Scrapple, it's whats for breakfast and lunch

[David LaPell]

To those of you who might have never have had this delectable feast, scrapple, or panhaas as it's known in Dutch country, is got to be one of the best things ever concocted. Our local butcher shop here makes it themselves and sells it by the pound. I have made it myself with venison and ground bison as the filler but who ever the one who makes it at the local butchers is much better at it.
Scrapple is what used to be known as recycling in its best form. Take the scraps and whatever is left over from butchering a pig, throw it all in a vat and boil it down, add cornmeal, spices, etc. and let it congeal for at least 24 hours into a loaf of sorts. Cut it into slices and throw it in a pan and brown it on both sides.
To me there are few things that can get the taste buds going like a couple of good slices of scrapple. Anyone else ever develop a taste for it?

 

[snowman]

The maternal grandmother of my roommate and best friend in grad school lived in eastern Pennsylvania, and my roommate invited me on the Thanksgiving break to stay with the family there for a few days. They had some scrapple there for breakfast at least one of the days, along with some other items. The stuff didn't look too appetizing to me, so I passed. Given another opportunity I might try it.

Andy

 

[chaparrito]

Every livestock culture has some sort of similar recycled generic parts tradition. I'd give it a try given the opportunity. I imagine It'd taste about like SPAM dredged in cornmeal and fried, which would not be a bad thing at all.

 

[sharpessword]

Scrapple, eggs, biscuits & gravy.....

Good post on Scrapple, Dave.

I had an eight year tour of duty in central Pennsylvania during
the 70's and early 80's.

Scrapple was available and featured at all of the locally owned restaurants.
Amish people sold some of the best tasting scrapple at farmer's
markets.

My wife grew up in Western Pennsylvania in a French neighborhood. She said that scrapple was also a big favorite
where she was growing up, served with fried eggs, biscuits and gravy....

I suppose scrapple could be considered a regional food: like grits and butter.

Dave

 

[bigmtnman]

I grew up in suburban Maryland on "Rapa" scrapple (made in Delaware). Back in the day when you went to ANY grocery store there was the section for bacon, sausage and scrapple. Scrapple was always one of my favorite breakfast meats. In Baltimore, they tend to eat it with maple syrup. When i moved to Colorado......NO SCRAPPLE !! For years, I made the mistake of not asking about it. One day I called the store to see if I could order a case. The gal said she thought they carried it there. She checked and said they had it. It was in the "frozen meat" section. I hurried down to the store and sure enough, in that little weird section was a single row of one pound frozen blocks of Jones Bros. scrapple. I opened the door and reached way down to the end of that row and pulled them all out into my cart !! My favorite way to eat scrapple is mixed with fried egg and potatoes all cut up in a bowl with ketchup. It looks like what happens when you shoot a zombie in the head ! A girlfriend (upon seeing me fix this) sternly instructed me to NEVER fix that in her presence ever again !! Guess what I am really...REALLY hungry for now !!

 

[Rustyt1953]

Scrapple is good stuff to be sure.

We have it's German cousin:

 

[DWalt]

I have understood it is the national meat dish of Philadelphia, but I have never eaten Scrapple in Philadelphia, or for that matter, anywhere else. My wife's best friend lives in the Pennsylvania Dutch country outside Philly, but has never been able to convince my wife to try it. W.C. Fields (who came from Philadelphia) had Scrapple shipped to his Hollywood home as long as he lived.

"This world is all a fleeting show,
Since Adam ate the apple,
Its smiles of joy, its tears of woe,
Deceitful shine, deceitful flow--
There's nothing true but--
Scrapple."

