PORK CUTLETS (Cold Meat Cookery).
796. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of cold roast loin of pork, 1 oz. of
butter, 2 onions, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1/2 pint of gravy, pepper
and salt to taste, 1 teaspoonful of vinegar and mustard.
_Mode_.--Cut the pork into nice-sized cutlets, trim off most of the fat,
and chop the onions. Put the butter into a stewpan, lay in the cutlets
and chopped onions, and fry a light brown; then add the remaining
ingredients, simmer gently for 5 or 7 minutes, and serve.
_Time_.--5 to 7 minutes. _Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 4d.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
AUSTRIAN METHOD OF HERDING PIGS.--In the Austrian empire there
are great numbers of wild swine, while, among the wandering
tribes peopling the interior of Hungary, and spreading over the
vast steppes of that country, droves of swine form a great
portion of the wealth of the people, who chiefly live on a
coarse bread and wind-dried bacon.
In German Switzerland, the Tyrol, and other mountainous
districts of continental Europe, though the inhabitants, almost
everywhere, as in England, keep one or more pigs, they are at
little or no trouble in feeding them, one or more men being
employed by one or several villages as swine-herds; who, at a
certain hour, every morning, call for the pig or pigs, and
driving them to their feeding-grounds on the mountain-side and
in the wood, take custody of the herd till, on the approach of
night, they are collected into a compact body and driven home
for a night's repose in their several sties.
The amount of intelligence and docility displayed by the pigs in
these mountain regions, is much more considerable than that
usually allowed to this animal, and the manner in which these
immense herds of swine are collected, and again distributed,
without an accident or mistake, is a sight both curious and
interesting; for it is all done without the assistance of a dog,
or the aid even of the human voice, and solely by the crack of
the long-lashed and heavily-loaded whip, which the swine-herd
carries, and cracks much after the fashion of the French
postilion; and which, though he frequently cracks, waking a
hundred sharp echoes from the woods and rocks, he seldom has to
use correctionally; the animal soon acquiring a thorough
knowledge of the meaning of each crack; and once having felt its
leaded thong, a lasting remembrance of its power. At early dawn,
the swine-herd takes his stand at the outskirts of the first
village, and begins flourishing through the misty air his
immensely long lash, keeping a sort of rude time with the crack,
crack, crack, crack, crack, crack of his whip. The nearest pigs,
hearing the well-remembered sound, rouse from their straw, and
rush from their sties into the road, followed by all their
litters. As soon as a sufficient number are collected, the drove
is set in motion, receiving, right and left, as they advance,
fresh numbers; whole communities, or solitary individuals,
streaming in from all quarters, and taking their place, without
distinction, in the general herd; and, as if conscious where
their breakfast lay, without wasting a moment on idle
investigation, all eagerly push on to the mountains. In this
manner village after village is collected, till the drove not
unfrequently consists of several thousands. The feeding-ground
has, of course, often to be changed, and the drove have
sometimes to be driven many miles, and to a considerable height
up the mountain, before the whip gives the signal for the
dispersion of the body and the order to feed, when the herdsman
proceeds to form himself a shelter, and look after his own
comfort for the rest of the day. As soon as twilight sets in,
the whip is again heard echoing the signal for muster; and in
the same order in which they were collected, the swine are
driven back, each group tailing off to its respective sty, as
the herd approaches the villages, till the last grunter, having
found his home, the drover seeks his cottage and repose.
PORK CUTLETS OR CHOPS.
I.
797. INGREDIENTS.--Loin of pork, pepper and salt to taste.
_Mode_.--Cut the cutlets from a delicate loin of pork, bone and trim
them neatly, and cut away the greater portion of the fat. Season them
with pepper; place the gridiron on the fire; when quite hot, lay on the
chops and broil them for about 1/4 hour, turning them 3 or 4 times; and
be particular that they are _thoroughly_ done, but not dry. Dish them,
sprinkle over a little fine salt, and serve plain, or with tomato sauce,
sauce piquante, or pickled gherkins, a few of which should be laid round
the dish as a garnish.
_Time_.--About 1/4 hour. _Average cost_, 10d. per lb. for chops.
_Sufficient_.--Allow 6 for 4 persons.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
II.
(_Another Way_.)
798. INGREDIENTS.--Loin or fore-loin, of pork, egg and bread crumbs,
salt and pepper to taste; to every tablespoonful of bread crumbs allow
1/2 teaspoonful of minced sage; clarified butter.
_Mode_.--Cut the cutlets from a loin, or fore-loin, of pork; trim them
the same as mutton cutlets, and scrape the top part of the bone. Brush
them over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs, with which have been
mixed minced sage and a seasoning of pepper and salt; drop a little
clarified butter on them, and press the crumbs well down. Put the
frying-pan on the fire, put in some lard; when this is hot, lay in the
cutlets, and fry them a light brown on both sides. Take them out, put
them before the fire to dry the greasy moisture from them, and dish them
on mashed potatoes. Serve with them any sauce that may be preferred;
such as tomato sauce, sauce piquante, sauce Robert, or pickled gherkins.
_Time_.--From 15 to 20 minutes. _Average cost_, 10d. per lb. for chops.
_Sufficient_.--Allow 6 cutlets for 4 persons.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
_Note_.--The remains of roast loin of pork may be dressed in the same
manner.
PORK CHEESE (an Excellent Breakfast Dish).
799. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of cold roast pork, pepper and salt to taste,
1 dessertspoonful of minced parsley, 4 leaves of sage, a very small
bunch of savoury herbs, 2 blades of pounded mace, a little nutmeg, 1/2
teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel; good strong gravy, sufficient to fill
the mould.
_Mode_.--Cut, but do not chop, the pork into fine pieces, and allow 1/4
lb. of fat to each pound of lean. Season with pepper and salt; pound
well the spices, and chop finely the parsley, sage, herbs, and
lemon-peel, and mix the whole nicely together. Put it into a mould, fill
up with good strong well-flavoured gravy, and bake rather more than one
hour. When cold, turn it out of the mould.
_Time_.--Rather more than 1 hour.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
ROAST LEG OF PORK.
