"Oscar Mayer Cookout Fun" - Smokie Curry

Date I made this recipe: July 12, 2009

Oscar Mayer Cookout Fun by Oscar Mayer & Company (pamphlet)
Published by: Oscar Mayer & Company
© 1959
Recipe: Smokie Curry – p. 11

Well, as per usual, it seems as if celebrities die in threes: Michael Jackson died, Farrah Fawcett passed away, and my own personal hero, Oscar Mayer—as in Oscar Mayer of Oscar Mayer Weiner fame – left us at age 95.

Now I hate to say but when I heard that Oscar Mayer died, I said to my husband “didn’t you think he was already dead?” No offense to the man, but seeing as how I grew up eating Oscar Mayer products (and I will be 51 in October) it just seemed like the namesake of the company would be long gone but surprise, surprise he hung in there for 95 years – good for him!

We traveled a lot as a family and lunch almost always consisted of sandwiches made out of…wait for it….Oscar Mayer products. In addition to the famous bologna, we often purchased a variety pack and to this day I have cravings for pickle and pimento loaf and the olive loaf that were part of that pack (there is nothing more fun that pushing the olives out of the loaf and then sticking one’s tongue through the hole…usually at my sibling). And of course, no bonfire at the beach would be complete without Oscar Mayer Wieners; I preferred them with one heck of a charred (read: crispy) skin that had been blackened by a fire comprised of driftwood – ah, that smell! There wasn’t anything else that said “summer at the beach” like an Oscar Mayer hot dog.

So of course, upon hearing the news, I had to pull out this little pamphlet and wouldn’t you know, the recipe I selected had diddley boo to do with outdoor cooking (as the title says), and instead involved a chaffing dish. But I like to be different and hey, we can’t always go with the obvious salute to Oscar Mayer (i.e. hot dogs) and so I made this recipe instead. By the way, the title of this section is “The gourmet touch! CookOut Fun with a Foreign Flavor,” featuring Ham Polynesian, Little Italian Pizzas (English muffins with spaghetti sauce and little sausages) and this recipe for Smokie Curry.

Now I wouldn’t go so far as to call this gourmet food but back in 1959 this was downright exotic so what the heck, give it a whirl. But the next time you’re in the lunch meat section of the grocery store, take a moment to honor the man who made bologna (and hot dogs) king and start singing (to yourself) these well-known ditties: “My bologna has a first name, it’s O.S.C.A.R….” and “Oh I’d love to be an Oscar Mayer Wiener, that is what I’d truly like to be-eee-eeee….” I’m sure Oscar would be happy.

Smokie Curry- makes 4 servings
1 package Oscar Mayer Smokie Links, cut in thirds
1 can (1 lb 4 oz) sliced pineapple
¼ green pepper, thinkly sliced
1 Tbsp. butter
3 cups cooked rice
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups liquid (pineapple syrup plus water)
1 bouillon cube

Brown Smokie Links, drained pineapple and pepper in butter. Arrange on hot rice and keep warm. Blend remaining ingredients, add to butter in pan. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Pour over rice.