Original Ponhaws - Pannhas - Ponhaus - Scrapple

Submitted by mollypaul

"An heirloom, butchering-time recipe impractical for most modern cooks. Thrifty farmers of the time used everything but the squeal. This is very similar to the more familiar scrapple. Oatmeal scrapple may be made using this recipe subbing that grain for the cornmeal. From the Pennsylvania Dutch chapter of the United States Regional Cookbook, Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago, 1947. Posting it as a historical novelty."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Yields: 6 pounds

ingredients

• 1 pig head
• 5 quarts water
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 4 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 3 cups cornmeal (amount is approximate)

directions

1. Separate pig head into halves.
2. Remove eyes and brains.
3. Scrape head and clean thoroughly.
4. Place in a large kettle, cover with water and simmer gently for 2 or 3 hours (or until meat falls off the bone).
5. Skim grease from the surface; remove meat, chop finely and return to broth.
6. Season with salt, pepper and sage to taste.
7. Sift in corn meal, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened to the consistency of soft mush.
8. Cook very slowly for one hour over low heat.
9. When sufficiently cooked, pour into greased loaf pans and store in a cool place until ready to use.
10. To serve, cut into 1/2" slices and fry until crisp and brown.

Reviews

[Beth-boyardee]

It amuses me that you say that this is reprinted for "historical purposes". My 82 year old dad, his four brothers, their 32 children, and me and my family make this every Christmas season. We do this same recipe but use ground pork, but if we can get get a hog head we are all over it. Thanks for posting.

 

[vintnerman]

This sounds similar to what my dad and his 9 siblings called "hog oats". Until a few years ago, I didn't know it's familiar name was Ponhaws. From what I can gather, the grain used was whatever was most available, cornmeal, oatmeal, etc. It also appears the spices varied widely. My recipe calls for oatmeal,ground cloves and allspice. I've adapted the pork to use a 3 pound pork loin roast boiled until falling apart and ground fine. Also, after frying the slices until brown, it's doused with dark corn syrup (Karo). Wow! makes me hungry.