[Illustration: ROAST LEG OF PORK.]
800. INGREDIENTS.--Leg of pork, a little oil for stuffing. (See Recipe
No. 504.)
_Mode_.--Choose a small leg of pork, and score the skin across in narrow
strips, about 1/4 inch apart. Cut a slit in the knuckle, loosen the
skin, and fill it with a sage-and-onion stuffing, made by Recipe No.
504. Brush the joint over with a little salad-oil (this makes the
crackling crisper, and a better colour), and put it down to a bright,
clear fire, not too near, as that would cause the skin to blister. Baste
it well, and serve with a little gravy made in the dripping-pan, and do
not omit to send to table with it a tureen of well-made apple-sauce.
(Sec No. 363.)
_Time_.--A leg of pork weighing 8 lbs., about 3 hours.
_Average cost_, 9d. per lb.
_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
ENGLISH MODE OF HUNTING, AND INDIAN PIG-STICKING.--The hunting
of the wild boar has been in all times, and in all countries, a
pastime of the highest interest and excitement, and from the age
of Nimrod, has only been considered second to the more dangerous
sport of lion-hunting. The buried treasures of Nineveh, restored
to us by Mr. Layard, show us, on their sculptured annals, the
kings of Assyria in their royal pastime of boar-hunting. That
the Greeks were passionately attached to this sport, we know
both from history and the romantic fables of the poets. Marc
Antony, at one of his breakfasts with Cleopatra, had _eight wild
boars_ roasted whole; and though the Romans do not appear to
have been addicted to hunting, wild-boar fights formed part of
their gladiatorial shows in the amphitheatre. In France,
Germany, and Britain, from the earliest time, the boar-hunt
formed one of the most exciting of sports; but it was only in
this country that the sport was conducted without dogs,--a real
hand-to-hand contest of man and beast; the hunter, armed only
with a boar-spear, a weapon about four feet long, the ash staff,
guarded by plates of steel, and terminating in a long, narrow,
and very sharp blade: this, with a hunting-knife, or hanger,
completed his offensive arms. Thus equipped, the hunter would
either encounter his enemy face to face, confront his desperate
charge, as with erect tail, depressed head, and flaming eyes, he
rushed with his foamy tusks full against him, who either sought
to pierce his vitals through his counter, or driving his spear
through his chine, transfix his heart; or failing those more
difficult aims, plunge it into his flank, and, without
withdrawing the weapon, strike his ready hanger into his throat.
But expert as the hunter might be, it was not often the
formidable brute was so quickly dispatched; for he would
sometimes seize the spear in his powerful teeth, and nip it off
like a reed, or, coming full tilt on his enemy, by his momentum
and weight bear him to the earth, ripping up, with a horrid
gash, his leg or side, and before the writhing hunter could draw
his knife, the infuriated beast would plunge his snout in the
wound, and rip, with savage teeth, the bowels of his victim. At
other times, he would suddenly swerve from his charge, and
doubling on his opponent, attack the hunter in the rear. From
his speed, great weight, and savage disposition, the wild boar
is always a dangerous antagonist, and requires great courage,
coolness, and agility on the part of the hunter. The continental
sportsman rides to the chase in a cavalcade, with music and
dogs,--a kind of small hound or mastiff, and leaving all the
honorary part of the contest to them, when the boar is becoming
weary, and while beset by the dogs, rides up, and drives his
lance home in the beast's back or side. Boar-hunting has been
for some centuries obsolete in England, the animal no longer
existing in a wild state among us; but in our Indian empire, and
especially in Bengal, the pastime is pursued by our countrymen
with all the daring of the national character; and as the animal
which inhabits the cane-brakes and jungles is a formidable foe,
the sport is attended with great excitement. The hunters,
mounted on small, active horses, and armed only with long
lances, ride, at early daylight, to the skirts of the jungle,
and having sent in their attendants to beat the cover, wait till
the tusked monster comes crashing from among the canes, when
chase is immediately given, till he is come up with, and
transfixed by the first weapon. Instead of flight, however, he
often turns to bay, and by more than one dead horse and wounded
hunter, shows how formidable he is, and what those polished
tusks, sharp as pitch-forks, can effect, when the enraged animal
defends his life.
TO GLAZE HAM.--(See Recipe No. 430.)
HASHED PORK.
801. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of cold roast pork, 2 onions, 1
teaspoonful of flour, 2 blades of pounded mace, 2 cloves, 1
tablespoonful of vinegar, 1/2 pint of gravy, pepper and salt to taste.
_Mode_.--Chop the onions and fry them of a nice brown, cut the pork into
thin slices, season them with pepper and salt, and add these to the
remaining ingredients. Stew gently for about 1/2 hour, and serve
garnished with sippets of toasted bread.
_Time_.--1/2 hour.
_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 3d.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
FRIED RASHERS OF BACON AND POACHED EGGS.
802. INGREDIENTS.--Bacon; eggs.
_Mode_.--Cut the bacon into thin slices, trim away the rusty parts, and
cut off the rind. Put it into a cold frying-pan, that is to say, do not
place the pan on the fire before the bacon is in it. Turn it 2 or 3
times, and dish it on a very hot dish. Poach the eggs and slip them on
to the bacon, without breaking the yolks, and serve quickly.
_Time_.--3 or 4 minutes. _Average cost_, 10d. to 1s. per lb. for the
primest parts.
_Sufficient_.--Allow 6 eggs for 3 persons.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note_.--Fried rashers of bacon, curled, serve as a pretty garnish to
many dishes; and, for small families, answer very well as a substitute
for boiled bacon, to serve with a small dish of poultry, &c.
BROILED RASHERS OF BACON (a Breakfast Dish).
803. Before purchasing bacon, ascertain that it is perfectly free from
rust, which may easily be detected by its yellow colour; and for
broiling, the streaked part of the thick flank, is generally the most
esteemed. Cut it into _thin_ slices, take off the rind, and broil over a
nice clear fire; turn it 2 or 3 times, and serve very hot. Should there
be any cold bacon left from the previous day, it answers very well for
breakfast, cut into slices, and broiled or fried.
