FoodNet

A manual of home-making

1919

Page 353

Presented as published in 1919. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Metbtwl I, After the meat has been thoroughly roolrd, tlie i be cut up and ruroti. SuKiir-cur<xl |x»rk is preferable to dr>*-cun*d or 1 salt pi>rk liecrtuse of its pleasant flavor an<l l>ecauw the meat i.^ not m drj" and har^k Bttf lt>ugu«»s may t>e cured in thp same pirkU* with thi? porL All the pork earcass may be cured cxeept the loin.^, which arr usisil iwak for chops and roasts, the gpare-ribs, which are uhi^I frtv^h, nM tfwt fron- inings, which are u^tfl for lanl and f«ausagt?. The ham*<, bacons are sugar-cured, and the fat barics arc dr>'-eiuwl « plain salt pickle. Before the meat Is placed in pickle or s^t^ all comera and rniegied edgiii should be eut off and used for saiL^afice and lank If they nrt* lefl on thej will be waHte<I, for they will he thoroughly soaked by the picklo and wiB be of no use* Rub the pork thorouKhly with salt and pack it id a eool Tplbkomwvw9i0i/L The next day pack it in a barrel or on earthen jar, with the lioavi«^ }agm FOOD PHESERVATION and ahoulclQi^ at tlie bf>tiom» the lighter hams and shoulders next, and the bacons and ttmgucs at llie U)p. For cver>^ 1(X) ]X)unds *if nu>al wt-igh out 10 pounds of Kah^ 2j^ ptmnds of hnnvn sugar, ami 2 ounce's of saltpelf^r. Fiuh tho^si* together IhoriHiKhly, taking rare that the saltpeter i^ finely jwwdertHl, Dissolve the whole by stirring it into 4 gallons of hx)iling water. Allow this brine to cool thor- oughly, and then pour it over the me^it. If it does not entirely eover the iTieat, iwld more water. The brine should cover the meiit at all times. The meat niuy be \\eightcHl down with a blork if necessary, for if it is not c(>V(^rixi the projecting meat will decompost^ in a short time. If the brine show:^ si^a of fermenting during the curing procesB, it should be dra^Mioff, boUt^l, and coole<l, and then poureti back on the meat. The bacons and tongues may he taken from the pickle after four to six ww»ks^ and after being wa.shed in warrn water they may be hung in the fimoke-house and srnttked. The hgliter hams and shouldcj-s w4ll be ready to take out of the pickle in six to eiglit weeks, and the heavier one« at the end of the eighth wt^^k, Method II, Another recipe for frugar-cured hams, bacons, and tongues' that has given gof»d results ia as follows: ^ Pack the thoroughly cooletl meat in a cfK>l, dry place, on a table that has previou^sly been covered with a layer of salt. Sprinkle salt over each piece I if meat, and add alternate layers of meat and layers of salt until all bi puckHl. Allow the meat to remain in the salt for eight to ten da>'8, and then wa;<h off the salt with lukewarm water. The meat is now^ ready to go into the pickle, which U jiuxcmI as folluws: To 18 gallons of water add 5 pounds of browTi sugar, a small handful of saltpeter, and 1 tablesixn^nful of ginger. Stir the inixture until the solitls are all dissolved, and then stir in 12 potmds of sidt. Stir until all the ssilt is dissolve*!. This amount can be increas^rnl or decreased according to the amount of meat to be pickkxh Ordinarily ono-fourth of this mixturij w^ill be enough for ICM) pounds of pt)rk. The pickle should test 75** with the hydrometer test. If a hydrometer is not at hand, di-op a fresh egg into the pickle; if the egg floats almost submerged, the brine is of the piroper strength.