Scrapple is a dish created by the Pennsylvania Dutch - cornmeal/pork mush-type thingie.
Made from the scraps of the pig after the chops, bacon, ham, etc. were taken from the animal. It many even contain the skin, heart, liver, tongue and brains.
They never wasted a thing! Mixed with onions, spices, etc. it is shaped into a loaf shape, sliced and fried in butter or lard. Serve with maple syrup, ketchup, butter and/or a side of fried eggs.
Today it is not made with such parts - but as long as it's pork - it's good. It's similar to making sausage except it's shaped into a loaf instead of made into patties or stuffed into casings and scrapple is "cooked" twice.
Old-Fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch Scrapple
1/2 pound chopped raw pork
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup corn meal 1 medium onion, chopped
1- 1/4 quarts water
Brown onion slowly in a little fat. Add meat, seasoning and water. Cook at simmering point 20 minutes.
Add corn meal and cook over medium heat for one hour. Turn into loaf pan and cool.
Cut in slices and fry in fat until brown. Serve with gravy or tomato sauce.
another version:
2 pounds ground lean pork
1 pound beef liver
1 cup buckwheat flour
3 cups yellow corn meal
4 tablespoons salt
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sage
2 teaspoons ground mace
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons whole sweet marjoram
3 quarts of water
In a large pot bring the water to a boil. Add beef liver and boil 10 minutes. Remove the liver and either run through a chopper or grab a knife and cut it in as small pieces as you can. Return chopped liver to the pot. Add the ground pork, a little at a time, and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes.
In a large bowl mix the buckwheat flour, corn meal, salt, and spices; add to meat and broth slowly, stirring constantly. Simmer gently for one hour, stirring frequently. Use lowest possible heat, as mixture scorches easily.
Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bounce the pans a couple of times so that the Scrapple settles, and let cool. Let the Scrapple set in the refrigerator overnight.
When you arise in the morning, remove the scrapple from the refrigerator and cut into to 3/8 inch slices.
To freeze, lay a sheet of waxed paper between slices, place in freezer bags.
To serve: Thaw slices and dust with flour. Fry in either bacon grease or lard until golden brown. Do not use a cooking spray. It will not taste right and ruin the scrapple.
another:
2 pounds pork shoulder (or pork butt)
1 whole fresh pork hock
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
Cut up pork shoulder (butt) into 2 inch chunks. Place the pork chunks, pork hock, sage and cayenne in a stock pot and cover with water. Simmer for about 2 to 3 hours or until meat falls apart. Drain and reserve stock.
Pull meat from bone and chop all the meat with a knife or food processor, being careful not to grind it too fine. Set aside.
Measure 5 cups of stock and return to pot. Bring it to a simmer; add meat, cornmeal, salt and peppers, and stir constantly until thick and smooth, about 15 to 30 minutes.
Pour mixture into 2 loaf pans and refrigerate until completely chilled. Un-mold scrapple. Slice and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides.
Makes 12 servings.