_Time_.--3 or 4 minutes.
_Average cost_, 10d. to 1s. per lb. for the primest parts.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note_.--When the bacon is cut very thin, the slices may be curled round
and fastened by means of small skewers, and fried or toasted before the
fire.
BOILED BACON.
804. INGREDIENTS.--Bacon; water.
[Illustration: BOILED BACON.]
_Mode_.--As bacon is frequently excessively salt, let it be soaked in
warm water for an hour or two previous to dressing it; then pare off the
rusty parts, and scrape the under-side and rind as clean as possible.
Put it into a saucepan of _cold_ water, let it come gradually to a boil,
and as fast as the scum rises to the surface of the water, remove it.
Let it simmer very gently until it is _thoroughly_ done; then take it
up, strip off the skin, and sprinkle over the bacon a few bread
raspings, and garnish with tufts of cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.
When served alone, young and tender broad beans or green peas are the
usual accompaniments.
_Time_.--1 lb. of bacon, 1/4 hour; 2 lbs., 1-1/2 hour.
_Average cost_, 10d. to 1s. per lb. for the primest parts.
_Sufficient_.--2 lbs., when served with poultry or veal, sufficient for
10 persons.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
TO CURE BACON IN THE WILTSHIRE WAY.
805. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/2 lb. of coarse sugar, 1-1/2 lb. of bay-salt, 6
oz. of saltpetre, 1 lb. of common salt.
_Mode_.--Sprinkle each flitch with salt, and let the blood drain off for
24 hours; then pound and mix the above ingredients well together and rub
it well into the meat, which should be turned every day for a month;
then hang it to dry, and afterwards smoke it for 10 days.
_Time_.--To remain in the pickle 1 month, to be smoked 10 days.
_Sufficient_.--The above quantity of salt for 1 pig.
HOW PIGS WERE FORMERLY PASTURED AND FED.--Though unquestionably
far greater numbers of swine are now kept in England than
formerly, every peasant having one or more of that useful
animal, in feudal times immense droves of pigs were kept by the
franklings and barons; in those days the swine-herds being a
regular part of the domestic service of every feudal household,
their duty consisted in daily driving the herd of swine from the
castle-yard, or outlying farm, to the nearest woods, chase, or
forest, where the frankling or vavasour had, either by right or
grant, what was called _free warren_, or the liberty to feed his
hogs off the acorns, beech, and chestnuts that lay in such
abundance on the earth, and far exceeded the power of the royal
or privileged game to consume. Indeed, it was the license
granted the nobles of free warren, especially for their swine,
that kept up the iniquitous forest laws to so late a date, and
covered so large a portion of the land with such immense tracts
of wood and brake, to the injury of agriculture and the misery
of the people. Some idea of the extent to which swine were
grazed in the feudal times, may be formed by observing the
number of pigs still fed in Epping Forest, the Forest of Dean,
and the New Forest, in Hampshire, where, for several months of
the year, the beech-nuts and acorns yield them so plentiful a
diet. In Germany, where the chestnut is so largely cultivated,
the amount of food shed every autumn is enormous; and
consequently the pig, both wild and domestic, has, for a
considerable portion of the year, an unfailing supply of
admirable nourishment. Impressed with the value of this fruit
for the food of pigs, the Prince Consort has, with great
judgment, of late encouraged the collection of chestnuts in
Windsor Park, and by giving a small reward to old people and
children for every bushel collected, has not only found an
occupation for many of the unemployed poor, but, by providing a
gratuitous food for their pig, encouraged a feeling of
providence and economy.
FOR CURING BACON, AND KEEPING IT FREE FROM RUST (Cobbett's Recipe).
806. THE TWO SIDES THAT REMAIN, and which are called flitches, are to be
cured for bacon. They are first rubbed with salt on their insides, or
flesh sides, then placed one on the other, the flesh sides uppermost, in
a salting-trough which has a gutter round its edges to drain away the
brine; for, to have sweet and fine bacon, the flitches must not be
sopping in brine, which gives it the sort of vile taste that barrel and
sea pork have. Every one knows how different is the taste of fresh dry
salt from that of salt in a dissolved state; therefore change the salt
often,--once in 4 or 5 days; let it melt and sink in, but not lie too
long; twice change the flitches, put that at bottom which was first on
the top: this mode will cost you a great deal more in salt than the
sopping mode, but without it your bacon will not be so sweet and fine,
nor keep so well. As for the time required in making your flitches
sufficiently salt, it depends on circumstances. It takes a longer time
for a thick than a thin flitch, and longer in dry than in damp weather,
or in a dry than in a damp place; but for the flitches of a hog of five
score, in weather not very dry or damp, about 6 weeks may do; and as
yours is to be fat, which receives little injury from over-salting, give
time enough, for you are to have bacon until Christmas comes again.
807. THE PLACE FOR SALTING SHOULD, like a dairy, always be cool, but
well ventilated; confined air, though cool, will taint meat sooner than
the midday day sun accompanied by a breeze. With regard to smoking the
bacon, two precautions are necessary: first, to hang the flitches where
no rain comes down upon them; and next, that the smoke must proceed from
wood, not peat, turf, or coal. As to the time required to smoke a
flitch, it depends a good deal upon whether there be a constant fire
beneath; and whether the fire be large or small: a month will do, if the
fire be pretty constant and rich, as a farmhouse fire usually is; but
over-smoking, or rather too long hanging in the air, makes the bacon
rust; great attention should therefore be paid to this matter. The
flitch ought not to be dried up to the hardness of a board, and yet it
ought to be perfectly dry. Before you hang it up, lay it on the floor,
scatter the flesh side pretty thickly over with bran, or with some fine
sawdust, not of deal or fir; rub it on the flesh, or pat it well down
upon it: this keeps the smoke from getting into the little openings, and
makes a sort of crust to be dried on.
