As promised, here is my recipe for scrapple, which I cobbled together for a home kitchen. It doesn’t require a hog’s head and is manageable in an ordinary stockpot.
Simmer 4 pounds of pork neck bones in water to cover for four hours or until falling-off-the-bone tender. Strain the broth, reserving both liquid and solids. Pick the meat and fat from the bones and chop very finely, discarding any gristle. You should have 10 cups of strained broth and 2½ cups meat.
Bring the stock to a boil. Gradually whisk in 2½ cups fine cornmeal (or “stone ground” — not coarse) and 1½ cups buckwheat flour. To avoid lumps, continue stirring until the pudding gelatinizes and starts to thicken. Then stir in the meat along with:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon pounded and sifted)
- ½ teaspoon mace
- ½ teaspoon ground/grated nutmeg
- dash cayenne
Simmer ½ hour, stirring frequently to avoid sticking.
Pour into greased molds and cool. I use three 9x5 loaf pans lined with wax paper, then when cool, turn out the loaves, cut into thirds, and freeze them on baking sheets before transferring to freezer bags for storage.
To serve, slice cold scrapple thickly and fry in a pan. I recommend apple butter as an accompaniment (not ketchup).