Scrapples, eggs and sandwiches are the best breakfast ever! People around me always asked why you are so much on to the pork flavors. Actually I don’t know the reason, but I always try to find the best recipes that use ingredients made with pork meat. It is always mouth watering when thinking about the scrapples.
So, today, I would like to share Kate’s special recipe for scrapple. If you have the scrapple at your home, start cooking with me.
Brief History of Pennsylvania Scrapple
Ah, scrapple! You may heard so many stories about it. But this delightful dish has its roots deeply planted in Pennsylvania Dutch country. In the 17th century there are farmers who had to find clever ways to make the most of every part of the pig. They came up with scrapple as a solution.
For this, they taken all those tasty and flavored parts of scraps like the head, heart, and other trimmings. Then it mixed with the cornmeal and spices for creating a hearty loaf. The name “scrapple” even comes from the word “scraps,” which perfectly sums up this resourceful and tasty tradition. Today, scrapple is still a beloved breakfast staple, served hot and crispy with eggs, toast, or even a drizzle of maple syrup.
Is Scrapple Already Cooked?
Yes, it is already cooked. You do not need to prepare scrapple for health or safety concerns because it is already fully cooked when you purchase it. To make it warm and crispy, most people pan-fry it. If you possess a loaf, slice it into pieces that range from 1/2 to 3/4 inches in size and cook them in butter, oil, or lard until they turn golden brown on both sides. Its really up to you. But here I share my scrapple recipe just for you guys.
Is Scrapple Healthy?
The scrapple can be added in a healthy diet plan with more care. The nutrients level can be changed slightly as per the changes in the ingredients. The most common scrapple have significant amount of protein, vitamins and minerals.
Due to its high protein, once my friend chose it to add in weight loss diet. But she had it a lot and gained more weight. The first thing you should understand is it is rich in calories, so the moderation and balance amount will give better results.
If you care about your health and protein intake, why are hesitate to check my recent blog on is chicken sausage is healthy.
Where is Scrapple Popular?
The scrapple might have originated in Pennsylvania. It’s definitely found a fan base across the Mid-Atlantic states. You can specifically spot it on breakfast menus from Maryland to New Jersey. The scrapple has a special place in the hearts (and stomachs) of many in the South. Honestly, you could say it’s a culinary superstar of the American breakfast scene! Whether you’re in a diner or a fancy brunch spot, if you’re in scrapple territory, you’re bound to find it sizzling away on the griddle.
How to Cook Scrapple Without It Falling Apart?
What is in Scrapple?
The scrapple seems really interesting. It just looks like rectangular or square slices of loaf. The ingredients in the scrapple is making it more special than all the sausages and raw meats. There is a story of scrapple origin, Still I don’t know whether its true or not, but I am interested to share the story with you.
The story is that scrapple is invented by the farmers to avoid the wasting of trimming while slaughtering a full-grown pig. The trimming of the Meat is called pork scrape that led to the name of scrapple. The pork scrape is added to the cornmeal, spices, flour, and broth. The spices and seasonings can vary, and different types of scrapples are available in the market. There are also other meat scrapples like beef and turkey, which are also derived from this.
Scrapple vs. Goetta
I had a classmate who always competed with me and we both got the same marks and scores every time. Just like this, there is a friendly rivalry between scrapple vs. goetta. Both are tasty breakfast meats made from leftover bits, but they have some notable differences.
Scrapple is a traditional Pennsylvania dish made from pork scraps and cornmeal, while goetta hails from Cincinnati and has German roots. Goetta is typically made from a mix of pork and beef, combined with oats and spices, giving it a coarser texture.
If you’re lucky enough to try both, you’ll find that scrapple offers that rich, porky flavor, while goetta provides a heartier, grainier bite. They each have their own charm, so it’s really just a matter of personal preference—though you’ll find I lean towards scrapple!
The Scrapple and Its Changing Taste
One of my friends never tried the scrapple and kept asking me why I settle for scrapple when you can eat pork rolls. Unlike pork meat or roll, it has a variety of tastes.
Even though the scrapple is made from the scraps of pork meat which is trimmed and added cornmeal and spices. It is considered as a traditional food of the US and the interesting factor is it can change the taste and flavor by adding different ingredients. It mostly tastes like liverwurst with a slightly grainy texture due to the cornmeal. The type and quality of meat added will always depend on the taste of the scrapple.
Actually the scrapple is completely cooked when you buy it from the shop. So it is really healthy to eat and you only need a short time to cook and can use it in several dishes.
What Does Scrapple Taste Like?
As I said above, scrapple can change the taste as per the seasonings and quality of meat added to it. My sister used to say that it has a similar taste to breakfast sausage and combines the crispiness of bacon. I personally prefer the scrapple that comes with cornmeal and the grainy texture of it. If you like the taste of herbs or any spices, surely go for it. Because the most interesting thing in Scrapple that people like most is the customization of taste.
