McCloud’s Easy Homemade Scrapple Recipe | The Perfect Scrapple For Breakfast

This easy homemade scrapple recipe is one of a kind. Not particularly popular, but one that I absolutely love. I’m surprised I don’t make it more often for breakfast, but it’s one of my favorite breakfast side dishes. So I had to share it with you, especially since it’s not very well known.

But one of those best-kept secrets that you may fall in love with once you finally taste it. So give the recipe a shot.. It’s quick and straightforward, taking less than 30 minutes to prepare and cook. Consider it the next time you make a big weekend breakfast.

What is scrapple?

Ok, so I’m sure some of you haven’t even heard of scrapple and are probably wondering what it is. I know because I’ve had quite a few people ask me about scrapple before. Well, simply put….

It’s nothing but a bunch of pork remains, partially composed of fat. When food manufacturing companies are left with pork remains after cutting up the limbs of a pig, they gather and grind it all up.

Then they season, pack, and ship it to the grocery stores. Now, I’m sure it doesn’t sound like the most appetizing thing in the world, but it’s so good which is why us scrapple lovers enjoy it.

The Origin Of Scrapple

Scrapple originated in Pennsylvania, particularly in the Dutch region, which is why most people consider it a Pennsylvania thing.

It’s a cultural thing, often found on the plates of Pennsylvanians, including Philadelphians and Pittsburghers, although the cultures in these two cities are different. Lancaster County is probably the most well-known part of the state for making scrapple.

Dutch and German settlers introduced the dish to the region many years ago, and it symbolizes their culinary approach of utilizing every part of the pig and not wasting anything.

It’s common to find it in surrounding states, such as Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York. It’s definitely a Pennsylvania staple, still to this day.

I was pretty surprised not to find it outside of Pennsylvania when I was on vacation one time. I forgot where I was since I vacay frequently, but I couldn’t find it to save my life. Not a single grocery store had sold any. 

Scrapple, a thing of the past!

Now, what inspired me to do this recipe was a conversation my aunt Lorretta was having on my Facebook fan page with a subscriber of mine who never heard of Scrapple!!

That confused the hell out of my auntie because she’s a ’60s baby from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up eating Scrapple. For her, it was shocking to learn that so many people are unaware of what it is.

Scrapple isn’t as popular as it once was. We’re in an era now where people are not only becoming more conscious of the things they eat but are beginning to prioritize their overall health.

The vegan and “healthy eating & fitness” communities, which demonize red meat and pork, are rapidly growing. LMBO! So, food like Scrapple, which people often refer to as “slave food,” is becoming a thing of the past. They call it that because it’s similar to what slaves were fed: the least desirable meat parts and pork scraps.

You rarely see younger people 34 and below at the grocery store picking up Scrapple and a bucket of Chitterlings or Pig’s Feet! I’m 31, and whenever I buy a bucket of Chitterlings from the store, I get looks of disgust and surprise from young people.

I also get a look of shock from older folks because they know most of my generation don’t prefer to eat such things, so they presume I’m getting it for my grandmom or something. LMBO!

McCloud’s Homemade Scrapple

My grandma, Viola, and her husband, McCloud, who are both originally from the South, would cook scrapple at least twice a week. Another thing McCloud would love to make is fatback!

They would eat both scrapple and fatback at any time of day. Lol! One thing about older Southern folks is that they never linked food to time; they eat what they want when they want!

I remember waking up in the wee hours of the morning and going downstairs for a midnight snack, only to see McCloud in the kitchen coating his fatback with flour as hot oil sizzled in his favorite cast-iron skillet. MAAAAAAN, old southerners love them some pork fat, don’t they?

So it’s no surprise they loved scrapple, though, since it’s pork. Haha! McCloud ate pork like it was chicken or fish! Well, when I first tried a piece of scrapple he had sitting on a baking rack, I instantly fell in love with it.

Something about its unique flavor and crispiness blew my mind and made my taste buds go crazy. It’s definitely something you have to develop a taste for. It’s just like any other type of pork; you either love it or hate it.

But I loved it!!! It’s packed with flavor, well-seasoned, and rich in fat. And the best way to make it is crispy like he did. So I’m going to share this delicious recipe for all the scrapple lovers out there, which is a modified version of how McCloud cooked it.

