Meet the "Real" Betty

Meet the "Real" Betty
Betty through the ages

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Pig in a Poke/Popovers: Epic Baking Fail - Yet Still Delicious



When I saw the recipe for Pig in a Poke, I knew that I had to make it.  The name was just perfect.  I’m not going to lie, it made me think of National Lampoon’s European Vacation.  The entire time I was cooking it, the theme song from the game show at the beginning of the movie was running through my head.  Come to think of it, I have that song running through my head right now.

Aside from the funny name, I knew this was going to be something that I could easily get my husband to eat.  Not only did he eat it, he went back for seconds.  The flavor reminded me a bit of French toast and a bit of toad in the hole.  I served it with a side of diced potatoes to give it more of a breakfast for dinner feel.  The only problem I had with the recipe was something that was entirely my fault – I opened the oven to take a look while it was baking and that caused the popover batter to, well, not popover.  Instead, I ended up with flat popovers but it tasted good all the same.  I will definitely be making this dish again.  Next time I promise to keep the oven closed.

Pig in a Poke is very simple to make, though, it is something of a hybrid recipe – it contains a recipe within a recipe.  Both recipes came from the 1956 edition of the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook.  The original recipe called for sausage links and I accidentally bought a pound of regular ground pork so I just formed it into short, fat links and it worked just as well.  Additionally, I did NOT grease my baking dish as the Pig in a Poke recipe did not instruct me to do so.  I was conflicted on this as the popover recipe did instruct well-greased pans.  In the end, I decided to stick with the directions for Pig in a Poke and mine came out of the pan just fine.

Pig in a Poke
Serves 6

Ingredients:
·        1 lb pork sausage links
·        1 recipe Popover Batter (see below)

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 425°F.
2.    Arrange the pork sausage links in an 11x7 inch oblong baking pan.
3.   Bake Sausage links in 425°F oven for 10 minutes.
4.   Drain off most of the fat.
5.   Pour popover batter over sausages.
6.   Bake in 425°F oven for 30 minutes.
7.   Cut into squares, loosen pieces with a spatula and serve hot.




Popovers
Serves 5 – 9 (depending on cup size)

Ingredients:
·        1 cup sifted flour
·        ½ tsp salt
·        1 cup milk
·        2 eggs

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 425°F.
2.   Beat all ingredients together with a rotary beater just until smooth.

**Remaining steps not used for Pig in a Poke recipe**

3.   Pour into well-greased deep muffin cups (3/4 full) or oven-safe glass cups (1/2 full).
4.   Bake in 425°F oven until golden brown, 40 – 45 minutes.
5.   Serve immediately. 








Comment below and let me know about your epic baking fails!


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