Scrapple

I have always liked Scrapple—that wonderful "use-everything that's left over after butchering a hog" concoction said to have been a Pennsylvania Dutch creation.  It's a form of sausage made with pork and corn meal and has many, many variations.  I decided to give a try at making some, especially since my daughter and son-in-law are now raising their own pigs on a farm in Vermont.  Before working with a traditional hog's head however, I thought I should try making it with more conventional pork scraps available from the super-market.

Recipe

• 3 lbs pork neck bones (this will yield about 2 lbs. meat after cooking)
• Water or vegetable stock to cover bones (you will eventually need about 3-qts. of liquid, including milk and stock)
• ½ large onion chopped fine
• Salt to taste (I use about 1½-tsp.)
• Ground black pepper to taste (about 1-tbs.)
• Red pepper flakes to taste (about 1-tsp.)
• Bell's seasoning to taste (about 2-tbs)  Or you can make your own combination of rosemary, thyme, savory, sage, etc.)
• 2-cups corn meal
• ½-cup flour
• 1-cup milk or a can of evaporated milk.

Simmer pork necks and onion, just covered in liquid, about 2-hours until meat falls from bones.  Strain liquid into a separate bowl.  Let bones and liquid cool. 
I have found that there is, in general, too much fat in the resulting stock.  I therefore allow the stock to cool in the refrigerator so that fat coagulates at the top.  I then remove the fat, and keep separate, adding only about a tablespoon or less to the final mixture.

Remove meat from bones and cartilage.  Be sure you remove all the bones and tough pieces such as cartilage; it is annoying to have these show up in the final product.

Process meat through a meat grinder using the finer cutting plate.

Add milk to stock.  Mix flour with corn meal.  Bring liquid to a slow boil.  Slowly add corn meal/flour mixture to stock being careful to avoid lumps. I find that using a hand blender assures there are no lumps.  Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes until you have a thick mush.  You may need to add additional liquid or corn meal.  Mush will tend to fall away from sides of the pot when proper consistency.  Add ground meat and seasoning, and taste for flavor.  Thoroughly blend.  Cover, and allow to cook over very low heat for another 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally so that it does not stick to bottom of pot.

Place mixture in loaf pans, pressing down firmly.  I find that it nicely fills two ~4½" x 8½" pans.  Cover and cool in refrigerator.

To serve, remove from loaf pan and slice into ½" thick pieces, and fry in oil and butter.  Excellent with eggs. 

Scrapple may be frozen; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in freezer.  You may also want to place in a large plastic freezer bag.