Egg Bites and more from 3 Little Pigs

Sous Vide Egg Bite on toasted English muffin with a bit of marmalade

I have long been aware of Les Trois Petits Couchons, or Three Little Pigs, a Brooklyn-based maker of charcuterie items. So when they asked me to review their products, in particular their new Sous-Vide Egg Bite, I was more than happy to agree.

Truffle Mouse and Moutard a l’Ancienne

The familiarity is because I’ve been going to the Fancy Food Show for many years and they are one of the first artisanal charcuterie suppliers I can remember. Founded in 1975 in Greenwich Vllage, 3 Pigs (as they abbreviate themselves on their website and in correspondence) had the simple mission to make high-quality French-style patés available in the U.S. (Many charcuterie products are not permitted for import.) They’ve expanded into sausage and an organic line over the years, and now the Egg Bites.

Sous Vide Egg Bites

A Sous-Vide Egg Bite is cooked in the vacuum seal method used for their patés and mousses, and emulates the fillings in a quiche but without the crust. The most popular flavor is Bacon & Swiss, based on a quiche sold from the Greenwich Village shop in the 1970s. Other flavors currently available are Spinach & Feta, Prosciutto & Gruyere, Ham & Espalette Pepper and Mushroom & Swiss. All are made using cage free eggs, and are free from preservatives, nitrates/nitrites, and artificial ingredients; they are also sugar-free, gluten-free, and all-natural. The 3 Pigs marketing director pointed out that the first ingredient is eggs, unlike a competitive product at Starbuck’s which has cottage cheese as its first ingredient.

Truffle Mousse and Moutard a l’Ancienne with some Tartine Porridge Bread

I did not try the Bacon & Cheese because one of my tasters got there first, attesting to its popularity, but all of the others exhibited the satisfying eggy/cheese balance you expect from a good quiche. I tried them at room temperature and they were fine, but they are much better if you microwave for 30 seconds or so. My favorite prep was on a toasted English muffin with a bit of butter and jam for an upscale breakfast sandwich. Refrigerated storage is recommended, so pop into your cooler if you are headed for the Race Course.

I also tried two of their other products, the Truffle Mousse and Mousse de Foie de Canard au Porto, from the new organic line, then added on my own dime the Paté Campagne. Each of these is the sort of appetizer you’d expect in a conservative fine dining establishment: quality ingredients, good flavor balance, and a traditional flavor profile. They are not competing with new artisanal products that might include chunks of fruit, nuts or other non-traditional experimentation.

Spinach and Feta Egg Bite as my favorite.

And, a shout-out to the Moutarde a l’Ancienne—a whole-grain mustard which the booth person raved about at the Fancy Food show, so I asked them to be sure and included it in my shipment. This stuff is addictive: the crunch of whole mustard seeds with a real kick from the heat. It’s a perfect companion to the patés served on a nice piece of bread or toast.

So, where to buy?
The “store finder” button on the Sous Vide Egg Bites product page told me simply that “there are no stores in the area.” The website indicates that you can call 1-800 LES PATES or email info@3pigs.com for local retailers but neither of those sources responded to our inquiry. So we did our own legwork and found the Egg Bites at Putnam Market in Saratoga Springs (at a bit of a markup) and charcuterie items at Price Chopper and Hannaford, two local supermarkets. You can also order on the website with “standard ground shipping” at $9.99 flat or via Instacart.

Note: Burnt My Fingers received free product, but no other form of compensation, for this review.