808. To KEEP THE BACON SWEET AND GOOD, and free from hoppers, sift fine
some clean and dry wood ashes. Put some at the bottom of a box or chest
long enough to hold a flitch of bacon; lay in one flitch, and then put
in more ashes, then another flitch, and cover this with six or eight
inches of the ashes. The place where the box or chest is kept ought to
be dry, and should the ashes become damp, they should be put in the
fireplace to dry, and when cold, put back again. With these precautions,
the bacon will be as good at the end of the year as on the first day.
809. FOR SIMPLE GENERAL RULES; these may be safely taken as a guide; and
those who implicitly follow the directions given, will possess at the
expiration of from 6 weeks to 2 months well-flavoured and well-cured
bacon.
HOG NOT BACON. ANECDOTE OF LORD BACON.--As Lord Bacon, on one
occasion, was about to pass sentence of death upon a man of the
name of Hogg, who had just been tried for a long career of
crime, the prisoner suddenly claimed to be heard in arrest of
judgment, saying, with an expression of arch confidence as he
addressed the bench, "I claim indulgence, my lord, on the plea
of relationship; for I am convinced your lordship will never be
unnatural enough to hang one of your own family."
"Indeed, replied the judge, with some amazement," I was not
aware that I had the honour of your alliance; perhaps you will
be good enough to name the degree of our mutual affinity."
"I am sorry, my lord," returned the impudent thief, "I cannot
trace the links of consanguinity; but the moral evidence is
sufficiently pertinent. My name, my lord, is Hogg, your
lordship's is Bacon; and all the world will allow that bacon and
hog are very closely allied."
"I am sorry," replied his lordship, "I cannot admit the truth of
your instance: hog cannot be bacon till it is hanged; and so,
before I can admit your plea, or acknowledge the family compact,
Hogg must be hanged to-morrow morning."
TO BAKE A HAM.
810. INGREDIENTS.--Ham; a common crust.
Mode.--As a ham for baking should be well soaked, let it remain in water
for at least 12 hours. Wipe it dry, trim away any rusty places
underneath, and cover it with a common crust, taking care that this is
of sufficient thickness all over to keep the gravy in. Place it in a
moderately-heated oven, and bake for nearly 4 hours. Take off the crust,
and skin, and cover with raspings, the same as for boiled ham, and
garnish the knuckle with a paper frill. This method of cooking a ham is,
by many persons, considered far superior to boiling it, as it cuts
fuller of gravy and has a finer flavour, besides keeping a much longer
time good.
_Time_.--A medium-sized ham, 4 hours.
_Average cost_, from 8d. to 10d. per lb. by the whole ham.
_Seasonable_ all the year.
TO BOIL A HAM.
[Illustration: BOILED HAM.]
811. INGREDIENTS.--Ham, water, glaze or raspings.
_Mode_.--In choosing a ham, ascertain that it is perfectly sweet, by
running a sharp knife into it, close to the bone; and if, when the knife
is withdrawn, it has an agreeable smell, the ham is good; if, on the
contrary, the blade has a greasy appearance and offensive smell, the ham
is bad. If it has been long hung, and is very dry and salt, let it
remain in soak for 24 hours, changing the water frequently. This length
of time is only necessary in the case of its being very hard; from 8 to
12 hours would be sufficient for a Yorkshire or Westmoreland ham. Wash
it thoroughly clean, and trim away from the under-side, all the rusty
and smoked parts, which would spoil the appearance. Put it into a
boiling-pot, with sufficient cold water to cover it; bring it gradually
to boil, and as the scum rises, carefully remove it. Keep it simmering
very gently until tender, and be careful that it does not stop boiling,
nor boil too quickly. When done, take it out of the pot, strip off the
skin, and sprinkle over it a few fine bread-raspings, put a frill of cut
paper round the knuckle, and serve. If to be eaten cold, let the ham
remain in the water until nearly cold: by this method the juices are
kept in, and it will be found infinitely superior to one taken out of
the water hot; it should, however, be borne in mind that the ham must
_not_ remain in the saucepan _all_ night. When the skin is removed,
sprinkle over bread-raspings, or, if wanted particularly nice, glaze it.
Place a paper frill round the knuckle, and garnish with parsley or cut
vegetable flowers. (_See_ Coloured Plate P.)
_Time_.--A ham weighing 10 lbs., 4 hours to _simmer gently_; 15 lbs., 5
hours; a very large one, about 5 hours.
_Average cost_, from 8d. to 10d. per lb. by the whole ham.
_Seasonable_ all the year.
HOW TO BOIL A HAM TO GIVE IT AN EXCELLENT FLAVOUR.
812. INGREDIENTS.--Vinegar and water, 2 heads of celery, 2 turnips, 3
onions, a large bunch of savoury herbs.
_Mode_.--Prepare the ham as in the preceding recipe, and let it soak for
a few hours in vinegar and water. Put it on in cold water, and when it
boils, add the vegetables and herbs. Simmer very gently until tender,
take it out, strip off the skin, cover with bread-raspings, and put a
paper ruche or frill round the knuckle.
_Time_.--A ham weighing 10 lbs., 4 hours.
_Average cost_, 8d. to 10d. per lb. by the whole ham.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
HOW TO SILENCE A PIG. ANECDOTE OF CHARLES V.--When the emperor
Charles V. was one day walking in the neighbourhood of Vienna,
full of pious considerations, engendered by the thoughts of the
Dominican cloister he was about to visit, he was much annoyed by
the noise of a pig, which a country youth was carrying a little
way before him. At length, irritated by the unmitigated noise,
"Have you not learned how to quiet a pig" demanded the imperial
traveller, tartly. "Noa," replied the ingenuous peasant,
ignorant of the quality of his interrogator;--"noa; and I should
very much like to know how to do it," changing the position of
his burthen, and giving his load a surreptitious pinch of the
ear, which immediately altered the tone and volume of his
complaining.
"Why, take the pig by the tail," said the emperor, "and you will
see how quiet he will become."
Struck by the novelty of the suggestion, the countryman at once
dangled his noisy companion by the tail, and soon discovered
that, under the partial congestion caused by its inverted
position, the pig had indeed become silent; when, looking with
admiration on his august adviser, he exclaimed,--
"Ah, you must have learned the trade much longer than I, for you
understand it a great deal better."
