The salting and smoking of meat can be accomplished
on a small scale, and sometimes is very desirable. With
the aid of the annexed engravings, which are copied from
Gouffd's " Book of Preserves,!' any intelligent carpenter can
make the necessary apparatus. The first figure represents
a box or trough, made of boards two inches thick, about
six feet long by two feet wide, with sides three inches highj
the trough is set slanting upon strong legs held by a cross-
bar, and has an opening at the lower end for the escape of
the brine from the salting compound. For family use, a thick
wide meat-board, placed at a moderate angle of inclinatioiv
may replace the salting- trough. -^
326 PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
The second figure shows the salting-bin or pickling-tub,
PioMing or Salting trough,
a wooden box about three feet square, made of two-inch
Plckling-Tub, or Salting-Bin.
boards, and set upop strong short uprights. For small lise^
a stout cask or barrel may replace the tub.
{removes relev£s). 327
Smohing Closet or Furnace,
32S PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
The third figure represents the smoking-closet, a wooden
box on uprights, with a door, a funnel upon the top to
carry off the smoke, and an aperture in the bottom to
receive it from a small stove ; the closet is about three feet
by five, with strong iron rods running through the top to
hold the meat. The stove or furnace which stands under
the closet must have a funnel to carry the smoke into the
closet ; the row of holes around the top of the stove, shown
in the picture, is for the admission of air which would enter
at the bottom of an ordinary small furnace.
For family use, a smouldering fire is sometimes built
under a large barrel, and smothered with sawdust of hard
wood ; aiid the meat is suspended across the top of the
barrel. Anpther small way of smoking is to hang the meat
over the top of a barrel which is open at both ends, and
set it over a pile of oak sawdust in which a large piece of
red-hot iron is buried : the top of the barrel is covered after
the smoke begins to rise.
SALTING MEAT FOR SMOKING.
After trimming the meat in the proper joints, it should
be laid in the salting- trough, and thoroughly rubbed with
the salting mixture. For eighteen pounds of meat, mix, by
pounding together to a powder, two pounds of good bay
saltj two ounces of saltpetre, and four of brown sugar✪ Salting Meat for Smoking ;
thoroughly rub this mixture into the ^ meat every day for
four days ; then cover it with dry bay salt, fresh every day,
for twelve days, keeping a board over the meat with a heavy
weight upon it. It is important to apply the salting mixture
and dry salt every day, and to let the blood and brine drain
freely away from the meat. When the meat is pork, the
skin should . be downward. After two weeks, the meat will
be ready to smoke! Small joints should be smoked for a
week, large ones from ten days to two weeks : small tongues
REMOVES {RELEV£S). 329
may be smoked after six days' salting, and large ones after
ten.
BOW TO FICKLE MEAT. ✪ How to Pickle Meat
Page 180 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1885. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The salting and smoking of meat can be accomplished on a small scale, and sometimes is very desirable. With the aid of the annexed engravings, which are copied from Gouffd's " Book of Preserves,!' any intelligent carpenter can make the necessary apparatus. The first figure represents a box or trough, made of boards two inches thick, about six feet long by two feet wide, with sides three inches highj the trough is set slanting upon strong legs held by a crossbar, and has an opening at the lower end for the escape of the brine from the salting compound. For family use, a thick wide meat-board, placed at a moderate angle of inclination may replace the salting-trough. -^
The second figure shows the salting-bin or pickling-tub,
[illustration: Pickling or Salting trough]
a wooden box about three feet square, made of two-inch
[illustration: Pickling-Tub, or Salting-Bin.]
boards, and set upop strong short uprights. For small use, a stout cask or barrel may replace the tub.
[illustration: REMOVES (RELEVÉS). 327]
[illustration: Smoking Closet or Furnace]
The third figure represents the smoking-closet, a wooden box on uprights, with a door, a funnel upon the top to carry off the smoke, and an aperture in the bottom to receive it from a small stove ; the closet is about three feet by five, with strong iron rods running through the top to hold the meat. The stove or furnace which stands under the closet must have a funnel to carry the smoke into the closet ; the row of holes around the top of the stove, shown in the picture, is for the admission of air which would enter at the bottom of an ordinary small furnace.
For family use, a smouldering fire is sometimes built under a large barrel, and smothered with sawdust of hard wood ; aiid the meat is suspended across the top of the barrel. Anpther small way of smoking is to hang the meat over the top of a barrel which is open at both ends, and set it over a pile of oak sawdust in which a large piece of red-hot iron is buried : the top of the barrel is covered after the smoke begins to rise.
SALTING MEAT FOR SMOKING.
After trimming the meat in the proper joints, it should be laid in the salting- trough, and thoroughly rubbed with the salting mixture. For eighteen pounds of meat, mix, by pounding together to a powder, two pounds of good bay saltj two ounces of saltpetre, and four of brown sugar ; thoroughly rub this mixture into the ^ meat every day for four days ; then cover it with dry bay salt, fresh every day, for twelve days, keeping a board over the meat with a heavy weight upon it. It is important to apply the salting mixture and dry salt every day, and to let the blood and brine drain freely away from the meat. When the meat is pork, the skin should . be downward. After two weeks, the meat will be ready to smoke! Small joints should be smoked for a week, large ones from ten days to two weeks : small tongues
[illustration: REMOVES (RELEVÉS). 329]
may be smoked after six days' salting, and large ones after ten.
BOW TO FICKLE MEAT.
Records on this page
Salting Meat for SmokingHow to Pickle Meat