Homemade Breakfast Scrapple
This was inspired by Smokin Don!
I love scrapple, but it can be hard to find around here. When I saw Smokin Don's
Easy Scrapple Post and saw how good it looked, I immediately thought, "I have to try making some!"
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If you're not familiar with scrapple... it's a Pennsylvania Dutch, meat-based mush (or pudding) made from pork scraps (hence the name), cornmeal and wheat or buckwheat flour. It's formed into a loaf which is sliced, fried and typically served as a breakfast meat. It's flavor is reminiscent of breakfast sausage with a hint of liver.
If you live in the south, particularly North Carolina, think Liver Pudding or Livermush, and you'll understand what scrapple is.
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Time to put my mad scientist hat on and do some research!
I looked at several recipes and found a few, like Don's, that start with pre-made pork sausage and I really liked the simplicity of that idea. Here's the caveat, as some of you know, I can't have most commercially made sausage (allergies/sensitivities to certain food additives), so I decided to stick with that approach, except I'd start with fresh ground pork, add my own seasonings, etc, and MAYBE even add some LIVER.
First batch: I thought I'd try a batch without any liver or wheat/buckwheat flour; just ground pork, cornmeal, and the seasonings. The flavor was good, but the texture was a bit dry, and overall it just lacked that bit of richness you get from liver that I like in a good scrapple. Back to the drawing board...
Second Batch: This was a winner! I incorporated some liver, along with a little whole wheat flour (to make it a little less mealy), and added just a bit more sage & salt. Now this has the taste and texture that I think a good scrapple should have!
Even my wife, who's not really a fan of liver, said this batch was better!The most surprising thing was how relatively fast and easy it was to make!
Here's the final recipe:
Simple Homemade ScrappleIngredients:> 2 lbs Ground Pork,
+ 1/2 - 2/3 lb Liver* (pork, beef or chicken) cut into 3/4" pieces,
or...
> 2 1/2 lbs ground pork
3 cups Water
2 1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 TBS Sage
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Marjoram
1/4 tsp. Ground Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Onion powder
3/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 cup Cornmeal
1/2 cup Whole Wheat or Buckwheat Flour
*Note: If you really don't like liver, then you can use 2 1/2 lbs of a ground pork.Directions:1) Put the liver pieces (if using), ground pork and water into a large pot and use a fork or potato masher to break up the pork.
2) Add all the seasonings, except the black pepper, and bring the pork mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer just until the ground pork and liver are thoroughly cooked, about 5 - 8 minutes.
3) Turn the heat off and allow the mixture to steep and cool for about 10 minutes. While it's cooling, mix the cornmeal and wheat/buckwheat flour together and set aside.
4) Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and pulse until the meat is finely chopped into a slurry. You may need to do this in two batches.
5) Pour the slurry back into the pot, add the black pepper, and return to a simmer.
6) Slowly stir in the cornmeal/flour with a whisk until the mixture becomes a very thick mush. This will not take long at all!
7) Pour the mush into a loaf pan (or pans), allow to cool, then cover and chill overnight in the fridge.
The ingredients: 2 lbs fresh ground pork, 2/3 lb pork liver, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, salt, thyme, marjoram, cayenne, onion powder, sage, and black pepper.
To cook: Slice the scrapple into 3/8" - 1/2" slices, and place in a preheated and lightly oiled cast iron, or non-stick, skillet over med-high heat. Do NOT put scrapple in a cold pan, or it will just turn to mush! cook 3 - 5 minutes per side, using a spatula to carefully check for desired doneness, flipping it only once!
It should be browned and crispy on the outside with a creamy texture on the inside.
Serve it however you would serve sausage; with eggs, pancakes, on a biscuit with cheese - YUM!