FRIED HAM AND EGGS (a Breakfast Dish).
813. INGREDIENTS.--Ham; eggs.
_Mode_.--Cut the ham into slices, and take care that they are of the
same thickness in every part. Cut off the rind, and if the ham should be
particularly hard and salt, it will be found an improvement to soak it
for about 10 minutes in hot water, and then dry it in a cloth. Put it
into a cold frying-pan, set it over the fire, and turn the slices 3 or 4
times whilst they are cooking. When done, place them on a dish, which
should be kept hot in front of the fire during the time the eggs are
being poached. Poach the eggs, slip them on to the slices of ham, and
serve quickly.
_Time_.--7 or 8 minutes to broil the ham.
_Average cost_, from 8d. to 10d. per lb. by the whole ham.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note_.--Ham may also be toasted or broiled; but, with the latter
method, to insure its being well cooked, the fire must be beautifully
clear, or it will have a smoky flavour far from agreeable.
POTTED HAM, that will keep Good for some time.
I.
814. INGREDIENTS.--To 4 lbs. of lean ham allow 1 lb. of fat, 2
teaspoonfuls of pounded mace, 1/2 nutmeg grated, rather more than 1/2
teaspoonful of cayenne, clarified lard.
_Mode_.--Mince the ham, fat and lean together in the above proportion,
and pound it well in a mortar, seasoning it with cayenne pepper, pounded
mace, and nutmeg; put the mixture into a deep baking-dish, and bake for
1/2 hour; then press it well into a stone jar, fill up the jar with
clarified lard, cover it closely, and paste over it a piece of thick
paper. If well seasoned, it will keep a long time in winter, and will be
found very convenient for sandwiches, &c.
_Time_.--1/2 hour.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
II.
(_A nice addition to the Breakfast or Luncheon table_.)
815. INGREDIENTS.--To 2 lbs. of lean ham allow 1/2 lb. of fat, 1
teaspoonful of pounded mace, 1/2 teaspoonful of pounded allspice, 1/2
nutmeg, pepper to taste, clarified butter.
_Mode_.--Cut some slices from the remains of a cold ham, mince them
small, and to every 2 lbs. of lean, allow the above proportion of fat.
Pound the ham in a mortar to a fine paste, with the fat, gradually add
the seasoning and spices, and be very particular that all the
ingredients are well mixed and the spices well pounded. Press the
mixture into potting-pots, pour over clarified butter, and keep it in a
cool place.
_Average cost_ for this quantity, 2s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
IMPORTANCE OF THE BOAR'S HEAD, SCOTTISH FEUDS, &c.--The boar's
head, in ancient times, formed the most important dish on the
table, and was invariably the first placed on the board upon
Christmas-day, being preceded by a body of servitors, a flourish
of trumpets, and other marks of distinction and reverence, and
carried into the hall by the individual of next rank to the lord
of the feast. At some of our colleges and inns of court, the
serving of the boar's head on a silver platter on Christmas-day
is a custom still followed; and till very lately, a bore's head
was competed for at Christmas time by the young men of a rural
parish in Essex. Indeed, so highly was the grizzly boar's head
regarded in former times, that it passed into a cognizance of
some of the noblest families in the realm: thus it was not only
the crest of the Nevills and Warwicks, with their collateral
houses, but it was the cognizance of Richard III., that--
"Wretched, bloody, and usurping boar,
That spoil'd your summer fields and fruitful vines,
Swills your warm blood like wash, and makes his trough
In your embowell'd bosoms,"--
and whose nature it was supposed to typify; and was universally
used as a _sign_ to taverns. The Boar's Head in Eastcheap,
which, till within the last twenty-five years still stood in all
its primitive quaintness, though removed to make way for the
London-bridge approaches, will live vividly in the mind of every
reader of Shakspeare, as the resort of the prince of Wales,
Poins, and his companions, and the residence of Falstaff and his
coney-catching knaves, Bardolph, Pistol, and Nym; and whose sign
was a boar's head, carved in stone over the door, and a smaller
one in wood on each side of the doorway.
The traditions and deeds of savage vengeance recorded in
connection with this grim trophy of the chase are numerous in
all parts of Europe. But the most remarkable connected with the
subject in this country, were two events that occurred in
Scotland, about the 11th and 15th centuries.
A border family having been dispossessed of their castle and
lands by a more powerful chief, were reduced for many years to
great indigence, the expelled owner only living in the hope of
wreaking a terrible vengeance, which, agreeably to the motto of
his house, he was content to "bide his time" for. The usurper
having invited a large number of his kindred to a grand hunt in
his new domains, and a feast after in the great hall, returned
from the chase, and discovering the feast not spread, vented his
wrath in no measured terms on the heads of the tardy servitors.
At length a menial approached, followed by a line of servants,
and placing the boar's head on the table, the guests rushed
forward to begin the meal; when, to their horror, they
discovered, not a boar's but a bull's head,--a sign of death.
The doors were immediately closed, and the false servants, who
were the adherents of the dispossessed chief, threw off their
disguise, and falling on the usurper and his friends, butchered
them and every soul in the castle belonging to the rival
faction.
A tribe of caterans, or mountain robbers, in the Western
Highlands, having been greatly persecuted by a powerful chief of
the district, waylaid him and his retinue, put them all to the
sword, and cutting off the chief's head, repaired to his castle,
where they ordered the terrified wife to supply them with food
and drink. To appease their savage humour, the lady gave order
for their entertainment, and on returning to the hall to see her
orders were complied with, discovered, in place of the boar's
head that should have graced the board, her husband's bleeding
head; the savage caterans, in rude derision, as a substitute for
the apple or lemon usually placed between the jaws, having
thrust a slice of bread in the dead man's mouth.
FOR CURING HAMS (Mons. Ude's Recipe).
816. INGREDIENTS.--For 2 hams weighing about 16 or 18 lbs. each, allow 1
lb. of moist sugar, 1 lb. of common salt, 2 oz. of saltpetre, 1 quart of
good vinegar.
