scrapple: wherein i sacrifice my health

[Andrew Fenton]

Is there any such thing as the other end of the pig when you're talking about scrapple?

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True, true. I was thinking mostly "head"... but we'll just leave it at that.

[Mummer]

At Varmint's Pig Pickin', the farmer (a man who knew everything about that pig, including the squeal) ate the tail.

Varmint had already given him the head, feet and other offal, if my memory serves me well.

Everybody sing: The farmer ate the tail...

[mrbigjas]

i know you guys are dying to hear my latest scrapple findings from this weekend. well, there aren't any, because i ate the leftover chicken livers from friday night at pumpkin, and in addition i roasted a chicken, which means that i sauteed that liver in butter and sauced it with cognac, because no one else around here is gonna eat it, and i'm not about to toss it. with that amount of organ meat already in my system, i figured topping it off with scrapple wouldn't be the best bet for my health.

[herbacidal]

True, true.  I was thinking mostly "head"... but we'll just leave it at that.

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Let's not leave it at that and clarify things.

Were you saying that scrapple comes from mostly the head, or that scrapple comes mostly from the tail and rear?

[mrbigjas]

i don't know what andrew was saying, but from my understanding scrapple comes mainly from the head. that recipe i posted really does seem to be pretty much the real thing, conceptually, although the writing is a bit cutesy.

[Suzanne F]

Well, I'm out in the country... maybe a scrapplefest could be arranged sometime in the next couple of months.

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If it comes to pass, may I play, too? I scrapple.

[Susan in FL]

Whatta song! I can't believe we, even my husband, had never heard of this song. He even likes country music. Now we are going to try to find it on one of the sites where he downloads music (legal, he pays for it!!! )so we can hear what it sounds like.

Thanks,

Susan, formerly from DE, where in my opinion scrapple is better than PA scrapple

Edited October 3, 2004 by Susan in FL (log)

[Holly Moore]

Alas, I had to reluctantly remove the lyrics to the Scrample Song by Robbie Fulks. We can't violate copyrights.

I did a search, hoping to find the lyrics posted elsewhere to link to, but couldn't. I did find another Scrapple Song though.

Edited October 5, 2004 by Holly Moore (log)

[Zeb A]

Sorry for the offending post, but you really should get the album, Robbie Fulks, Country Love Songs. If you go to this board at the Robbie Fulks web-site, you will find the place where the good people of that website supplied the lyrics to the classic song, aptly entitled, The Scrapple Song

[Susan in FL]

Zeb, I'm glad you posted here again. After your other post was removed, I was going to contact you, but I couldn't remember who made the post which included lyrics to the song! Thanks for the follow up.

[NulloModo]

Wow, is thread thread perfect timing or what...

Today there was a frosty chill in the air as I got into my car to drive to school. Morning choir rehearsal was filled with songs for the upcoming holiday concert. The heat in my building hasn't been turned on yet so I am sipping spiced tea as I read this. The atmosphere of autumn is starting to pop up everywhere, and now you have to go and finalize it by bringing up scrapple ;).

I remember when I was younger (around 10/11) and we had just moved into DE, that I would always spend Saturday mornings in the autumn with my father doing some sort of yard work, or wandering around flea markets/farmer's markets/antique stores. The culmination of these trips was usually going to some local truck stop or diner and having a nice big late breakfast. We both discovered the joys of Scrappy, that crispy crunchy exterior, that steaming creamy interior, that lush salty fatty taste oh my...

I have also discovered that onion encrusted liverwurst, when fried for too long, takes on scrapple notes in the flavor.

I really need some scrapple now. I am all down for learning how to make it as well. I imagine an event involved a big outdoor fire, apple picking, fresh hot cider, smores, lots of flannel shirts, and maybe a scarecrow or too.

[Susan in FL]

Nullo, does Bridgeville (down in slower lower DelaWhere?) they still have the Apple/Scrapple festival in the fall?

[NulloModo]

You know, I'm not sure. I don't make my way into Sussex that often, and when I do, it is usually supervising 6 busses worth of high school band kids, so I don't get to really look around much. I should check into it though, because it sounds like a natural combination.

[rlibkind]

Had some scrapple at breakfast yesterday at the Riverview Cafe in the strip mall at Delaware (Columbus) & Washington. It's a fairly reliable breakfast spot, nothing fancy but acceptable. Except the scrapple. Deep-fried and tasting of oil that had seen too many frozen french fries. Yecch!

[rlibkind]

I hope everyone following this topic has seen today's (Oct. 14) "Piranha Club" comic strip in the Inquirer. Something about a horsehead and scrapple. No surprise that the author of the strip originally hails from Chester.