I do a few things differently, but this is pretty much exactly how he made it, although he never used measurements. He always made it the exact same way, though, and this tasted almost identical to his.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Main Ingredient: Scrapple
• Seasonings: Salt, Sage, Garlic powder, Onion Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Black pepper
• Coating: All purpose Flour
• Fat: Vegetable oil

Cookware utensils you’ll need:

• Large Knife: You need a nice, large chef’s knife for easy slicing of the scrapple.
• Cutting board: A cutting board to cut and rest them on before frying.
• A mixing bowl: This is for combining the flour and seasonings.
• Spatulas: To flip the scrapple.
• Non-stick skillet: Use a nice non-stick skillet.
• Cooking rack: A cooking rack is perfect to rest the scrapple on after it’s done.

Thick vs Thin Slices

Some folk like ’em thick, some like ’em thin… but it’s important not to slice ’em too thin! I found that when you slice the Scrapple too thin, it breaks easily while frying.

This is another reason I prefer to coat them with flour, especially if you prefer them thin! The flour forms a crispy exterior, making it easier for you to flip the scrapple without it falling apart.

Flour or no flour?

Now I’m sure some of you just fry your scrapple as it is, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But, I’m a part of the “coat with flour” club! I coat my scrapple with flour to give it an extra layer of crispiness and create the illusion of skin.

That’s the way Mr. McCloud made it. I just love how crispy it makes the Scrapple, especially the edges. That’s probably what I like most about it.

The oil and cooking time

I like to use vegetable oil to fry my Scrapple, and I don’t fry them very long. I preheat the oil for a 3-4 minutes, and once it’s hot, I add in the Scrapple.

The first side, as with anything you fry, takes longer to brown than the 2nd side because the oil is hotter by the time you flip them over.

Whenever you add food to oil, especially large pieces of meat, the temperature of the oil drops for a few minutes before it reaches the temperature you set it to again.

I noticed while creating this recipe that the Scrapple took close to 4 minutes to brown on the first side and a little over 2 minutes to brown on the second side.

Be mindful of that and flip them when they brown. Don’t worry too much about the time, as cooking time sometimes depends on the type of stove and pan you’re using.

You can also tell when it’s time to flip them by looking at the edges. As a general rule of thumb, fry for 3-4 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the second side. 

How to make easy homemade scrapple

1.  Slice the Scrapple into twelve 1/8 inch pieces.
2. Add flour to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
3. Add the seasonings, then stir well. 
   

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4. Coat both sides of the Scrapple with the seasoned flour, shake off the excess flour, then set aside.
   

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5. Place a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the oil.
6. After 3 minutes, add 6 slices of Scrapple to the skillet.
7. Fry for 3-4 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the second side.

Tips for best results:

• Remove excess flour: If you decide to use flour, shake off the excess flour before adding the scrapple to the skillet. Using too much flour will not only make the scrapple too crispy, but the excess flour will also burn at the bottom of the skillet before you can add the second batch, darkening the oil.
• Use 2 spatulas: Scrapple is not the easiest thing to flip. Using 2 spatulas will prevent the scrapple from breaking and make it very easy to flip.
• Rest on a cooking rack: Once the Scrapple is done frying, set it on a cooking rack to drain the excess oil. It’s best to use a cooking rack and place paper towels below the rack so the bottom of the scrapple doesn’t soften.

What to serve with scrapple?

• Scrambled eggs: I have a Scrambled Eggs Recipe you can try that’s really good. I know y’all see the sunny-side-up eggs in the photos, which are a good option too. But scrambled eggs just hit differently with scrapple. Haha!
• Bacon: Bacon tastes great with everything, so bacon is definitely a good option.
• Grits: I love making grits when I cook scrapple. I even break the scrapple up sometimes and put it in the grits and eat it together. Yum, so good! Btw, I have a Delicious Creamy Grits Recipe here.
• Toast: Toast with jelly tastes great with the savory taste of scrapple. The crispy, savory, and sweet jelly combo is fire.

Ok guys, that’s about it!! If you’ve never had scrapple before, give this easy homemade scrapple recipe a shot—I think you’ll enjoy it. Let me know what you think in the comments section below. If you love it as much as I do, please give me a 5-star rating and share the recipe.

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Enjoy, later!
PBJ~

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