Scrapple Nirvana . . . Almost

It has been 39 years since I enjoyed scrapple as much as I did today.  Thirty-nine!  My Grandmother, Catherine Louise (STARR) KRIEBEL passed away too soon in 1975; I was twelve, and until today, I haven’t had scrapple that has measured up to the memory of my family’s scrapple recipe . . . well, sort of.

See, a couple of things have been ‘against’ my enjoying scrapple as I did in my youth:

1. There are many variations of the recipe – as many people there are in the world, that is how many different recipes there seemingly are for scrapple.  And, none taste quite like my family’s recipe.
2. Grocery store-bought and massed produced scrapple should be left . . . on the scrap heap!
3. For me to have scrapple that even comes remotely close to what I enjoyed as a child, my Dad must bring blocks – that’s right blocks! – of it down several times a year from Pennsylvania Amish country.  It still isn’t quite like my family’s recipe, but, it is closer.
4. As I mentioned, I was just 12 when my Grandmother passed away and I didn’t know yet that genealogy, family history and the preservation of family recipes and memorabilia would become a passion!  So, it never occurred to me to ask and ensure that my family’s scrapple  recipe be preserved.  Nor, the recipe for the condiment of choice (Green Tomato Relish) to serve with the crispy-fried scrapple slices.  And, while I have asked over the past 27, of the 39, years all family members that were involved with pig butchering day for the recipe, it would seem that it is . . . lost. 

CONFESSION TIME:  Every fall, when my uncle brought 2 – 3 slaughtered pigs from his farm to my Grandparent’s home in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, we all gathered for a day of butchering; my Grandparents, their children, Carolyn; Richard; Barbara; and Gerry and their respective spouses John; Janet; Durrell; and Jerry and their children would all descend into the basement of the KRIEBEL home.  Well, all except the grandchildren – we had more important things to do. . . PLAY!  So, I never witnessed the process or how the scrapple was made.  Yet, because of my love for my Grandparents and family and because I so enjoyed the fruits of their labor – scrapple, sausage, bacon and . . . oh, my!  I have very fond and treasured memories* of pig butchering days.  Pictures you ask?  I have seen pictures that my Grandmother took of the process,  but just like the recipes, they seem to be lost to me forever.

*hopefully, as family members read this, they will share their memories of pig butchering day in the comments.

Okay, so how did I accidentally achieve scrapple nirvana?  Before I get into that, let’s discuss what scrapple is.  I must say, until I grew up, married and moved from Pennsylvania, I thought that scrapple was a universal food product much like bacon and sausage, it never occurred to me that scrapple – and, what it is – wouldn’t be as well known in other locals.

After a pig is butchered, there is lots of stuff leftover – scraps, including internal organs and intestines - no, no, don’t be scared, when it all comes together, it tastes really good!!  For scrapple these scraps are cooked down into a stew, ground up with the other leftover bits of meat and combined with cornmeal for texture.  The mixture is then cooled down into a loaf, sliced and griddled to serve.  It is most often served for breakfast with eggs and potatoes.  Essentially, you are eating a pork burger with your breakfast.

My passion for genealogy and family history, recipes and memorabilia really blossomed in my late teens and became an addiction after our first child was born in 1988.  I am forever reminiscing about my ancestors, grandparents, my childhood and bygone days.  And, when I get together with fellow Pennsylvanians, scrapple and green tomato relish and how I just can’t find a brand or Amish produced product that measures up to the ‘taste memory’ that I have always seems to come up.  One such conversation some years ago, prompted the father of a dear friend to write down his family’s recipe for scrapple and share it with me.  Here it is . . . (yes, you must continue reading to learn about my nirvana experience. 

(1) Cut heads four ways to remove tongue, eyes, ears and also saw off teeth.  Scrape tongue and ears in the hot water to remove hair, then put into tub for pudding meat.

(2) (for pudding) Cook head meat, hearts and kidneys, put in kettle about 10 gallons of water and two handfuls of salt then cook till meat falls from bones, add livers approximately 10 minutes before removing meat from kettle. Juice is saved for scrapple.

