A Norristown tattoo artist took home top honors at Philadelphia's inaugural Scrapple Sculpture Contest on Friday with his football-themed creation called "Mush Push," a clever tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles' signature short-yardage play. Patrick Moser's winning sculpture, fashioned from five pounds of the regionally beloved pork breakfast meat, beat out 11 other contestants in the lighthearted art competition that kicked off the Scrapple & Apple Festival at Reading Terminal Market.
The unique contest challenged participants to create artistic masterpieces using sculpting tools and 90 minutes of creative time, all while working with scrapple as their medium. Sasha Suda, chief executive of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, served as the expert judge for the unusual competition. Moser described his winning work as "Caravaggio meets Sirianni," referencing both the Italian Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio from the 14th and 15th centuries and current Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
The "tush push," also known as the "brotherly shove," is the reigning NFL champions' trademark play that other teams have struggled to counter effectively. Moser's lumps of indistinguishable football players captured this iconic Eagles strategy in scrapple form, earning him a trophy and a $100 gift card for his creative interpretation of putting "the pig into pigskin."
Scrapple, while sometimes the subject of culinary jokes, holds deep cultural significance among German families who settled in eastern Pennsylvania during the colonial period. When prepared properly, it's considered a pork delicacy commonly found at diners and farmhouse tables throughout the state. Marlin Dietrich, owner of Dietrich's Meats & Country Store in Krumsville, Pennsylvania, sells approximately 300 pounds of scrapple weekly and explained the lengthy preparation process.
Dietrich's traditional method involves boiling down beef and pork bones, seasoning the mixture with salt, pepper, and coriander, then thickening it with buckwheat flour and roasted cornmeal. He fries the scrapple to achieve a crisp exterior and enjoys it with apple butter, another Pennsylvania Dutch staple. "I like it once or twice a week for breakfast," Dietrich said, though he added with humor, "Making a sculpture? That's a shame."
The festival celebration extends far beyond the sculpture contest, featuring an array of scrapple-inspired culinary offerings that showcase the ingredient's versatility. Festival-goers can sample scrapple fries, andouille scrapple breakfast sandwiches, scrapple apple cookies, scrapple quiche, and even a scrapple cheesesteak. The public also had the opportunity to view and vote on the artistic creations on Saturday when all sculptures remained on display at the market.
This year's football-themed winner represents a departure from last year's champion sculpture, which featured a cookie jar decorated with a rooster and containing an egg inside. The contest demonstrates how regional food traditions can intersect with local sports culture and artistic expression, creating a uniquely Philadelphia celebration that honors both culinary heritage and Eagles pride in one deliciously creative competition.
