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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsStopped by a tiny West Virginia Truck Stop/Diner yesterday.
One of the menu choices was something called "Scrapple". I asked the waitress what it was, and she said it was the parts left over from a pig.
I usually try local foods on my travels (I drive a long haul truck), but after a moment it occurred to me that what ever goes into "Scrapple", didn't make the cut over what goes into hotdogs..
I chose Bacon & Eggs, with a truly fine Blueberry pancake on the side.
Next time I drive by I will not chicken out and order Scrapple on the side.
Here is a picture of the diner.
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magical thyme
(14,881 posts)Whatever didn't make the cut to get into scrapple was used to make hot dogs.
That realization would have changed my order.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)handmade34
(22,756 posts)you should try it sometime...
denbot
(9,901 posts)In that pre-heart attack kind of way.
UncleYoder
(233 posts)It's just cornmeal mush with your side of pork mixed in.
Now chitlins, that's a whole 'nother ballgame.
I sure could go for some cracklins straight out of the grease right now.
Growing up, used to butcher a couple of hogs every winter.
Didn't throw nothing out.
denbot
(9,901 posts)Is the recipe consistent throughout the south, or are there regional variations?
Recursion
(56,582 posts)It's a norther mid-Atlantic thing. I never had it growing up in Mississippi.
It's cornmeal, a syrup of some sort, and pork. I'm a fan.
liberal N proud
(60,338 posts)When I was in college, I worked summers in a pork processing plant. Started out on Night Cleanup but the next summer I landed a day job and spent most of the summer in the casings and chitlins processing department. Never have been able to bring myself to try them.
As far as anything that didn't make the cut, did not go into hot dogs, it went to rendering which as night cleanup, I was very familiar with.
Hot dog meat is usually meat trimmed from the head and trimmings from other cuts plus some fat and filler.
Chan790
(20,176 posts)Scrapple is a charcuterie item, a forcemeat.
Forcemeats are meat products made of ground scrap meats, the same ones alternately used to make hot-dogs, mixed with extra fats and sometimes gelatin in order to allow them to be formed into loafs or molded. Terrines are also forcemeats, as an example.
In the case of scrapple, the mix usually consists of ground pork from sub-prime cuts, pork liver, heart, snouts, cheek meat, salt, lard and grain-meal. Onions, black pepper and other charcuterie pork products like ham, salt pork and bacon are also frequent inclusions more often found in housemade scrapples. It's formed into a loaf, then sliced and fried to order. It's a Pennsylvania Dutch thing.
It tastes like a more-fatty ground pork, alternately like unspiced sausage patty. I'm not a fan, I think it has a greasy mouth-feel. If you're the sort of person that likes pork products generally and prefers your hamburgers on the extremely-greasy side...scrapple might be your thing.
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denbot
(9,901 posts)I'll have to admit feeling a little uncomfortable, and that might have influenced my decision. Being a west coast long hair, in my head, I hear the theme music to deliverance when I step out of my truck in the rural south..
I guess I will have to work on my own prejudices..
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)It was a staple of my childhood in Md. It is also popular in Pa. and Del., except that those heathens serve it with syrup instead of catsup as the Creator intended.
I trust you washed your breakfast down with a nice tall glass of water.
elleng
(131,028 posts)We're next door neighbors, KamaAina!!!
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)but always figured scrapple was a Mid-Atlantic delicacy, rather than Appalachian.
denbot
(9,901 posts)I forgot the highway number, but it crossed PA, WV, VA and MD in a 20-30 mile stretch.
mulsh
(2,959 posts)as far as I know that's the furthest west its found. My dad (from DE.) conned the sausage shop into ordering it from the east coast.
I've never seen it on any restaurant menu out here.
Bette's Oceanview Diner in west Berkeley makes their own. Seems Bette's from Philly. But I didn't get it because it was served with sour cream.
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)When I was a child in Philadelphia, my mother fixed for breakfast all the time. Then we moved to South Florida and could not find it there. I am now a vegetarian and would not eat it, but I do remember it fondly from my childhood.
denbot
(9,901 posts)As much as I dislike my boss sending me on side trips, I hope I pass that way again during breakfast time.
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)Probably.
DebJ
(7,699 posts)the way there we stopped into a truckstop for breakfast. On the menu board, 'brains' were listed. I
said hey Mom and Dad they have a spelling error on their menu board, thinking that what they were
intending to list was bran.
Nope.
jmowreader
(50,561 posts)denbot
(9,901 posts)It was between Frederick MD, and Winchester VA. The highway crossed from PA, to WV, to VA in a very short distance,
jmowreader
(50,561 posts)Wide spot in the road next to a U-haul dealer?
Rainbow Diner and Truck Stop. US 340, Charles Town, WV.
denbot
(9,901 posts)Mighty fine sleuthing jmowreader.
jmowreader
(50,561 posts)I used Google Maps' street view and satellite view to find the building. And it took a while.
rrneck
(17,671 posts)femmocrat
(28,394 posts)We like it with scrambled eggs and ketchup. If you use good quality pork, you can make a low-fat version.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)I thought you were from Pa., not Md. Does the ketchup/syrup line split Pa. from east to west?
I don't know but in western PA, Heinz ketchup is pretty much its own food group!
Recursion
(56,582 posts)It's actually pretty good. WVa is probably as far south as you'll find it.