(3) Pick the head meat apart while hot, add about 3 medium onions and grind all together with cracklings.  Put about 10 gallons of water in a #2 kettle to cook pudding in, after water comes to boil, cook about 20 minutes, but not too hard a boil as it will burst skins

(4) Using the pudding water, add pig head, juice, season with salt and pepper, add enough water to bring about 6” from top of kettle, add slowly 1-1/2 pounds of yellow corn meal to a batch using about 12 – 15 pounds of buckwheat flour, sprinkle in slowly with hand so it will not lump, stirring continuously.  Bring to a rolling boil and if necessary add 3 – 6 pounds of new lard, so it shows around the edge of kettle.  Boil for about 10 minutes then remove from fire, but continue stirring for about 4 – 5 minutes more.

There are many ways to enjoy scrapple:  with molasses, maple syrup, apple butter, cottage cheese . . . but my Grandmother served it with green tomato relish.  For years, 39, to be exact, I have eaten scrapple plain, which is okay, but . . . I loved it with Grandmom’s relish.  While I have tried store-bought and Amish handmade green tomato relish from all over Pennsylvania and various other locals, none measure up to Grandmom’s recipe.  None!  Mostly because they are all too sweet.  Grandmom’s green tomato relish recipe had just the right ratio of sweet and vinegar – more vinegar - which goes well with the scrapple.  But today, I have had an epiphany that just may have changed my scrapple eating experience for my remaining days . . .

After frying up the ubiquitous Pennsylvania German breakfast of fried scrapple, home fries and eggs, my husband and I sat down at the table for our Saturday breakfast meal.  And,suddenly I had an idea.  I said to my husband, “we have Banana Pepper slices in the refrigerator, I wonder how they would taste with scrapple?”  “It isn’t green tomato relish but, they are jarred in vinegar and an added bonus is that they have a bit of a spicy bite.”  We both said, “hmmm?”  Off to the refrigerator for that jar.  I  piled a couple of slices onto my fried scrapple, gathered a bite-sized piece with a pepper or two and . . . heaven!  Well, sort of.  It wasn’t Grandmom’s relish, I will always miss that, but, it is the only thing in all these years that has even come close to her perfect condiment.

Now, we always have banana peppers in the refrigerator, so please, please tell me, why on earth, did it take 39 years for me to have this epiphany and almost nirvana experience with scrapple heaven?!!!

Now, I know that you are still not too sure about scrapple; you just can’t get passed what goes into it, but consider this.  Scrapple is no longer just a by-product of pig butchering and waste not, want not.  No, really, it has moved up the food chain to seriously good eats!  It has been featured on the Food Network Channel by celebrity chefs. It has been making appearances in restaurants and it is featured at Pennsylvania German and Dutch festivals..

Speaking of restaurants, I recently learned that my hometown peeps have been holding out on me – what’s up with that Chris? – A new restaurant, Greenheart Café, has appeared on the scene in Collegeville, Pennsylvania and was featured in the Times Herald Newspaper in March of this year.  From what I’ve read, they’ve elevated scrapple to gourmet . . . a featured dish on their menu is their Poutine – hand cut French fries with crispy scrapple, freshly made brown gravy, creamy fontina cheese and fresh herbs.  Yes, please!!

So, if you’ve never had scrapple, I encourage you to try it; if you’ve had scrapple and enjoy it, I encourage you to share how you enjoy eating it; if you enjoy scrapple and your family made their own recipe, I encourage you to share what made the recipe uniquely your family’s.  And, I encourage us all to try the elevated and gourmet scrapple dishes that are making appearances on the Food Network Channel, in restaurants and at German and Dutch festivals and to share your culinary experiences. 

For those that may visit Collegeville, Pennsylvania, located in Montgomery County just 1-1/2 hours northeast of Philadelphia, I hope that you’ll visit the Greenheart Café and let me know how you liked the poutine.  And, if you enjoy festivals, I hope you’ll visit the 25th Annual Pennsylvania Dutch Festival next week Thursday, 7 August – Saturday, 9 August 2014; click on the German and Dutch Festivals hyper link above for information.