_Mode_.--As soon as the pig is cold enough to be cut up, take the 2 hams
and rub them well with common salt, and leave them in a large pan for 3
days. When the salt has drawn out all the blood, drain the hams, and
throw the brine away. Mix sugar, salt, and saltpetre together in the
above proportion, rub the hams well with these, and put them into a
vessel large enough to hold them, always keeping the salt over them. Let
them remain for 3 days, then pour over them a quart of good vinegar.
Turn them in the brine every day for a month, then drain them well, and
rub them with bran. Have them smoked over a wood fire, and be particular
that the hams are hung as high up as possible from the fire; otherwise
the fat will melt, and they will become dry and hard.
_Time_.--To be pickled 1 month; to be smoked 1 month.
_Sufficient_ for 2 hams of 18 lbs. each.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
THE PRICE OF A SOW IN AFRICA.--In one of the native states of
Africa, a pig one day stole a piece of food from a child as it
was in the act of conveying the morsel to its mouth; upon which
the robbed child cried so loud that the mother rushed out of her
hovel to ascertain the cause; and seeing the purloining pig make
off munching his booty, the woman in her heat struck the grunter
so smart a blow, that the surly rascal took it into his head to
go home very much indisposed, and after a certain time resolved
to die,--a resolution that he accordingly put into practice;
upon which the owner instituted judicial proceedings before the
Star Chamber court of his tribe, against the husband and family
of the woman whose rash act had led to such results; and as the
pig happened to be a _sow_, in the very flower of her age, the
prospective loss to the owner in unnumbered teems of pigs, with
the expenses attending so high a tribunal, swelled the damages
and costs to such a sum, that it was found impossible to pay
them. And as, in the barbarous justice existing among these rude
people, every member of a family is equally liable as the
individual who committed the wrong, the father, mother,
children, relatives,--an entire community, to the number of
_thirty-two souls_, were sold as slaves, and a fearful sum of
human misery perpetrated, to pay the value of a thieving old
sow.
TO SALT TWO HAMS, about 12 or 15 lbs. each.
817. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of treacle, 1/2 lb. of saltpetre, 1 lb. of
bay-salt, 2 pounds of common salt.
_Mode_.--Two days before they are put into pickle, rub the hams well
with salt, to draw away all slime and blood. Throw what comes from them
away, and then rub them with treacle, saltpetre, and salt. Lay them in a
deep pan, and let them remain one day; boil the above proportion of
treacle, saltpetre, bay-salt, and common salt for 1/4 hour, and pour
this pickle boiling hot over the hams: there should be sufficient of it
to cover them. For a day or two rub them well with it; afterwards they
will only require turning. They ought to remain in this pickle for 3
weeks or a month, and then be sent to be smoked, which will take nearly
or quite a month to do. An ox-tongue pickled in this way is most
excellent, to be eaten either green or smoked.
_Time_.--To remain in the pickle 3 weeks or a month; to be smoked about
a month.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
TO CURE SWEET HAMS IN THE WESTMORELAND WAY.
818. INGREDIENTS.--3 lbs. of common salt, 3 lbs. of coarse sugar, 1 lb.
of bay-salt, 3 quarts of strong beer.
_Mode_.--Before the hams are put into pickle, rub them the preceding day
well with salt, and drain the brine well from them. Put the above
ingredients into a saucepan, and boil for 1/4 hour; pour over the hams,
and let them remain a month in the pickle. Rub and turn them every day,
but do not take them out of the pickling-pan; and have them smoked for a
month.
_Time_.--To be pickled 1 month; to be smoked 1 month.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
TO PICKLE HAMS (Suffolk Recipe).
819. INGREDIENTS.--To a ham from 10 to 12 lbs., allow 1 lb. of coarse
sugar, 3/4 lb. of salt, 1 oz. of saltpetre, 1/2 a teacupful of vinegar.
_Mode_.--Rub the hams well with common salt, and leave them for a day or
two to drain; then rub well in, the above proportion of sugar, salt,
saltpetre, and vinegar, and turn them every other day. Keep them in the
pickle 1 month, drain them, and send them to be smoked over a wood fire
for 3 weeks or a month.
_Time_.--To remain in the pickle 1 month. To be smoked 3 weeks or 1
month.
_Sufficient_.--The above proportion of pickle sufficient for 1 ham.
_Seasonable_.--Hams should be pickled from October to March.
NOVEL WAY OF RECOVERING A STOLEN PIG.--It is a well-known fact,
that in Ireland the pig is, in every respect, a domesticated
animal, sharing often both the bed and board of the family, and
making an outer ring to the domestic circle, as, seated round
the pot of potatoes, they partake of the midday meal called
dinner. An Irishman upon one occasion having lost an interesting
member of his household, in the form of a promising young
porker, consulted his priest on the occasion, and having hinted
at the person he suspected of purloining the "illegant slip of a
pig" he was advised to take no further notice of the matter, but
leave the issue to his spiritual adviser. Next Sunday his
reverence, after mass, came to the front of the altar-rails, and
looking very hard at the supposed culprit, exclaimed, "Who stole
Pat Doolan's pig?" To this inquiry there was of course no
answer;--the priest did not expect there would be any. The
following Sunday the same query was propounded a little
stronger--"Who of you was it, I say, who stole poor Pat Doolan's
pig?" It now became evident that the culprit was a hardened
sinner; so on the third Sunday, instead of repeating the
unsatisfactory inquiry, the priest, after, as usual, eyeing the
obdurate offender, said, in a tone of pious sorrow, "Mike Regan,
Mike Regan, you treat me with contempt!" That night, when the
family was all asleep, the latch of the door was noiselessly
lifted, and the "illegant slip of a pig" cautiously slipped into
the cabin.
TO SMOKE HAMS AND FISH AT HOME.
820. Take an old hogshead, stop up all the crevices, and fix a place to
put a cross-stick near the bottom, to hang the articles to be smoked on.
Next, in the side, cut a hole near the top, to introduce an iron pan
filled with sawdust and small pieces of green wood. Having turned the
tub upside down, hang the articles upon the cross-stick, introduce the
iron pan in the opening, and place a piece of red-hot iron in the pan,
cover it with sawdust, and all will be complete. Let a large ham remain
40 hours, and keep up a good smoke.
