Buckwheat Scrapple

Scrapple is one of the great American nose-to-tail foods. Pennsylvania Dutch farmers came up with it to use every scrap of the pig at slaughter time, and the buckwheat version is the older, more traditional preparation, predating the all-cornmeal style sold at country grocers today.

The meal ratio is the part that makes this scrapple distinct. Two parts cornmeal to one part buckwheat flour gives the loaf a faintly nutty, earthy edge that plain cornmeal scrapple lacks. The buckwheat also darkens the color noticeably.

Sage and mace are the seasoning signatures. Mace specifically reads old-world: it’s the lacy outer covering of the nutmeg seed, warmer and more floral than ground nutmeg, and it ties this scrapple to the colonial Pennsylvania kitchens it came from.

The ratios are based on cooked meat weight, which is unusual for modern recipes. For every three pounds of picked meat from the simmering, you scale the meal, salt, pepper, and spices. The cooked mush goes into a loaf pan to chill solid overnight, then slices and fries golden brown.

Pro Tips

• Skim the simmering broth carefully and often. Hog head is fatty, and clean broth makes a cleaner-tasting scrapple.
• Reserve some of the cooking liquid to mix with the meals. The collagen-rich liquor is what gives scrapple its sliceable set.
• Cool overnight, not just a few hours. Properly chilled scrapple slices clean and fries without crumbling.
• Slice no thinner than ½ inch and fry in plenty of fat (bacon grease is traditional) over medium-high heat. Patience gets you the crisp crust.

Variations

• Skip the offal and use 3 pounds of cooked pork shoulder for a modern, milder scrapple.
• Add a quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a gentle Southern-style heat.
• Serve with maple syrup and fried eggs on the side, the way Pennsylvania farmhouses do.