Best Scrapple Brand
When it comes to the best scrapple brand, it’s hard to go wrong, but my personal favorite is Habbersett. This family-owned company has been around since 1863, and their scrapple is a classic choice for many breakfast lovers.
It have perfect balance of spices and the main impressive thing is its delightful texture that crisps up beautifully in the pan. Other notable mentions include Rapa, known for its unique flavor and quality, and Mamma’s, which has earned a loyal following for its traditional approach. No matter which brand you choose, you’re in for a treat!
Scrapple Ingredients and Recipe – How To Make it in Your Home?
If you feel that the scrapples bought from the store may have preservatives and chemicals, you can make them in your home. I can give you the best and quickest scrapple recipe for a perfect busy breakfast. This will not take too much time, or you don’t want to buy more ingredients. With the regular ingredients in the kitchen, have a tasty and easy scrapple breakfast.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound pork scraps (such as head, heart, liver, or shoulder)
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup flour
- One teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
Instructions:
- Cook the Pork: The very first step is to cook the pork scraps. For this, you have to place all the scraps in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Remember to clean the Meat properly before doing this and cover it. While the water boils, reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 hours or until the Meat is tender.
- Chop the Meat: separate the scraps from water and grind it to paste. Reserve the cooking broth.
- Prepare the Mixture: This is the main step in this process. Mix the reserved broth with grinded Meat in a pot and add the needed cornmeal and flour. You should keep stirring the mix to avoid all lumps. After complete stirring, add salt, pepper, sage, and thyme as much as needed.
- Cook the Scrapple: The mix is ready and its time to cook. Stir all the mixture constantly until it thickens and becomes very smooth. For this, you have to stir the mix for about 15-20 minutes.
- Set the Loaf: It’s time to get the perfect shape for scrapple. I usually do rectangles and sometimes squares. You have to put the mix into a pan spreaded with oil. You should spread it evenly to get the perfect shape. Then allow it to cool at room temperature.
- Slice and Fry: The scrapple is ready and cut the loaf into required slices of pieces. I prefer slicing it into 1/2-inch thick pieces, it will be very good for frying.
- Serve: Now, enjoy your own tasty homemade scrapple with syrup, eggs, or your favorite breakfast sides.
Old Fashioned Scrapple Recipe
The traditional method not have this much steps and process. My grandma made the scrapples using a traditional method. If you are a bachelor with not have multiple pan or pot, do it in a single pot. For this, cook the pork scrape in water of pot and drain the water when the scrape become soft and tender.
Now, add the remaining ingredients like broth, spices and cornmeal with flour. You have to leave some boiled water in the pot to mix all these and cook to get thick and soft. Let it cool down and make the paste and shape it with a pan like loaf.
Pennsylvania Dutch Scrapple Recipe
The traditional Pennsylvania scrapple recipe is very accurate about all the ingredients. For this, the liver, kidney and heart of the pork is mostly referred. For getting a better taste, soup bones are also used. Cut all the liver, heart and kidney into chunks with the soup bones and mix it with cornmeal, buckwheat flour, diced yellow onion, salt, maple syrup and dried bay leaves.
Ones the water is boiled and all the flavors begin to melt in water, remove the soup bones. Sometimes I like to boil the water with bay leaves before adding parts of Meat. Now you can add the spices and grind it to pour in a greased pan for the required shape.
Prepare Scrapple for the Best Dishes
The scrapple can be a major highlight of your meal when prepared the right way, and I’ve experimented with several methods to find what works best to cook the scrapple. The most usual and my personal favorite method is pan frying. For this, I cut the scrapple into small inches with thick pieces and cook them in a pan with a little oil or butter over medium-high heat. Then, I can wait until both sides are golden brown and crispy. The crispier outer part and flavors interior are simply unbeatable.
I’ve also tried steaming, which gives a softer texture. If you like steaming, you can cut the scrapple and place it in a steamer pot or basket over boiling water for 10-15 minutes until it’s heated through. This method is perfect if you prefer a softer, less greasy result.
However, not all my attempts have been successful. Once, I started to bake the scrapple, thinking it would be the easy method. I preheated the oven to more than 375°F (190°C), sliced the scrapple, placed it on a greased aluminum foil, and baked it for 15-20 minutes. Unfortunately, I flipped the pieces too early. It resulted in them falling apart, resulting in a crumbly mess.
But after that, I am done right, and baking can yield a wonderfully crispy exterior without the extra oil from frying.
It’s not about the time or easy methods. You should find what works best for you and your favorite taste. Whether you enjoy scrapple with eggs and toast like a typical breakfast, or as a sandwich filling, experimenting with these methods will help you discover your perfect way to have this unique dish.
