PORK SCRAPPLE OR GOETTA
About 6 servings
These grain-filled regional specialties represent a rare style of sausage-making. If you use cornmeal, call it scrapple; if you use oats, call it goetta.
Combine in a large pot and bring to a boil:
- 6 cups water
- 1 onion, sliced
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 small bay leaf
Add:
- 2 pounds pork neck bones or spareribs
Reduce the heat and simmer until the meat falls from the bones, about 1 ½ hours. Strain, reserving the liquid and meat separately.
For scrapple, measure out 4 cups of the reserved liquid, adding additional water or stock if necessary. Use this liquid to prepare:
For goetta, use 3 cups of the reserved liquid to cook:
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Remove all the meat from the pork bones and finely chop. Add it to the cooked cornmeal mush or oatmeal. Season with:
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or sage
- A grating of nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pour the mixture into a loaf pan that has been rinsed with cold water. Refrigerate until cold and firm, unmold, and cut into thick slices. To serve, pan-fry the slices until brown in:
- Melted butter or bacon fat