Pigs in Spicy Blankets

Ingredients

• 1.5 tablespoons chiles in adobo sauce canned (from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo)
• 3 tablespoons agave syrup 
• 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 16 servings pepper black freshly ground
• 0.8 cup buttermilk 
• 0.5 teaspoon caraway seeds 
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar dark packed
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard 
• 1 teaspoon sage dried
• 1 large eggs well beaten
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 
• 2 cups flour for dusting all-purpose plus more
• 2 teaspoons garlic minced
• 1.5 pounds ground pork 
• 2 teaspoons penzey's southwest seasoning italian
• 16 servings kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper black
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 1.5 teaspoons ground mustard 
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper flakes red
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 4 tablespoons butter unsalted cold cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons mustard yellow

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• paper towels
• oven
• plastic wrap
• mortar and pestle

Directions

1. Make the sausage: Toast the coriander, fennel and caraway seeds in a small skillet over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool completely, then grind with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
2. Add the garlic, sage, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and the red pepper flakes; grind to mix.
3. Combine the spices with the ground pork in a bowl.
4. Add the maple syrup and mix. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
5. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, baking soda, cayenne and sea salt in a food processor; pulse to combine.
6. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 6 times (for 4 to 5 seconds each time), until the mixture resembles cornmeal.
7. Add the mozzarella and pulse 3 to 4 times, until well combined.
8. Add the buttermilk and process until a ball forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
9. Form the sausage mixture into 16 mini sausages, about 4 inches long (use about 2 tablespoons sausage for each).
10. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausages in 2 batches until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Cool on paper towels.
11. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
12. Sprinkle with flour, then gently pat out and roll into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Trim the edges to make them even.
13. Cut the rectangle in half crosswise, then cut each half into four 3-by-8-inch strips.
14. Cut each strip in half diagonally to form 16 long triangles.
15. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
16. Place 1 sausage on the wide end of a dough triangle and roll up. Repeat with the remaining dough and sausages. Arrange the pigs in blankets 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
17. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
18. Combine the agave, both mustards, the adobo sauce and a pinch of black pepper in a bowl.
19. Serve the pigs in blankets with the mustard.
20. Photograph by Con Poulos