Regional Cooking: Philadelphia Scrappleby Kendall

I’ve only been to the Northeast once, so I’d never heard of Scrapple until some friends of ours from Pennsylvania mentioned it. Scrapple is a famous dish in states like Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, and it hasn’t yet made it up to the Pacific Northwest. The dish originated as a way to use up pork scraps. The scraps are combined with cornmeal, buckwheat flour, seasonings, and broth to make a mush, then chilled till firm. Before serving, the scrapple is cut up and fried.

Historically, scrapple is an early American dish. It was created by Dutch immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries. A German dish, called Pannaus, is closely related to scrapple in preparation and flavor.

Philadelphia Scrapple

2 lbs. lean bony pork
2 qts. water
1 Tbsp. salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp. sage or poultry seasoning
1/8 tsp. mace
1 c. fine cornmeal
1/2 c. buckwheat flour

Put meat in kettle; add 1 1/2 qts. water, salt and pepper; simmer until meat is very tender. Skim fat from top, strain off broth and set aside.

Remove meat from bones and chop it fine (do not grind). Pour broth into saucepan; add meat, sage and mace and bring to boil.

Combine cornmeal and buckwheat; slowly stir 2 c. cold water into mixture. Add a little at a time to meat, keeping it simmering continuously. Stir until mixture reaches the consistency or soft mush. Lower heat so scrapple will not scorch (or cook over boiling water 1 hour), stirring occasionally.

Pour into two 9×5x3″ pans, rinsed with cold water. Chill.

To cook, turn scrapple out of pan and cut in 1/4″ to 1/2″ slices. Lay them, so slices do not touch, in a cold, heavy skillet. Set over moderate heat; let brown slowly but thoroughly on one side; repeat for other side. It may take about 30 minutes to brown scrapple properly. Makes 8 to 14 servings.

For extra flavor, add 2 slices pork liver, chopped, with pork.