Award-Winning Pigs in a Blanket
Pigs in a Blanket are a classic and beloved party hors d'oeuvre, but there is one company that makes them better than anyone else - well, according to Oprah at least. We traveled to Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, New York to meet up with Missy Koo, the co-founder of Brooklyn Piggies, to find out what makes her pigs in a blanket so special.
Just a few weeks after launching their artisan pigs in a blanket stand at Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, New York, members from Oprah's team discovered Brooklyn Piggies and knew that they were something that Oprah would love. After trying them herself, Oprah helped put Brooklyn Piggies on the map by adding them to her "List of Favorite Things" in 2012. Since then, Brooklyn Piggies has been hand making their pigs in a blanket and shipping them across the United States.
But what makes Brooklyn Piggies better than your normal store-bought brand? Missy says that since the concept of the pig in a blanket is so simple and only consists of two ingredients, you need to have really good ingredients. Missy and her business partner spent months testing different sausages and pastries from different purveyors, until they finally came up with the delicious final product. Unlike many hot dog companies, Missy uses prime cuts of meat in her sausages, not the trim. It is a mixture of beef, pork, and spices in a lamb casing. The pastry is unique because it is light and fluffy rather than dense and heavy. Together, these two ingredients make the perfect pig in a blanket. Brooklyn Piggies also has a spicy pig in a blanket, a chicken variety, and are working on a vegetarian option.
If you want to try making your own pigs in a blanket at home, Missy advises that you make sure to "seal the dough" after wrapping the sausage and place the pig in a blanket seam side down on the cooking tray to avoid it from bursting open. She says that other than that, the only thing that could go wrong is not having enough of them!
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