Jim Weller of Yellowknife NWT passed along a recipe for "Chili Scrapple" from a 1936 Texas cookbook. It was interesting enough that I tried it, and I'm glad I did, because it was delicious. I'm including the recipe in the Scrapple series on the Cupboard next week, but I want to preserve the Fidonet messages that document the process:
| From: | JIM WELLER | Number: | 83965 |
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| To: | DAVE SACERDOTE | Date: | 3/10/2008 11:16 PM |
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| Subject: | Re: Weather vs Location | Reference: |
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| Read: | 3/11/2008 6:20 AM | Private: | No |
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| Conference: | COOKING | Attachment: | None |
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-=> Quoting Dave Sacerdote to Jim Weller <=- JW> Ottawa got 19 more inches for a total of 13 1/2
JW> feet this winter, second snowiest year on record.
DS> It's a winter just like the ones we used to get when I was a kid
DS> (and I have the photos to prove it.)
I remember it well. I grew up in a snow belt. Drifts up to the eaves
of the pig barn in the 50's so I could sled right down from the roof
peak. Ottawa's snowiest year of all was in 1977 with over 14 feet of
accumulation ending with two 20 inch March storms a week apart. My
first year up here I didn't mind the -40 temps as it was too damned
cold to snow and I didn't have to shovel the drive.
I came across this weird but probably tasty recipe while looking for
something else:
MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV 2.10
Title: Chili Scrapple
Categories: Meats, Chilies, Historical
Servings: 8
1 lb meat
1 1/2 qt boiling water
1 onion
2 c tomatoes
1 T salt
1 T Gebhardt's Chili Powder
2 c corn meal
1 c cold water
Either beef, veal or pork may be used in this recipe. Boil the
meat in the water until tender (about 1 and 1/2 hours). Remove meat
and run through meat grinder with the onions. Measure meat stock
and add enough water to make five cups of liquid: combine with
ground meat, onions, tomatoes, seasonings and cornmeal moistened
with the cold water. Simmer 15 minutes or until ingredients are
tender and mixture thick. Pour into greased bread pan to cool. Slice
about one-fourth inch thick, roll in flour and saute in hot fat
until golden brown in color. Serve hot with chili sauce.
Posted in: http://www.slashfood.com/
From: "Mexican Cookery For American Homes"
By: Gebhardt, San Antonio, Texas, 1936
MMMMM-------------------------------------------------
I know, there ain't no tomatoes in scrapple. [g]
Cheers
YK Jim
| From: | DAVE SACERDOTE | Number: | 83991 |
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| To: | JIM WELLER | Date: | 3/11/2008 10:58 AM |
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| Subject: | Chili Scrapple | Reference: |
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| Read: | 3/11/2008 9:15 PM | Private: | No |
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| Conference: | COOKING | Attachment: | None |
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JW> I came across this weird but probably tasty recipe while
JW> looking for something else:
JW> Title: Chili Scrapple
JW> 1 T Gebhardt's Chili Powder
JW> I know, there ain't no tomatoes in scrapple. [g]
Well, I'll defend clam chowder against tomatoes, but in that
particular scrapple recipe it seems like it would be OK.
There's plenty of precedent, what with polenta and tomato
sauce and corn chips and salsa. And beef, veal, and pork all
go pretty well with tomatoes.
The liquid balance seems right, too. I think I'd be more
concerned about the additional water from the tomatoes making
the scrapple too loose to set up well, but I think with just
one cup of water to the two cups of tomatoes it should be a
pretty good set.
You know what concerned me more than any of that? The fact
that there's only one tablespoon of chili powder in it. Talk
about seasonings getting lost in the mix!
Anyway, I'm saving out that recipe because it looks like
something I might have to try just for the hell of it. I've got
the last remainders of a whole pork shoulder that can provide
the meat, so maybe I can get to it in a day or so. I'll post
results later.
