SCRAPPLE
The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark: Recipes for an Expedition
by Mary Gunderson
In Early Philadelphia, Savory pork, buckwheat, and cornmeal puddings known as pan haus came to be called scrapple. Versions of scrapple traveled west across the continent through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The gently seasoned pillar of ordinary foods has become an American classic. Feel free to substitute other cuts of pork or change the seasoning to suit your palate.
1 pound pork shoulder
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
10 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Place the pork shoulder, 6 cups of water, the onion, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a 3-quart saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat.
Simmer for about 1 hour, or until the pork is tender.
Remove the meat from the broth.
Shred the meat with 2 forks. Discard the bones.
Strain the broth. Measure 4 cups of strained broth into a 3-quart saucepan.
Stir in the shredded pork, cornmeal, buckwheat, salt, nutmeg, and thyme.
Bring to a boil, stirring almost constantly.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the mixture thickens, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent lumps.
Spoon into a well-greased 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
To serve, cut into slices and fry in hot oil. Scrapple is traditionally served with fried eggs.
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