TO CURE BACON OR HAMS IN THE DEVONSHIRE WAY.
821. INGREDIENTS.--To every 14 lbs. of meat, allow 2 oz. of saltpetre, 2
oz. of salt prunella, 1 lb. of common salt. For the pickle, 3 gallons of
water, 5 lbs. of common salt, 7 lbs. of coarse sugar, 3 lbs. of
bay-salt.
_Mode_.--Weigh the sides, hams, and cheeks, and to every 14 lbs. allow
the above proportion of saltpetre, salt prunella, and common salt. Pound
and mix these together, and rub well into the meat; lay it in a stone
trough or tub, rubbing it thoroughly, and turning it daily for 2
successive days. At the end of the second day, pour on it a pickle made
as follows:--Put the above ingredients into a saucepan, set it on the
fire, and stir frequently; remove all the scum, allow it to boil for 1/4
hour, and pour it hot over the meat. Let the hams, &c., be well rubbed
and turned daily; if the meat is small, a fortnight will be sufficient
for the sides and shoulders to remain in the pickle, and the hams 3
weeks; if from 30 lbs. and upwards, 3 weeks will be required for the
sides, &c., and from 4 to 5 weeks for the hams. On taking the pieces
out, let them drain for an hour, cover with dry sawdust, and smoke from
a fortnight to 3 weeks. Boil and carefully skim the pickle after using,
and it will keep good, closely corked, for 2 years. When boiling it for
use, add about 2 lbs. of common salt, and the same of treacle, to allow
for waste. Tongues are excellent put into this pickle cold, having been
first rubbed well with saltpetre and salt, and allowed to remain 24
hours, not forgetting to make a deep incision under the thick part of
the tongue, so as to allow the pickle to penetrate more readily. A
fortnight or 3 weeks, according to the size of the tongue, will be
sufficient.
_Time_--Small meat to remain in the pickle a fortnight, hams 3 weeks; to
be smoked from a fortnight to 3 weeks.
The following is from Morton's "Cyclopaedia of Agriculture," and will be
found fully worthy of the high character of that publication.
CURING OF HAMS AND BACON.
822. The carcass of the hog, after hanging over-night to cool, is laid
on a strong bench or stool, and the head is separated from the body at
the neck, close behind the ears; the feet and also the internal fat are
removed. The carcass is next divided into two sides in the following
manner:--The ribs are divided about an inch from the spine on each side,
and the spine, with the ends of the ribs attached, together with the
internal flesh between it and the kidneys, and also the flesh above it,
throughout the whole length of the sides, are removed. The portion of
the carcass thus cut out is in the form of a wedge--the breadth of the
interior consisting of the breadth of the spine, and about an inch of
the ribs on each side, being diminished to about half an inch at the
exterior or skin along the back. The breast-bone, and also the first
anterior rib, are also dissected from the side. Sometimes the whole of
the ribs are removed; but this, for reasons afterwards to be noticed, is
a very bad practice. When the hams are cured separately from the sides,
which is generally the case, they are cut out so as to include the
hock-bone, in a similar manner to the London mode of cutting a haunch of
mutton. The carcass of the hog thus cut up is ready for being salted,
which process, in large caring establishments, is generally as follows.
The skin side of the pork is rubbed over with a mixture of fifty parts
by weight of salt, and one part of saltpetre in powder, and the incised
parts of the ham or flitch, and the inside of the flitch covered with
the same. The salted bacon, in pairs of flitches with the insides to
each other, is piled one pair of flitches above another on benches
slightly inclined, and furnished with spouts or troughs to convey the
brine to receivers in the floor of the salting-house, to be afterwards
used for pickling pork for navy purposes. In this state the bacon
remains a fortnight, which is sufficient for flitches cut from nogs of a
carcass weight less than 15 stone (14 lbs. to the stone). Flitches of a
larger size, at the expiration of that time, are wiped dry and reversed
in their place in the pile, having, at the same time, about half the
first quantity of fresh, dry, common salt sprinkled over the inside and
incised parts; after which they remain on the benches for another week.
Hams being thicker than flitches, will require, when less than 20 lbs.
weight, 3 weeks; and when above that weight, 4 weeks to remain under the
above-described process. The next and last process in the preparation of
bacon and hams, previous to being sent to market, is drying. This is
effected by hanging the flitches and hams for 2 or 3 weeks in a room
heated by stoves, or in a smoke-house, in which they are exposed for the
same length of time to the smoke arising from the slow combustion of the
sawdust of oak or other hard wood. The latter mode of completing the
curing process has some advantages over the other, as by it the meat is
subject to the action of _creosote_, a volatile oil produced by the
combustion of the sawdust, which is powerfully antiseptic. The process
also furnishing a thin covering of a resinous varnish, excludes the air
not only from the muscle but also from the fat; thus effectually
preventing the meat from becoming rusted; and the principal reasons for
condemning the practice of removing the ribs from the flitches of pork
are, that by so doing the meat becomes unpleasantly hard and pungent in
the process of salting, and by being more opposed to the action of the
air, becomes sooner and more extensively rusted. Notwithstanding its
superior efficacy in completing the process of curing, the flavour which
smoke-drying imparts to meat is disliked by many persons, and it is
therefore by no means the most general mode of drying adopted by
mercantile curers. A very impure variety of _pyroligneous_ acid, or
vinegar made from the destructive distillation of wood, is sometimes
used, on account of the highly preservative power of the creosote which
it contains, and also to impart the smoke-flavour; in which latter
object, however, the coarse flavour of tar is given, rather than that
derived from the smoke from combustion of wood. A considerable portion
of the bacon and hams salted in Ireland is exported from that country
packed amongst salt, in bales, immediately from the salting process,
without having been in any degree dried. In the process of salting above
described, pork loses from eight to ten per cent. of its weight,
according to the size and quality of the meat; and a further diminution
of weight, to the extent of five to six per cent., takes place in drying
during the first fortnight after being taken out of salt; so that the
total loss in weight occasioned by the preparation of bacon and hams in
a proper state for market, is not less on an average than fifteen per
cent. on the weight of the fresh pork.
