Why yes, some “pork mush” would be delicious!

I like to think that I have a somewhat sophisticated palate. I’ve tried (and liked) foie gras, truffles, and other frou-frou foods; I’ve got a taste for really good wine; and in my normal day-to-day life, my diet consists of fresh produce and “healthier” foods, with organic stuff thrown in for good measure (when I can afford it, anyway).

But sometimes, a girl’s gotta have scrapple.


What is scrapple, you may ask? It’s probably better that you don’t know. Really. The ingredients are kind of gross. But still, you’re curious? All right: according to Wikipedia, it’s a “savory mash of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and flour.” If you take a look at the packaging, you’ll find that specific ingredients include pig lips, hearts and snouts. It’s kind of like Spam…but worse.

As gross as it sounds, I love it. I live in New York, and it’s incredibly hard to find a package of the mystery meat up here. But when I’m back in my hometown of Baltimore? Scrapple is EVERYWHERE. That’s the beauty of the product, I think: it’s one of those weird regional specialties that you can only find in a few specific places (in scrapple’s case, it’s a mid-Atlantic thing; the only people I know who enjoy it hail from Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware). I know that the only time I’ll be able to get a gloriously crispy, savory golden-brown slice of pig mush is when I’m visiting family. And that, somehow, makes it all the more appealing. Regional delicacies fascinate me, and wherever I am, I love to try them.

Or, y’know, it could be because pork is delicious in all of its forms, even the unglamorous, kinda nasty ones. (Sorry, vegetarians.)

If you can find a package of scrapple where you are, I suggest the following recipe, modified from the way my family likes to eat it:

Egg & Scrapple Sandwich

1/2 pound of scrapple
8 slices of toasted bread (white or wheat, depending on your preference)
4 whole eggs

Slice the scrapple to your desired thickness (I prefer thinner slices); you should have enough for four sandwiches, with 2-3 slices per sandwich. Place the slices in a hot non-stick pan, and fry until both sides are crispy and golden brown. Cook each egg how you like (sunnyside-up, scrambled, etc.). Top 1 slice of toast with 1 egg and 2-3 slices of scrapple; top that with another slice of toast. Try not to think about what you’re consuming as you enjoy.