Well, hold onto your socks, this week’s dish could be a humdinger for a few timid palates. Actually if eaten in the ‘old’ way it is something I would totally avoid. ‘Scrapple’ got its name from being made with scraps of leftover butchered animals, most frequently the internal organs! YUCK, I don’t like any internal organs, not even chicken livers! So, you may be thinking, how does this dish become one of Debbie’s favorite dishes? The scrapple I grew up on was nothing like the original. Scrapple story time:
They say that German Settlers from the 17th or 18th century may have brought the first forms of scrapple to America. However today we credit the Pennsylvania Dutch with the start of ‘Scrapple’. The Dutch name is panhass or ‘pan-rabbit’.
In the original recipes it was made with internal organs and small scraps of meat from the butchering. My grandparents did not use internal organs, however they did use the entire hoghead for their scrapple meat. The skull of any animal is where you will find some of the tenderest meats.
When it was butchering time the family would frequently make loaves of scrapple, which is comparable to corn meal mush with small scraps of pork added. My mother, Betty, would make several loaves and then freeze them. (Which I’m doing today.)
When internal organs were used there was also an implementation of buckwheat flour. Together this rendered a grey outcome, which was not too appetizing.
Most of the time scrapple is sliced, rolled in flour and fried. I have only eaten mine with maple syrup, but history also shows it was eaten with ketchup, apple butter or jelly. Most often it is served with eggs and toast. It became a very controversial delicacy and most heart doctors did not recommend the consumption. However this was back then, cruise forward to the 1960’s if not the 50’s. Most scrapple was made by using a pork roast or pork butt. Remove the au jus, pat dry and chop fine before adding it the cornmeal mixture.
Today I am making a triple of this recipe so that I can freeze a couple of loaves for later. My husband and son don’t go as crazy over this homemade scrapple as I do, but my dad, Jerry, sure does. And in a recent phone conversation with my nephew’s family I found out they enjoy it too! All because mom exposed them to the food, when she entertained them in their home.
I did take a closer look at some of the infamous foods from Kentucky, which is where the Richardson family, (mother’s maiden name) began their journey. I could not find any reference to Scrapple, but I did find quite a bit of history on wilted lettuce and its beginning in the Appalachians. This too is another dish my family truly enjoys.
Do not confuse ‘Scrapple’ with references to ‘Souse’ or ‘Head Cheese’. These involve very different applications and it’s not even close to ‘Scrapple’. Souse and Head Cheese are usually served cold like lunch meat and used in sandwich form or with crackers. Both dishes are made from tongue, nose, ears, feet, etc. after the butchering is complete. There isn’t any cornmeal in souse or head cheese.
The meats used are usually brined and soaked before putting them into natural juices and solidifying them through refrigeration.
Cornmeal Mush is available in most grocery stores near the pre-made pie crusts, in the box. You prepare it by slicing it, rolling in flour and frying. I’ve also baked it before. Scrapple today is nothing but fine pieces of lean pork folded into cornmeal mush.
And, did you know that November 9th, 2022 is national scrapple day? Yeah, I thought you’d get a hoot with that one!
Simply yours, The Covered Dish, www.thecovereddish.com
Scrapple
3 cups water
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
1-2 cups finely diced pork scraps, (lean, and no fat)
Boil the 3 cups of water. Gather the corn meal, salt and cold water in a separate pan. Slowly pour the boiling water into the cold mixture. Stir mix constantly until thick over low heat for approx. 10 minutes, adding the chopped pork last. Cover the contents between stirrings.
Pour the mix into a greased loaf pan, cool and then place in the refrigerator. To prepare: Slice about 1/3 inch thick, coat in flour and fry until lightly browned. I usually use an oil for the frying. Drain on paper towels and serve with pancake syrup.
After the loaf is cold and firm you should be able to invert and wrap to cook later or to freeze.