Mashed Potato Stuffing - a Holiday Tradition

I’ve been thinking recently about holiday traditions.  Thanksgiving will be here in a few weeks and Christmas is right around the corner; which got me to thinking about all the food staples and ‘stuff’ that I need to have on hand to put together what has become some of our holiday food traditions.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my family – okay, the maternal side of my family – is Pennsylvania German.  And, one of the traditional side dishes that has made an appearance at every holiday meal for as long as I can remember has been Mashed Potato Stuffing.  My Grandmother made it for her family and when my mom and her siblings married they each made it for their families and as their children grew up and married the tradition continued.  And, now my eldest son, when he isn’t celebrating Thanksgiving or Christmas in our home is making the traditional side dish for his in-laws. 

While I don’t know the historical origins of the dish, I have always surmised that it was both a Pennsylvania German / Amish dish and/or that it was a dish created by necessity – to ‘extend’ a meal or dish – for budgetary reasons.  What I know with 100% certainty is that it a b s o l u t e l y delicious and it would not be the holidays without it.  And, I think I’d be in divorce court and be disowned as a mother and mother-in-law IF it weren’t on the Thanksgiving table and served with Christmas dinner each year.  Yeah, like that would ever happen. 

The original recipe is below.  It is great culinary canvas to add your own touches.  For instance, my Grandmother served the traditional recipe; Aunt Barb added oysters or clams – either would work* – and they both used whole milk and white sandwich bread.  My additions to the recipe are chopped carrots, chunks of button mushrooms and cubed Italian or French Bread.  And, instead of whole milk, I use half and half; as if the dish wasn’t rich enough.  My son’s addition?  Crispy Bacon lardons. 

*Much to Aunt Barb’s disappointment I don’t like either oysters or clams; bleh, and I still don’t.  So I don’t really remember which my aunt used.  I was always grateful that my Grandmother or Mom had the original dish on hand too.  Sorry, Aunt Barb.

Mashed Potato Stuffing 

4 – 5 large potatoes; peeled and cubed 

1 Large Onion; chopped

2-3 Stalks of Celery; sliced

1 table spoon of Poultry Seasoning

1/2 – 1 stick of butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Whole Milk

1 – 2 eggs (room temp)

4 slices white sandwich bread; cubed

_________________

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Several days before remove crust from bread and cube.  You can either dry them out naturally – my Mom usually placed the cubed bread on a jelly roll pan and covered with a clean dish towel.  She placed the pan on top of the refrigerator and allowed the bread to dry out.  An alternative drying method would be to heat your oven to 200 degrees and place the cubed bread in the oven and bake until they are dried croutons (this method could be done as late as the day of your holiday meal).

Place peeled and diced potatoes in a pan and cover with water; bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and cook until potatoes are tender.  Remove the heat, drain (being sure to reserve some of the water) and allow to cool.

In the mean time, melt butter in frying pan and add the diced onion, celery, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  Cook until vegetables are tender.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Place cooled potatoes and reserved potato water in a large bowl and mash the potatoes.  Stir in whole milk; use enough to make a thick potato soup.  Stir in the cooled vegetables, the cubed bread and the eggs.  Pour into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish.

Bake 30 – 40 minutes uncovered or until lightly browned.

Yield:  Approximately 6 – 8 servings.  Enjoy!

What traditional dish, if missing from your holiday table, would render you persona non grata? 

Family Recipe Friday - Mush

It's funny how children who grow up eating a certain dish - a mainstay or 'go to' meal - from a very young age, they begin to associate that dish / meal with their family.  What I mean is, they begin to think that it is unique to them and their family.  When that family is from an area known for a particular ethnicity and the child's family also has that ethnicity within their lineage, it isn't a far leap for that child, as they grow older, to believe that not only is that certain dish unique to their family, but it IS of that enthnic culture that they descend from.  So, it was for me.

Background:  I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, about 1-1/2 hours north east of Philadelphia.  My Grandfather, Wilmer KRIEBEL (German descent) was born and raised in Graterford, Pennsylvania.  After marrying my Grandmother, they settled and made their home in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania.  Graterford was also home for myself and my parents.  Mennonites, of German descent, were our neighbors and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, known for its Amish population wasn't far from the area where we lived.  When family and friends gathered, 'Pennsylvania German' always seemed to be a common thread.

