A fine large calf’s head is best adapted for this purpose with the
skin on. Take out the brains, and bone it entirely, or let the butcher
do this. Rub a little fine salt over it, and let it drain for ten or
twelve hours; next wipe it dry, and rub each half well in every part
with
Brown sugar 2 oz.
Saltpetre ¾ oz.
Common salt 4 oz.
Bay salt 3 oz.
all in very fine powder. Turn the head in this pickle for four or five
days, rubbing it a little each time; pour over it four ounces of West
India molasses (eight ounces for the whole head), and continue to turn
it every day, and baste it with the brine very frequently for a month,
then hang it for a night to drain, fold each part separately in brown
paper, and send it to be smoked for three or four weeks. When wanted
for table, wash and scrape one half of it very clean, but do not soak
it. Lay it with the rind downwards into a saucepan or stewpan, which
will hold it easily, and cover it well with cold water, as it will
swell considerably in the cooking. Let it heat rather slowly, skim
it thoroughly when it first begins to simmer, and boil it as gently
as possible from an hour and three quarters to a couple of hours or
more, should it not then be perfectly tender quite through, for unless
sufficiently boiled, the skin, which greatly resembles bacon, will be
unpleasantly tough when cold; when the fleshy side of the head is done,
which will be twenty minutes or half an hour sooner than the outside,
pour the water from it, leaving so much only in the saucepan as will
just cover the gelatinous part, and simmer it until this is thoroughly
tender. The head thus cured is very highly flavoured, and most
excellent eating. The receipt for it is new. It will be seen that the
foregoing proportion of ingredients, with the exception of the treacle,
is for one half of the head only, and must be doubled for a whole one.