I'd link to it, but the feature syndicate doesn't put it on the web.

[gbredben]

Hearing all this makes me yearn for my young days. There is a local butcher west of Danville on PA Rt. 642. Bobby George farms. The shop is only open Thursdays thru Saturday as he smokes the rest of the week. Excellent source for smoked meats. He also makes pretty good scrapple as well. Not too much flour or pepper. Good meaty taste. To me, good scrapple should be gray and well cooked, not green.

The best way I've always enjoyed scrapple would be to take large slices, fried crispy and hot and topped with King table syrup.

[Rich Pawlak]

Hearing all this makes me yearn for my young days.

Gary, you're too damn young to have young days.

[herbacidal]

Gary, you're too damn young to have young days.

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Hey Richie, are you implying that you're a real old guy now?

My granny just turned a century.

You can start thinking you're old when you're within three decades of her age.

Edited October 15, 2004 by herbacidal (log)

[MarketStEl]

Okay, I need some advice.

In response to a roommate's pleas, I went out and purchased some scrapple week before last (D&W) and again this past Saturday (Hatfield, on sale at Acme).

My problem is, I haven't gotten the hang of cooking it yet.

I understand the ideal is to have a crispy crust on the outside and a creamy center. This means I need to slice the stuff thick, at least 1/4 inch, right?

Then, do I dust the slices with flour? Roomies say I should, but it looks to me like things come out better if I don't. (The package instructions say nothing about this.)

When I cooked the stuff over high heat (electric range), the outside went black before the inside cooked; cooking over medium heat gets the outside browned but not really crispy (or so it seems; maybe I need more oil or butter? I'm spraying my skillet with cooking spray right now).

And I ate some this morning. Not bad at all, with or without maple syrup.

[mrbigjas]

here's the basic deal: it seems to me you're not slicing it thickly enough.

slice the scrapple just about 1/2 inch thick, or maybe even a little more. put into a cold cast iron or nonstick pan. put the heat on medium, and in about 15-20 minutes (flipping about 1/2-2/3 of the way through) you end up with scrapple that is crusty on the outside, creamy on the inside, and the requisite thousand degrees inside.

it does take a little while, but basically there's not too much to it besides keeping the heat at the level where the outside doesn't get burned before it's hot all the way through. it's kind of a balancing act between your stove burners and the thickness you slice it--but not a real precise one.

[phifly04]

hello all!!!nfg here,just moved to lower slower delaware in may(Long Neck)from Ridley ,Delaware County talk about some culture shock,Damn!!took a job as Sous Chef at LaLaLand in Rehoboth(very nice !)different,but nice Yes they just had the Apple/Scrapple festival last weekend in Bridgeville(carving contests.creative cooking contests etc.It was actually pretty cool!!anyways back to the thread habbersetts has been out of biz for a while,as has Rapa but there still branded by a company down here,and still good!!im sure you,ll be hearing from me soon as there aint much to do down here this time of year.Just wanted to introduce myself and i,ll talk to you all shortly Dave p.s.is the pizza club open to anyone?interested

[Rich Pawlak]

hello all!!!nfg here,just moved to lower slower delaware in may(Long Neck)from Ridley ,Delaware County talk about some culture shock,Damn!!took a job as Sous Chef at LaLaLand in Rehoboth(very nice !)different,but nice  Yes they just had the Apple/Scrapple festival last weekend in Bridgeville(carving contests.creative cooking contests etc.It was actually pretty cool!!anyways back to the thread habbersetts has been out of biz for a while,as has Rapa but there still branded by a company down here,and still good!!im sure you,ll be hearing from me soon as there aint much to do down here this time of year.Just wanted to introduce myself and i,ll talk to you all shortly  Dave  p.s.is the pizza club open to anyone?interested

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PIZZA CLUB is open to anyone!

[phifly04]

Check out Berksweb.com/pam/

Dave s

[MarketStEl]

Check out Berksweb.com/pam/

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And what do I find on the list of "Authentic Berks County Recipes -- Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking"?

Chili con carne!

About as far from Pennsylvania Dutch as I might imagine...but then again, the recipe is about as far from traditional chili as I could imagine (no peppers! no chili powder! no cumin! no garlic!), so I guess it qualifies.

Welcome to eGullet, Dave.

[phifly04]

And what do I find on the list of "Authentic Berks County Recipes -- Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking"?

Chili con carne!

About as far from Pennsylvania Dutch as I might imagine...but then again, the recipe is about as far from traditional chili as I could imagine (no peppers! no chili powder! no cumin! no garlic!), so I guess it qualifies.

Welcome to eGullet, Dave.

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