Saturday was a day out to Durango, Colorado; a relaxing drive through the mountains, a visit to an Italian eatery (see yesterday's review of Guido's) and just strolling along the streets of historic Durango.

Sunday was a very long day for us both; a 4 1/2 hour drive to Flagstaff, Arizona for lunch before heading off on scenic Route 180 to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Yes, I said the Grand Canyon, and folks around here are amazed, for some strange reason, that it is only a 4 hour drive from our area if you travel directly there. This was the second time we'd visited in a year, the first time was cool and sunny; this time it rained a bit, so it was cold, yet exhilarating.  I took over 200 photos on this little trip (we traveled through Monument Valley also - Doctor Who alert - this was the area the Doctor started this season's first show in), and I'll be posting a few of those at a later date.

Monday, for us Americans, was the 4th of July holiday; the day we celebrate our declaration of independence from the British realm.  It was a quiet day in the neighborhood and likewise in the evening; very few fireworks were set off.  I spent the morning doing a task I'd  promised myself would get done, no matter what...cleaning out the garden shed.  Actually, it only took me about 3 hours to accomplish; not as much junk as I'd originally thought was inside; it became more of an organization task.

Then the cooking began of much of the food I'd prepped on Saturday evening.

Elk Burgers

1 lb ground Elk

1 lb 80% lean ground beef

1 tsp each ground black pepper and onion powder

3 Tbsp Worchestshire sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl; form patties (1/2 inch thick) and keep separated with squares of wax paper.  Place in refrigerator.

When ready to barbeque; set heat of grill to 300F.  Grill burgers for 5 minutes on each side.

Makes 5 burgers.

Sirloin Steaks

All I did for these beauties is rub both sides of the steaks with a no-salt seasoning mixture, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to grill.  I used the same temperature as the Elk burgers (300F); 7 minutes on each side.  There were 4 steaks, each a 1/2 inch thick.

Steamed Fish

I had a 2 lb package of frozen Swai filets, so I simply seasoned them with a sprinkle of salt and crushed dill; dashed lemon juice over all.  Then I placed them inside an aluminum foil grilling bag, placed it on the top rack of the barbeque and let them cook for 20 minutes.  Perfect.

Roy enjoys a good grilled hotdog, so a package of 8 Ball Park Angus Beef hotdogs went on the grill for his snacking pleasure.

All that protein!!!  But I did veggies too.

Grilled Root Veggies

Take one pound each of butternut squash and sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed), 1 lb of fingerling potatoes, a large onion chopped, thinly sliced garlic (4 cloves), 1 cup olive oil and 1 Tbsp sea salt; mix together and place in aluminum foil grilling bag.  Now this has to go on the top rack of the barbeque, set at 300F, for one hour; so plan your grilling to accomodate the cooking time.

Grilled Mixed Veggies

3 each of baby green zucchini and yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch slices; 1 lb of large mushrooms (quartered), 2 packages of sweet mini bell peppers (tops removed and cut in half lengthwise), 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning mix. 

Mix all ingredients together and place in aluminum grilling bag.  Place on top rack of barbeque and let cook for 20 minutes.

....and there you go, the Cokenour 4th of July Family BBQ Feast.

Mary Cokenour

Gotta love them dogs!!!

Hot Dog Sauces – New York Style

In New York City, one of the most popular places to eat is at the local street corner vendor. A colorful umbrella covered push cart; some with jumbo soft pretzels and knishes, but all with the most popular item – Sabrett hot dogs in steaming water with an assortment of condiments: ketchup, mustard, relish and spicy onions in sauce.

Coney Island, the birth place of the famous Nathan’s hot dogs, has a distinctive sauce of its own. A slow cooked, spicy chili type sauce loaded with ground beef and minced onion.

New Yorkers know this is the best quickie, on the go, meal in town; and all self-respecting guide books recommend it to visiting tourists from around the world. If you haven’t stopped at a push cart and had a hot dog with onion sauce, or gone to Nathan’s in Coney Island, then you haven’t really experienced a big piece of New York City.