The fat of all kinds of meat, excepting that of ham and mutton, makes
good shortening. Roast meat drippings, and the liquor in which meat is
boiled, should stand until cold, to have the fat congeal, so that it can
be taken off easily. When taken up, scrape off the sediment which
adheres to the under side of the fat, cut the fat into small pieces,
together with any scraps of fat from broiled meat that you may happen to
have. Melt the fat slowly, then strain it, and let it remain till cold.
When formed into a hard cake, take it up--if any sediment adheres to the
under side, scrape it off. Melt the fat again--when partly cooled,
sprinkle in salt, in the proportion of a tea-spoonful to a pound of the
shortening. The dregs of the fat are good for soap grease. This
shortening answers all the various purposes of lard very well, excepting
in the hottest weather. The fat of cooked meat should not be suffered to
remain more than a week in winter, and three days in summer, without
being melted. Ham fat, if boiled in fresh water, and then clarified,
answers very well to fry in. Mutton fat, if melted into hard cakes, will
fetch a good price at the tallow-chandler's. The leaves, and thin pieces
of pork, should be used for lard. Cut them in small bits, and melt them
slowly; then strain them through a cullender, with a thick cloth laid in
it. As soon as the fat cools and thickens, sprinkle in salt, in the
proportion of a tea-cup full to twenty weight of the lard. Stir it in
well, then set the pot that contains it in a cool place. Some people
have an idea that the pork scraps must be on the fire until they become
brown, in order to have the lard kept sweet the year round, but it is
not necessary, if salt is mixed with it.