Smoked Scrapple

[steve_woolston]

Scrapple is mostly a mid-Atlantic item generally pan fried and eaten for breakfast. It is reputedly anything-but-the-squeal pork, corn meal, and I have no idea what else. It's not a staple for me, but my kids love it. Scrapple must not be a household word the world over, because the spelling checker deems it suspicious.

I wanted to try cold smoking a loaf of scrapple. I got some ideas from the internet, and decided to use the rig below.



One method I saw suggested putting smoking pellets in the tube. Not wanting to spend 20 bucks for a bag of pellets for the experiment, I split small pieces of oak. You can see a couple of unburned pieces at the end of the tube. I made a line of charcoal between the bricks, and lit one end of the charcoal. The idea actually worked well. I put the grate into the Weber Kettle and the scrapple block on the grate. I partially closed the intake and out vents and let it smoke for two hours.

I was generally pleased with the results, but the smoke flavor was more of burned wood than the smoky flavor I get with other meats. The smoke was not thin blue, but whitish.

I'm planning to try smoking a block of cheddar cheese next, but I'd like to try not to have the burned wood taste.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Below are pics of the smoked scrapple block and scrapple frying for those who may not be familiar with it.

[THE Humble Texan]

You can't do better than GMG's Texas Blend or a good Mesquite pellet. You will find what has made BBQ famous. Some will use pecan wood if they can find it but true believers in TEXAS hold out for Texas Mesquite. There is something about the mesquite that grows in New Mexico and Arizona that just does not make for good cooking. It must be something in the soil that changes the wood.

[N227GB]

I don't think I've seen this on a breakfast menu anywhere outside of eastern PA. Pretty good stuff, though sometimes it can contain wheat flour so these days I would have to stay away. No problem with cornmeal though. AllRecipes.com has a version with some helpful variations. Thanks for bringing this up!

[gcdmd]

We used to serve it at the truck stop café in Laurel, MD, I worked at while in college in the early sixties. The owner made it himself, but I have no idea what all he put into it. It wasn't bad, though.

[FishTalesNC]

My first experience with scrapple was as punishment after a night of heavy drinking as a teenager in VA. It’s easily found in grocery stores here in NC too, Neese’s brand is made in Greensboro. Still kinda feels like punishment to me tho!

[Chewey]

Love me some Scrapple (Rapa brand). Since I've loved away from VA most of my adult life, it's a treat Ionly get when I go home. Some grocery stores will carry it, but it's frozen and it falls apart when it's fried if it has been frozen. Never thought about smoking it. I may have to try that at my dad's house next time I'm up there. Sorry I'm no help with cold smoking.

[Donw]

First thing my daughter wants when she visits from Maui is scrapple.

[Buck Flicks]

I love scrapple. Kind of reminds me of boudin, but with cornmeal instead of rice. My grandmother (From Texas, lived in Colroado) used to make it for us for breakfast. I've never seen it on a menu or for sale since about 1983. My grandfather (who was born in Mass and raised in Tenn) thought it was disgusting. But he also put mayonaise on his salad and peanut butter and pickles on his salami sandwiches... so his food notions were all over the place.

[klflowers]

I lived in Reading, PA for awhile and scrapple was on every restaurant breakfast menu. I never developed a taste for it myself.

[Skip]

Sorry steve_woolston but it seems your thread has gotten a little hi-jacked with a few of us reliving the past! Well--I also remember my parents making it from a pig head and other organ meat. As kids we liked it and at our house it was called Pon Haus. I made some last winter using Pork Butt rather than pig's head and organ meat. My siblings thought it tasted like "the original". Your idea of smoking it is interesting. If I make it again I might try that but maybe hot smoking at 180-225*?? As far as "cold smoking" cheese, I've done that several times using a tube and pellets. Just put the cheese on a grate over a foil pan with ice in it so the cheese doesn't melt . I smoke it for 2 hours then wrap tightly and put in the frig for 3-4 weeks. It will be bitter if eaten right after smoking. It turns out good IMO. Have fun!

[steve_woolston]

Thanks for the suggestion, Skip. Do you think hot smoking will tend to cook the scrapple rather than flavor it? Scrapple is most palatable to me if it is fried crispy. And thanks for the cheese suggestion.

[Skip]

I suppose if you left it in a loaf and hot smoked it that way it will be cooked some but should take on a little smoke so maybe try some cold smoked and hot smoked. I would be curious to see the outcome. Please post your results if you try smoking it. I agree with your fried crispy comment. Good luck.