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 Until
I left Baltimore I never realized what a regional specialty scrapple
was. I'm so nostalgic about it that I've actually had bonding experiences
with strangers I've met who knew what it is, and who love it as much
as I do. For the uninitiated, it's a pate of sorts, which when sliced,
dredged in flour, sauteed in butter and served with fried eggs, has
no equal.
A way to use
up otherwise unusable parts of a freshly butchered pig, scrapple
was an invention of the Pennsylvania Dutch. The traditional method
is to take a pigs head and pig liver (and probably other organ meats),
cook the hell out of it, chop up the meat, bind it with cornmeal,
and add spices. Although I occasionally find it in my local Vermont
supermarket, I've been determined to make it so that I can have
it whenever the mood strikes.
My first foray
into scrapple making was two years ago when I had the opportunity
to take possession of a few pig's heads from someone doing their
fall butchering. The process was a bit tedious, and the results
not quite what I remembered, but I wasn't about to give up. I did
learn two important things during that effort. The first is that
if a butcher offers to take the eyes out of the head for you, let
him/her do it. The second is that contrary to most scrapple recipes,
inclusion of buckwheat flour yields the color and taste I was after
(my family had a particular brand to which we remained loyal).
When I recently
saw pork neck bones in my supermarket, I decided that it was time
to try again. The result was very successful, and using meaty bones
was far less tedious than using an entire head. I love figuring
things out, and was very pleased that I've now mastered a childhood
favorite.
If you love
scrapple but can't get it, try making it. And if you've never had
it, make some for a change of pace. It's very simple, a great way
to use leftovers, and an interesting alternative to bacon or sausage.
Cindy's
Scrapple
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