Halgrimson: Scrapple uses the whole hog

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Philadelphia scrapple is not a dish you often find in our area. And that’s too bad.

It is a hearty winter breakfast, brunch or supper created by the thrifty German settlers known as the Pennsylvania Dutch who prepared the dish when hogs were butchered. Scrapple is also popular in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

When making it, scraps from every part of the hog’s anatomy – including meat from the head as well as the skin, heart, liver, tongue and brains – may be incorporated. The pork parts are cooked and combined with cornmeal mush flavored with herbs such as thyme, savory or sage.

The mixture is spooned into loaf pans and allowed to harden in a cool place. After the scrapple firms up, it is cut in pieces and fried in bacon fat, butter or oil. Sometimes sautéed onions or apples are added. Other times buckwheat flour is added to the cornmeal.

The meat is cooled and picked from the bones, and the bones are cooked in water to provide gelatin. The cooking liquid is used for the cornmeal.

Scrapple is served with apple butter, syrup, ketchup, horseradish, gravy and accompanied by fried or scrambled eggs.

Today, recipes use bacon, lean ground pork, pork sausage or chopped pork loin. Neck bones can be simmered and the meat picked off and the broth – or chicken broth – can be used to cook the cornmeal.

The slices of scrapple are fried until a crust forms. The top side should loose its shine before it is turned.

Commercial scrapple is sold in packages or cans and is available on the Internet.

Scrapple

1 pound boneless cooked pork loin, chopped

1 cup cornmeal

1 can (14 1/2-ounce size) chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or as necessary

In a large saucepan combine pork, cornmeal, chicken broth, thyme and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer about 2 minutes or until mixture is very thick, stirring constantly.

Line loaf pan with waxed paper, letting paper extend 3-4 inches above top of pan. Spoon pork mixture into pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Unmold; cut scrapple into squares. Combine flour and pepper; dust squares with flour mixture. In large skillet brown scrapple on both sides in a small amount of hot oil.

Apple Scrapple

3/4 pound bulk pork sausage

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup diced unpeeled red apple

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups water, divided

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons flour

Additional butter for frying

In a skillet, cook sausage and onion until sausage is no longer pink and onion is softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Add butter, apple, thyme, sage and pepper to drippings; cook over low heat until apple is tender. Remove from heat; stir in sausage and onion mixture. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Combine cornmeal, salt and remaining water; stir into boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Stir in sausage mixture. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

Slice ½-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides of slices with flour. Fry in a buttered skillet until browned on each side. Serve with syrup.

Sources: www.foodreference.com/html/a-scrapple.html; www.shameburgers.com/History_of_Scrapple.html; www.ehow.com/facts_5340442_history-scrapple.html; www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/45/OldFashionedScrapple61686.shtml

Readers can reach Forum columnist at Andrea Hunter Halgrimson at ahalgrimson@forumcomm.com

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