Somewhere along the way, I grew to believe that mush was an indigenous dish of the Pennsylvania Germans; that it was unique to my Grandfather's heritage and to our family.  And, I didn't learn otherwise until well into adulthood.  Recently I shared the story of my genealogy addiction; truth be told, I have another addiction, the Food Network, it was through watching their programming that I saw different recipes using cornmeal (the main ingredient of mush) and how different ethnic cultures used that grain by-product in their cuisines.  The Italians often eat Polenta (cornmeal) as a side dish; in soft form (siilar to mashed potatoes) and served most often with tomato gravy.  And, to my surprise, they also eat it fried.  The polenta is cooked then poured out onto a cutting board and left to set up, it is then sliced and either grilled or fried.  This discovery led me to 'consult' Google to see how other ethnic groups used cornmeal in their cuisine.

Cornmeal is used in kitchens all over the world; in theory, I knew this, but I am discovering that many cultures / ethnic groups have food products / recipes similar to the fried mush that I grew up eating.  This, I didn't know.  What follows is just a small sampling of what I learned during my research . . .

• Mush (Coosh) - named for its Canadian inventor; Malcolm "Malcolmush" King.  Thick cornmeal pudding or porridge traditionally boiled in clam juice, water or milk.  It is often allowed to set to become semi-solid then sliced and pan fried.  Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mush_(cornmeal)
• Poudine Mais (Mauritus Island, Indian Ocean) - thick cornmeal / polenta pudding poured into a shallow buttered serving dish that has been lined with coconut and raisins.  Once set, it is sliced and enjoyed.  Source / recipe:   http://inspiredtobake.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/poudine-mais-simple-is-beautiful/
• Sadza (Zimbabwe) - thickened porridge made with white cornmeal; usually served in a communal bowl or on separate plates, rolled into a ball, dipped into meat, gravy, sour milk or stewed vegetables.  A thinner version is made with peanut butter or margarine and eaten in the morning.  Source:    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadza
• Mamaliga (Romania / Moldova) - thick porridge made with cornmeal and may also include:  milk, butter, cheese, eggs, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, ham, or fish.  Source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%83m%C4%83lig%C4%83

And, in the Americas; specifically the United States . . .

It has been around in one form or another since corn has been growing in the Americas.  During the Civil War, both the Confederate and Union armies ate cornmeal mush from time to time when supplies were scarce.  It was well known in the east as being a food primarily eaten by lower income households.  And, on the frontier, one ate what was available or one starved.  Source:  http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cornmeal-mush.htm

Below, written in my Grandmother's own hand, is the recipe for Mush.  It was my Grandmother's 'go to' recipe for many Sunday evening suppers, but we also enjoyed it on many an occassion for breakfast.  We all had different ways of enjoying the fried slices; I would eat mine with Grandma's Molasses, others ate it topped with jam or jelly, dusted with powdered sugar or topped with butter and syrup.

Catherine 'Kate' (STARR) KRIEBEL's Mush Recipe

Cornmeal mush, once eaten as a source of sustenance here in the United States, and still a mainstay in cuisines all over the world, can now be found in its various forms in recipes of famed chefs and in fine restaurants.  How cool!  Although, I never needed to be told that it was good eats.  I already knew; I've been eating it since I was knee-high to a grasshopper - what made it the best was that it was lovingly prepared by my Grandmother.  And, it didn't hurt that I thought it was unique to my family.  LOL!

A (near) future goal - to have fun trying the many ethnic variations I've discovered in the course of my Google research to learn more about cornmeal mush.  Although, I have no doubt that they will be delicious in their own rite, they will NEVER compare with my Grandmom's fried mush.

T

PS:  A happy aside - my oldest son phoned while I was putting this blog post together and requested this recipe. I happily shared it with the next generation; I look forward to more memories being made.  My Grandmother's food continues to be made with love and enjoyed.