Yeah, that doesn’t seem quite right. On the other hand, I always think about how my grandparents would have done something. Which is to say that if I had a bucket full of pig scraps, I wouldn’t let a little thing like not having the proper equipment stop me.
Somewhat new topic: PA Dutch Pot Pie is hands-down the greatest comfort food ever.
I think my dad just uses bread loaf pans or something like that. He does put something on top to press it down. Actually I recall the one year he used wax paper, pieces of cardboard, and bricks.
I’d be interested in the recipe as well if you ever get around to digging it up.
Any old part of the pig will do
The dick and the nipple and the toenail too
The special equipment is fine, but not really necessary. I still use my late Dad’s method… a regular loaf pan with a foil covered brick to compress my terrines, pates, and scrapple type stuff. The brick just fits very nicely into the top of the loaf pan. It works quite well and provides the required density to the finished product!
Makes more sense. I had one of those real expensive terrines a long time ago then stopped using it. Lost track of it.
I would love to see some of those pate recipes. Ive been meaning to get back into that.
Ill bet they were deep frying it and just over did it. It comes out well deep fried and you dont have to worry about flipping it. Deep fry it at the right temp and it comes out less greasy than pan frying.
Can’t say. Just figured they were cheap so they sliced it too thin and incompetent and cooked it too long. Or cooked it on too high heat. Either way, it was totally crisp. Done properly, scrapple has this great texture contrast. It’s sort of like the breakfast version of creme brulee.
I’d worry about trying to deep fry it since it’s so delicate. I guess they can put it in the basket and then lower it into the oil, but that seems like a lot more work at a diner where they just toss everything on the flat top.
While at our best specialty grocer this past weekend, I did see some Jones Scrapple so I grabbed one. The wife doesn’t like it because she claims she once saw “pork face” on the list of ingredients. I don’t doubt it’s in there; I doubt that it would be listed that way on the label.
mmmmmmm … haven’t had scrapple since I was a kid. I think I’ve got my mom’s recipe somewhere. And how 'bout some shoofly pie for dessert?
Oh man, I love pig face. I was at this party once and there was a pig roast. I got really smashed and was standing next to a bunch of friends, and the pig. I turned and grabbed the head approached it like I was going to kiss it then proceeded to bite the snout off, part of the face came off with it. It turned out to be really good.
But it was one of those things where you wake up the next day and remember some of the things you did the night before. I remembered my friends turning their backs on me and walking away. It was almost as bad as that time I got on the dance floor thinking I could dance like a Russian. People turned their backs on me then too, but that was probably more because I was kicking them then in disgust.
I dont drink that much anymore.
Here is a good PA dutch dish and I got this recipe from the horses mouth. (no I didnt use my teeth).
Apple Dumplings.
For two apples.
Start by cubing a stick of butter into 1/4" chunks then put them in a bowl in the freezer.
Select apples that are recommended for baking. I prefer Jersey Wine Saps,but I will use granny smith when the wine saps are not in season.
Peel and core your apples and place them into a bowl of slightly salted water and set them aside.
Put the frozen butter cubes into a food processor with a cup or so of flour, a little salt and sugar. pulse the food processor till it makes tini peas of the flour and butter. Add more flour if it is to wet. Once it is like dry little pebbles turn the food processor on constant and immediately add a sprinkle or two of water. It should almost right away turn into a ball of dough. If not add another sprinkle but be careful not to add too much. Then take the dough bal out. It should still be kinda cold. If not form it into two balls and put the dough balls in the fridge for 25 - 20 mins.This is a good idea anyway.
Then roll the balls out into a circle big enough to wrap the apples. Set the apple onto the center of the dough, fill the core hole with brown sugar. Sprinkle on a little cinnamon and nut meg, top it with a pat of butter Then carefully wrap the dough around the apple bottom to top, make sure not to break the dough as you wrap cause the dough needs to form a ‘bowl’ around the apple to hold the melted juices. The idea is it will create a dramatic culinary moment when the dumpling is cut open and the warm buttery juices pour out.
Doesnt work so well with frozen store bought crust cause it doesn’t provide as much buttery reverse osmosis as the above dough does. The juice leaks out and it gets ruined. But if you want to do it with store bought do them in a large muffin pan.
Now, just grab up the kids and get out to the orchards to pick a bushel of apples and a couple of pumpkins. Dont forget the corn maze either or the late season cabbage for makin kraut. 
It may have been listed as pig cheeks or pork cheeks. They’re supposed to be tasty, but I’ve never (knowingly 
) had them.
How often have you made kraut, and how much do you make at once? I’ve read up on it, but haven’t done it yet.
I make it every year at this time.Been doing that for the last seven or eight years or so.
I make it as soon as the Amish start selling the late cabbages.They are gigantic,and loaded with sugar. That is why late cabbages work best.They have lots of sugar and juice to aid in the fermentation.
I pack a fermenting bucket with cabbage, granny smith apples and kosher salt.
Do you just have these pictures lying around, or did you make kraut last night? 
I might have to try it this year. I need to find a container to do it in, and a place to do it . . . I can’t imagine my wife will want it in the house, she doesn’t even want a jar in the fridge.
Is that a specialized bucket for kraut? One of my bro’s has an old heavy duty ceramic one he uses to store his canes in. Comes up to my knee.
I’ve got one that sounds just like that euge, about 5 or 7 gallons or so, ceramic. My wife’s grandfather used to make wine in it. That container would hold a bit more kraut than I want though.
That is a pickling crock. The the two lips are for tying a rope around it to hold a cloth cover. Acts as a dust shield but lets it ‘breath’. Pickling croks come in all different sizes some of them huge as do kraut crocks. Its not really made for sauerkraut they are a little different then these. You can tell the difference buy the lip. If it has a lip like above it is a pickling crock. If it has a channel about an inch wide and inch or so deep it is kraut crock. The kraut crocks go with a lid. The lid has a male lip that fits into the channel groove on top of the crock. The lid sits in the groove and then it is filled with water. The idea is that this creates a lock that lets gas out but does not let air in.
If your friend has a kraut crock they can be worth a LOT of money. If it still has the lid it will be worth even more.
Those picks are from a short run batch from last year I think. I can only get two or three heads in there. We usually make enough to last all winter and be able to give it away. I now fill a 7 gallon fermentation bucket. By the time it settles I end up with five- 6 gallons of kraut. It takes a month or so to be ready but gets only better if you leave it sit. I keep it in the basement and it does not smell that bad. After it is fermented completely it does not give off much gas. But if you want to you can wrap the bucket in a trash back and it will contain the odoriferous vapors.
If it lasts till after January we then vacuum pack or can what is left.
Its easy to do.
What are the spices you have on the plate there. Looks like maybe bay leaves, black peppercorns, and ???.
Bay leaf, caraway seeds and Juniper berries.
Nice. That makes sense. I may need to give that a try.