Learn from the Errors and Tips for the Better Cooking
As I said above, scrapples have a high chance of falling down or becoming sticky. If you are also facing this problem as a beginner, don’t worry, I got you.
The corn flour and sometimes adding wheat flour will make the scrapple more sticky and hard to cook. There are several tips that can be very helpful for avoiding the sticky issue.
One of the most used tips is to pour some flour around it to avoid stickiness. When I tried this hack, it helped me a lot, and I got a bonus: it made the scrapple crispy and tasty.
If you don’t like the flavor of the flour, you can use more oil while frying or can use a baking sheet while baking.
Exclusive Scrapple Recipes
Scrapple is a very good food item to eat by itself, and it can be added as a side dish for your favorite meal. But I like to share a few of my favorite recipes that I love to cook and eat. If you are an enthusiast who likes to try something new, check out my personal favorite recipes.
Scrapple Fries
If you are more onto the fries just like me, this will fill your heart and tummy. For this, you need to take scrapples and cut it into pieces like french fries. Add your favorite seasonings on it and deep fry in oil. I usually select olive oil to cook. This will be very crispy and you can serve it with salsa.
Biscuits and Scrapple Sauce
Do you wanna try the best sauce recipe that I cook for special guests? For this, you need to take your favorite biscuit mix, scrapple, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Those who don’t have the biscuit mix can take a biscuit packet and make sure it is refrigerated.
You should start cooking the biscuit and store it in the fridge. Then, take a pan and pour some oil. It is better to add olive oil and fry the garlic and onion pieces until they become translucent. Add smashed scrapple to the pan and mix all together. Mix continuously to avoid burning and wait to become brown. Now, you can add two spoons of butter and stir continuously.
Now you can add milk, salt and pepper and mix it well. The best sauce is ready to have and have it with the refrigerated biscuit.
Scrapple Pizza
You may have heard this recipe before, but this is different. You can make some changes in the recipe as I did. You can take the fried scrapple to make this. The scrapple will be more tasty if you add maple syrup while frying it and cut it into slices. Take a pan and melt butter over medium heat. Add whisked eggs with salt as much as needed.
Now you can top your pre cooked pizza with these scrapples and eggs. You can pour some maple syrup onto the pizza and reheat it over for 3 more minutes. The pizza is ready to have.
How Long Does It Take to Bake Scrapple in the Oven?
As an entrepreneur and homemaker, I calculated the timing to cook each dish. This will give an exact idea of time management. The scrapple cooked in the oven is one of the easy and simple recipes that can be done in 30 to 40 minutes.
If you are not sure, let us calculate the timing. First, you have to preheat the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. The scrapple cutting can be done in 10 minutes or less. Then, arrange the pieces on a baking sheet and place them in the oven. The baking will be done in 15 to 20 minutes.
How Long Does Scrapple Last in the Fridge?
Scrapple storage in the fridge is the perfect option if you choose meal prepping. The leftovers of cooked scrapple can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days after cooking. If you want to keep it for an extended period, it’s better to freeze it, and it can be kept for one or two months.
Raw scrapple can be stored for more days than cooked scrapple. I usually buy some more from the grocery store to avoid frequent visits. The scrapple can be stored for two weeks in the fridge, and it can be stored for up to six months if it freezes.
I shared my favorite recipes and scrapple tips with you. You can even try to experiment with more dishes just like me. If you enjoy cooking, try with a scrapple.
Can I Cook Scrapple Without Flour?
You certainly can! I have seen my friends dust the scrapple on both sides with flour to firm it up and keep it from falling apart. I personally feel this affects the scrapple’s flavor but may be helpful, but it is not required. The secret to keeping the scrapple from collapsing is to pan-fry it with lots of oil and to only flip it once. It is not required to dust it with flour if you do that.
How Do I Make Scrapple Not Stick?
The best I do is to keep scrapple from sticking is to either bake it on a baking sheet coated with parchment paper or use a lot of oil while pan-frying it (the oil should almost completely submerge the scrapple).
FAQs on Scrapple
What is livermush?
Livermush is a Southern dish made from pork liver, cornmeal, and spices, similar to scrapple but with its own distinct flavor and texture.
What is scrapple?
Scrapple is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dish made from pork scraps, cornmeal, and spices, typically served sliced and fried.
What exactly is scrapple made of?
Scrapple is primarily made from pork trimmings, cornmeal, flour, and a blend of seasonings, cooked together to form a loaf.
Is scrapple a German food?
Scrapple has German roots, particularly from the traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch, who adapted the dish using local ingredients.
Where to buy scrapple?
Scrapple can be found in grocery stores, butcher shops, and specialty markets, especially in the Mid-Atlantic region and parts of the South.
What is scrapple called in the South?
In the South, scrapple is often referred to as “livermush,” though the two dishes have distinct recipes and flavors.