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

Ah.... scrapple! More proof that the oink is only part of a pig that you can't eat.
I would never touch scrapple as a kid, probably because my older sister told me it was made from pig brains. Sure looked like it to a six year old. 'Course that left more on the platter for her. Women are devious.
Love it now. It's a regular year round staple in all the grocery stores in most of Pennsylvania. Some of the diners in these parts only serve it during late winter and spring. That's when they can get it fresh made by the local farmers, Amish, Menonite or not. Late January through early March was the traditional butchering time of old and it still carries on today with many of the local farmers.
We lucked into a tasty pan of scrapple this spring via my son-in-law and it didn't last long.

John

 

[ordy]

We have it once a month or so but I could eat it every day. The taste is more about how it is seasoned than the taste of the meat itself. I've had Rappa and fresh from the Amish farm but my favorite is Habersettes. Any diner around Philly worth a darn will have it on the menu year round.

 

[JH1951]

Great central Pennsylvania eating for sure! I like it fried in butter in a cast iron pan rather crisp and made with roasted cornmeal..... Depending on mood, a blast of good maple syrup tops it well. Now I am hungry.

 

[Philadelphia Patriot]

I LOVE SCRAPPLE!!! I eat it every Sunday for breakfast. We go to 8:15AM mass, and we're at the diner around 9:40AM. Thinking of scrapple is what gets me through church. Eggs, home fries, scrapple, and strong coffee. That is what Philadelphia Patriot is made of.

 

[JayFramer]

Being a Southern Illinois boy, I've not had scrapple. Sure looks good though!

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

Being from Hawaii and all it's odd ball foods,

I'm willing to try it at least once.

More if I like it.

Add it to the must eat list if I really like it.

Wonder if I can find it in Texas Hill Country??

 

[finesse_r]

I will have to pass on such an eloquent form of sustenance as pig scraps.

For breakfast I prefer a more traditional ham and eggs or steak and eggs with hash browns with toast and strawberry jam, cranberry juice, and steaming hot black coffee. Boring and certainly not exotic, but it suits me just fine.

 

[model70hunter]

My maternal Grandfather butchered his own hogs, salt/sugar cured hams and bacon. The rest of the hog was pretty much consumed, intestines for sausages, the fat was rendered with the scraped and hairless hide on it to make cracklins.

I love it all except scrapple, the hog skull was split with an axe and added to the mix.

When I was very young I squirrel hunted at home, we preferred head 22 LR head shot squirrels.

I was hunting with Mom's youngest brother on Gramps farm. HE let me shoot first. Yep right through the head. I was so proud until Unc said, Dad is going to be ticked, we shoot then through the ribs, he eats the squirrel brains.

Sure enough I watched Grandma fix dinner, she took the heads, boiled them and put them on a saucer next to grandpa. He had a pair of pliers and cracked the skulls like so many walnuts and ate the brains. I quit watching after the first one. I had never noticed before but maybe that was the first time squirrel was on the menu.

I've never desired them. My Dad ate store bought scrappel. And you're sure there aren't brains, right? Scouts honor?

 

[lawandorder]

Tried it one time, remember the scene in Big where Tom Hanks character tried caviar? Same reaction I had.

Only thing worse I have tried is menudo.

Yuck!

 

[susieqz]

pig scraps generally mean sausage.
thanks for explaining what scrapple is, loaf sausage.

 

[twodog max]

Never had it but I would give it a try.

 

[STCM(SW)]

Tried it one time, remember the scene in Big where Tom Hanks character tried caviar? Same reaction I had.

Only thing worse I have tried is menudo.

Yuck!

Well, you sure don't know good food!
There both great.
I can get Menudo out here, but not Scrapple....
Had it all the time when I lived in N.J. and hunted in PA.

Reminds me, I have to get the Step Daughter to send me some
before she moves to FL.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Never had any Scrapple.
Have eaten most everything on the hog including Hoghead Cheese, Souse.
Have eaten Cavier,
Have eaten a Ricebug in Thailand.
Was with a buddy of mine from Louisiana. You are not responsible for your actions when accompanied by somebody from LA.
The next time I go to the NE, I will bring somebody from LA and try the Scrapple.