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| From: | JIM WELLER | Number: | 84060 |
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| To: | DAVE SACERDOTE | Date: | 3/12/2008 10:36 PM |
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| Subject: | Re: Chili Scrapple | Reference: |
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| Read: | 3/13/2008 11:28 AM | Private: | No |
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-=> Quoting Dave Sacerdote to Jim Weller <=- JW> Title: Chili Scrapple
JW> 1 T Gebhardt's Chili Powder
DS> (tomatoes) in that
DS> particular scrapple recipe it seems like it would be OK.
I think it just might be.
DS> there's only one tablespoon of chili powder in it.
Well remember that this was back in 1936 in a cook book for white
folks.
DS> Anyway, I'm saving out that recipe because it looks like
DS> something I might have to try just for the hell of it.
I have half a mind to too. If you do it first let me know how it
turned out.
Cheers
YK Jim
| From: | DAVE SACERDOTE | Number: | 84151 |
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| To: | JIM WELLER | Date: | 3/15/2008 12:11 AM |
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| Subject: | Chili Scrapple | Reference: | None |
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| Read: | 3/15/2008 1:17 PM | Private: | No |
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I made up a batch of that chili scrapple. Although I won't be
frying up some slices until tomorrow, I can tell you from tasting
the mush that it isn't all that bad.
It's kind of like a pleasantly flavored corn chip. I used some
wicked overripe tomatoes that have been in the fridge since I bought
them already old and on markdown last week (soft, but full of flavor
and perfect for cooking.) The only deviation from the recipe was the
tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper I added to give it a kick
(and even that was fairly well absorbed by the volume of stuff.)
Anyway, I'll let you know more sometime tomorrow after I have
a chance to have breakfast.
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| From: | DAVE SACERDOTE | Number: | 84155 |
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| To: | JIM WELLER | Date: | 3/15/2008 12:17 PM |
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| Subject: | CS | Reference: | 153846 |
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| Read: | 3/15/2008 1:17 PM | Private: | No |
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| Conference: | COOKING | Attachment: | None |
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Notes follow the recipe.
MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV 2.10
Title: Chili Scrapple
Categories: Meats, Chilies, Historical
Servings: 8
1 lb meat
1 1/2 qt boiling water
1 onion
2 c tomatoes
1 T salt
1 T Gebhardt's Chili Powder
2 c corn meal
1 c cold water
Either beef, veal or pork may be used in this recipe. Boil the
meat in the water until tender (about 1 and 1/2 hours). Remove meat
and run through meat grinder with the onions. Measure meat stock
and add enough water to make five cups of liquid: combine with
ground meat, onions, tomatoes, seasonings and cornmeal moistened
with the cold water. Simmer 15 minutes or until ingredients are
tender and mixture thick. Pour into greased bread pan to cool. Slice
about one-fourth inch thick, roll in flour and saute in hot fat
until golden brown in color. Serve hot with chili sauce.
Posted in: http://www.slashfood.com/
From: "Mexican Cookery For American Homes"
By: Gebhardt, San Antonio, Texas, 1936
MMMMM-------------------------------------------------
I had the shank end of a fresh pork shoulder along with the entire
bone; this was left over from a couple weeks of hacking off pork for
various recipes. I chucked the whole thing, skin and all, into the
pressure cooker with the 1 1/2 quarts of water and cooked it until
completely falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
I finely chopped the onion in the Cuisinart, then added the meat,
rendered gristle, and skin to process it all into ground meat.
Meanwhile, I brought the 5 cups of broth to a boil and added the
tomatoes, cooking them until soft, the stirred in the meat mixture,
then added the spices (with an additional tablespoon of ground
pepper) and the moistened cornmeal. It took about 20 minutes to
cook it until very thick.
It set up well, but was a little wet when sliced. No matter, it
fried up beautifully with a crisp brown skin outside and creamy
cornmeal-porky goodness inside. The seasonings were not spicy, just
very savory, and the flavor reminded me of a sundried-tomato
flavored corn chip. I ate mine dressed with Bruce Foods Red Rooster
Louisiana Hot Sauce.
Good find, Jim. It's a keeper, and I will definitely be making this
again. I encourage you to try it - it's great.
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Gebhardt's Chili Powder is now made by ConAgra.
