Simple Meals for December: Scrapple

Scrapple: one last article about simple meals for December before getting back to some holiday treats.

Scrapple is a dish we had when visiting my aunt and uncle in Somerset County, PA. Our family is Italian, but those who settled in Somerset were influenced by the Pennsylvania Dutch, to the joy of our table and woe to our waistlines.

Scrapple begins with the scraps of meat that are leftover from winter butchering - much like the scraps of meat gleaned from the stewed carcass of the Thanksgiving turkey or the cracklings left after rendering lard, which is what is used in our recipe here. Pretty much any meat scraps will do, and if you have a mix of several kinds, that's all to the better.

The meat is cooked with cornmeal mush; polenta to Italians, grits to anyone from the south. Use broth in place of water to enrich the mush. The mixture could be eaten as soon as it thickens, as a meaty polenta, but it becomes Scrapple after cooling and setting up in a loaf pan. This will keep refrigerated or frozen until you need a quick supper. Sliced and browned in an iron skillet, with fried onions, apples and warm maple syrup, it's a country-style simple meal for cold December nights.



Recipe: Scrapple

4 c. broth or water
1 c. cornmeal or grits

1 c. cracklings or other cooked meat scraps
salt to taste
optional:
- savory herbs: sage, thyme, rosemary, cracked pepper
- chopped onions

Bring broth or water to a boil in a heavy sauce pan. When boiling, very slowly pour in corn meal, stirring constantly with a whisk or slotted spoon to prevent lumping.  When all the cornmeal is smooth, reduce heat to a low simmer and stir in meat scraps. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. When thickened, remove from heat and add salt if needed.

Brush a loaf pan with oil or bacon grease. Pour hot scrapple into pan and chill 2 hours or until set.
At this point you may turn out the scrapple from the loaf, wrap and refrigerate or freeze until needed. You could also slice the scrapple and freeze slices in individual portions for "fast food."

Slice and pan fry scrapple in heavy, oiled skillet until crisp and brown. Serve with warm maple syrup, fried apples and/or onions, hot slaw, cranberry relish or chow chow.