Welcome to Wiener Wednesday! Time for another delightfully named hot dog dish, Pig-in-a-Poke!
This recipe is from Better Homes & Gardens Barbecues and Picnics (1963).
Do you know what a pig in a poke is? I didn’t know what a pig in a poke is, so I took to the internets.
A pig in a poke is an offer or deal that is foolishly accepted without being examined first
So, why is it foolish for me to accept this pig in a poke? Is it the questionable nature of both bologna and hot dogs? The appearance of a pickle? Or is it just a pig in a poke because the skewer is poked through some bacon?
I found some other pig in a poke recipes, but those all seem to be breakfast sausages cooked in batter. Nary a skewer to be seen!
Speaking of pigs–did you know that Nicolas Cage has a new movie coming out this weekend called PIG?
Oh yes, he plays a forager (is that the right word?) whose truffle pig runs away.
Or is stolen. I don’t know which.
I like the idea of the pig just leaving him.
A thought:
it would be exhausting to be in a partnership with Mr. Cage. I mean, he seems ultra-intense and ultra-weird. He not only lived in the Madame LaLaurie house, this is a man who built a pyramid-shaped tomb in New Orleans, which he likes to visit.
Scratch that–that’s rather cool. I think I would enjoy that. We could get a coffee and a beignet afterwards. It would be a lovely afternoon.
Anyhoo, it was truly just a matter of time before I somehow merged my enthusiasm for both Nicolas Cage and hot dogs.
I have plans to go see it over the weekend. I am so glad that Covid has ended so I can see Mr. Cage and Pig have fun adventures on the big screen.
I will return with my review next week. But until then:
I broiled them because I do not own a grill. I do not own outdoor space, let alone a charcoal grill.
The Pig-in-a-Poke was fine. It was essentially a bacon-wrapped hot dog. I don’t know why the lovely people at the BH&G test kitchen thought that bologna would be a neat addition, but whatever.
Warm pickles are weird.
***I actually do not know whether or not that is the plot of the film.
An extravagance of nitrates which make me want a fried bologna sandwich.If befriending Nicholas Cage includes access to the Coppola hotel in Italy, am ALL IN!
“A pig in a poke” is something accepted without checking its nature or quality. Poke, in this case, is a regionalism for a sack; the expression refers to an unscrupulous farmer or livestock dealer selling a customer a sack that is supposed to contain a piglet but actually contains a much less valuable animal, like an extra barn cat. To reveal the actual nature of the item is then to “let the cat out of the bag.” After the spooked cat is released and quickly runs away, the customer is “left holding the bag” (although I’m not entirely convinced that that’s the one true etymology for that last expression).
Thank you for that rather fascinating etymology lesson.
CATS ARE VALUABLE, TOO.
I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Pig too!
I love the staging in the photos of those old BH&G books. I always wonder what bizarre story they’re trying to convey.
I was just reading about this film right before you posted this and I immediately thought of you. I thought it was going to be another one of his wackadoo film projects, but it actually looks like a serious drama and has gotten some favorable reviews already. I’ll be waiting to hear your thoughts on it. NC looks rather wild in this one.
I’d eat the Pig-in-a-Poke, it sounds like a good grilled snack. And those marinated lamb squares recipe sounds really good. May have to try that one.
Now that I have the skewers I want to make lamb kebabs.