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Philadelphia Scrapple

A savory loaf made from pig's head, cornmeal, rye flour, and seasonings, boiled, chilled, sliced, and fried.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Marjoram and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,225 recipes. Both carry terpineol, which smells pine, woody. The science ↓

Philadelphia Scrapple

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the meat and broth

  1. Boil the cleaned pig's head in enough water to cover it until the meat separates from the bones.

  2. Chop the meat finely and set aside.

  3. Chill the cooking liquid until the fat rises to the top, then remove the fat.

Make the mush

  1. Bring the liquid back to a boil, then add the chopped meat, salt, and pepper.

  2. Slowly add the corn meal and rye flour while stirring constantly.

  3. Cook for 1 hour, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

Mold and serve

  1. Pour the mixture into molds and chill thoroughly.

  2. Slice and fry in hot fat before serving.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Marjoram + thymetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,225 recipes

    Shared aroma: terpineol (pine, woody).

  2. Pepper + marjoramtop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,609 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  3. Pepper + thymetop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together11,585 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  4. Corn + ryetop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together182 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

  5. Rye + flourtop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,320 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Yellow corn meal
Thickens the broth into a mush that sets firm when chilled.
Rye flour
Adds body and helps the mixture hold its shape when sliced.
Pig's head
Provides the meat and gelatin-rich broth that binds the mush as it cools.

The step that matters

Adding the corn meal and rye flour. Adding the flours slowly while stirring constantly prevents lumps and scorching on the bottom of the pot, and keeps the mixture smooth so it sets evenly.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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