Pigs in a blanket

Pigs in a blanket (also known as pigs in blankets, wiener winks, kilted sausages) refers to a few different sausage-based foods in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Canada. They are different to sausage rolls.

History

There exists a similar German meal called "Würstchen im Schlafrock" ("Sausage in a nightgown"). Cooks in the United Kingdom adapted the idea, using (generally) pork sausages to make a dish which was essentially a sausage wrapped first in a piece of bacon, and then in pastry dough, and baked. However, these days, the pastry has been widely dropped and it is usually just pork sausages in a rasher of streaky bacon, cooked until the bacon is crispy. In the United Kingdom, pigs in blankets are generally served alongside roast dinners and are served as a popular accompaniment to Christmas dinner along with the usual trimmings.

United Kingdom

thumb|right|150px|UK version of Pigs in BlanketsIn the United Kingdom, "pigs in blankets" refers to small sausages (usually chipolatas) wrapped in bacon. Usually served at Christmas lunch or with roast dinners, pigs in blankets are now considered an essential part of the Christmas meal. [http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/xmas/dinner.html Christmas dinner in England] . Retrieved 9 September 2008] They can also be eaten as a hearty snack.

Pigs in blankets can be accompanied with devils on horseback, an appetizer of dates wrapped in bacon.

United States

In the United States, the term "pigs in a blanket" often refers to hot dogs, Vienna sausages, or breakfast/link sausages wrapped in biscuit dough, pancake, or croissant dough, and baked. A common variation is to slit the hot dog or sausage and stuff it with cheese before wrapping in dough. The dough is sometimes homemade, but canned dough is most common.

They are somewhat similar to a sausage roll or (by more extreme extension) a baked corn dog. They are served as an hors d'oeuvre or as a children's dish, or sometimes as a breakfast entree, with syrup on the side.

A "pig in a pig" variation, a baked hors d'oeuvre of Vienna sausages or hot dog pieces in bacon, also exists in informal U.S. cuisine.

In another variation, the hot dog is slit and stuffed with cheese before being wrapped in bacon and eaten in a bun.

In regions heavily influenced by Slovak immigrants, the term usually refers instead to stuffed cabbage rolls, such as the Polish or Ukrainian Gołąbki.

At IHOP, the term "pigs in a blanket" refers to sausage links with pancake wrapped around it.

Elsewhere

The name can also refer to klobasnek (a kind of kolache filled with sausage or ham slices), or to a Slavic dish (gołąbki) of ground meat and rice wrapped in cabbage leaves and braised, usually in a tomato sauce. The German "Würstchen im Schlafrock" ("sausage in a dressing gown") uses wieners wrapped in puff pastry. [http://www.daskochrezept.de/rezepte/wuerstchen-im-schlafrock_3055.html Würstchen im Schlafrock] . Retrieved 9 September 2008]

or, more rarely, pancakes. Cheese and bacon are sometimes present.

Holiday

In the United States (and more recently, United Kingdom), National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day is celebrated on April 24. [http://www.ageducate.org/news/calendar.html Pigs in a blanket day] . Retrieved 9 September 2008] This often involves swapping e-cards and eating pigs-in-a-blankets as part of the day's main meal. [http://cards.123greetings.com/cgi-bin/newcards/showthumbs.pl?q1=eapr_pigsblanketday&log=india123 Pigs in a blanket day e-cards] . Retrieved 21 September 2008]

ee also

*Sausage bun
*Sausage roll
*Toad in the hole

References