Scrapple Chronicles: Revenge of the Headcheese

Looks like this may be the final episode...with a twist - jumping from scrapple to the equally "chilling" product of headcheese


Delicious! Ok, now to the correspondence....this time our hero contacts the Koegels Meat company - and gets his response from the top, the Koegels man himself!

J. Beemis writes:

Hi Mr. Koegels,

I noticed on your website that your headcheese has
these Ingredients: "Pork Snouts, Beef, Water, Salt, Sugar, Gelatin, Spices, Dehydrated Onions, Garlic Powder, Sodium Nitrite "

and I'd like to know what part of the beef cattle you're using, prime rib? filet mignon? snout? sphincter?

When I was a boy we used to get our headcheese from my grandmother, and I can't tell you what part of the cow or pig she used, not because I don't know, but, well, because it would be inappropriate to mention "those" parts in an email. I wouldn't want to offend your senses.

Also, I am thinking of doing a little home pork production, I think I've got room for at least two porkers in my apartment, it's a 2 bedroom deal and they would share one bedroom. Anyway, any suggestions, or piglets you could offer would be great - don't worry, I'm not going to compete!


Red, white and true

J. Beemis


And, from the main man, head honcho, of Koegel Meats, heir to the headcheese fortune, Mr. John Koegel:

Subject: Koegel Meats
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 13:03:52 -0400
From: "John Koegel" Add to Address BookAdd to Address Book
To: j_beemis@yahoo.com

Dear Mr. J. Beemis:

Thank you for your email inquiring about the ingredients of our headcheese.

The beef that we use is 85% lean beef. Most of the time, the loins are removed as well as the briskets. All of the time the offal, and other body parts are removed so what is left is the skeletal meat taken from the bone. If one uses meat other than skeletal meat, it must be listed such as pork snouts are listed on our label.

We are not in the farm end of the business so I have cannot answer your other question, however, I hope that the above helps.

Again, thank you for your email.

Sincerely,
John C. Koegel

And thus ends this bizarro meat tale, for now at least.