COLLARED PIG'S FACE (a Breakfast or Luncheon Dish).
823. INGREDIENTS.--1 pig's face; salt. For brine, 1 gallon of spring
water, 1 lb. of common salt, 1/2 handful of chopped juniper-berries, 6
bruised cloves, 2 bay-leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, basil, sage, 1/4
oz. of saltpetre. For forcemeat, 1/2 lb. of ham, 1/2 lb. bacon, 1
teaspoonful of mixed spices, pepper to taste, 1/4 lb. of lard, 1
tablespoonful of minced parsley, 6 young onions.
[Illustration: PIG'S FACE.]
_Mode_.--Singe the head carefully, bone it without breaking the skin,
and rub it well with salt. Make the brine by boiling the above
ingredients for 1/4 hour, and letting it stand to cool. When cold, pour
it over the head, and let it steep in this for 10 days, turning and
rubbing it often. Then wipe, drain, and dry it. For the forcemeat, pound
the ham and bacon very finely, and mix with these the remaining
ingredients, taking care that the whole is thoroughly incorporated.
Spread this equally over the head, roll it tightly in a cloth, and bind
it securely with broad tape. Put it into a saucepan with a few meat
trimmings, and cover it with stock; let it simmer gently for 4 hours,
and be particular that it does not stop boiling the whole time. When
quite tender, take it up, put it between 2 dishes with a heavy weight on
the top, and when cold, remove the cloth and tape. It should be sent to
table on a napkin, or garnished with a piece of deep white paper with a
ruche at the top.
_Time_.--4 hours. _Average cost_, from 2s. to 2s. 6d.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
THE WILD AND DOMESTIC HOG.--The domestic hog is the descendant
of a race long since banished from this island; and it is
remarkable, that while the tamed animal has been and is kept
under surveillance, the wild type whence this race sprung, has
maintained itself in its ancient freedom, the fierce denizen of
the forest, and one of the renowned beasts of the chase.
Whatever doubt may exist as to the true origin of the dog, the
horse, the ox, and others, or as to whether their original race
is yet extant or not, these doubts do not apply to the domestic
hog. Its wild source still exists, and is universally
recognized: like the wolf, however, it has been expelled from
our island; but, like that animal, it still roams through the
vast wooded tracts of Europe and Asia.
TO DRESS PIG'S FRY (a Savoury Dish).
824. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/2 lb. of pig's fry, 2 onions, a few sage-leaves,
3 lbs. of potatoes, pepper and salt to taste.
_Mode_.--Put the lean fry at the bottom of a pie-dish, sprinkle over it
some minced sage and onion, and a seasoning of pepper and salt; slice
the potatoes; put a layer of these on the seasoning, then the fat fry,
then more seasoning, and a layer of potatoes at the top. Fill the dish
with boiling water, and bake for 2 hours, or rather longer.
_Time_.--Rather more than 2 hours. _Average cost_, 6d. per lb.
_Sufficient_ for 3 or 4 persons.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
TO MELT LARD.
825. Melt the inner fat of the pig, by putting it in a stone jar, and
placing this in a saucepan of boiling water, previously stripping off
the skin. Let it simmer gently over a bright fire, and as it melts, pour
it carefully from the sediment. Put it into small jars or bladders for
use, and keep it in a cool place. The flead or inside fat of the pig,
before it is melted, makes exceedingly light crust, and is particularly
wholesome. It may be preserved a length of time by salting it well, and
occasionally changing the brine. When wanted for use, wash and wipe it,
and it will answer for making into paste as well as fresh lard.
_Average cost_, 10d. per lb.
BOILED LEG OF PORK.
826. INGREDIENTS.--Leg of pork; salt.
_Mode_.--For boiling, choose a small, compact, well-filled leg, and rub
it well with salt; let it remain in pickle for a week or ten days,
turning and rubbing it every day. An hour before dressing it, put it
into cold water for an hour, which improves the colour. If the pork is
purchased ready salted, ascertain how long the meat has been in pickle,
and soak it accordingly. Put it into a boiling-pot, with sufficient cold
water to cover it; let it gradually come to a boil, and remove the scum
as it rises. Simmer it very gently until tender, and do not allow it to
boil fast, or the knuckle will fall to pieces before the middle of the
leg is done. Carrots, turnips, or parsnips may be boiled with the pork,
some of which should be laid round the dish as a garnish, and a
well-made pease-pudding is an indispensable accompaniment.
_Time_.--A leg of pork weighing 8 lbs., 3 hours after the water boils,
and to be simmered very gently.
_Average cost_, 9d. per lb.
_Sufficient_ for 7 or 8 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
_Note_.--The liquor in which a leg of pork has been boiled, makes
excellent pea-soup.
ANTIQUITY OF THE HOG.--The hog has survived changes which have
swept multitudes of pachydermatous animals from the surface of
our earth. It still presents the same characteristics, both
physical and moral, which the earliest writers, whether sacred
or profane, have faithfully delineated. Although the domestic
has been more or less modified by long culture, yet the wild
species remains unaltered, insomuch that the fossil relics may
be identified with the bones of their existing descendants.
ROAST GRISKIN OF PORK.
827. INGREDIENTS.--Pork; a little powdered sage.
[Illustration: SPARE-RIB OF PORK.]
[Illustration: GRISKIN OF PORK.]
_Mode_.--As this joint frequently comes to table hard and dry,
particular care should be taken that it is well basted. Put it down to a
bright fire, and flour it. About 10 minutes before taking it up,
sprinkle over some powdered sage; make a little gravy in the
dripping-pan, strain it over the meat, and serve with a tureen of apple
sauce. This joint will be done in far less time than when the skin is
left on, consequently, should have the greatest attention that it be not
dried up.
_Time_.--Griskin of pork weighing 6 lbs., 1-1/2 hour.
_Average cost_, 7d. per lb. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
_Note_.--A spare-rib of pork is roasted in the same manner as above, and
would take 1-1/2 hour for one weighing about 6 lbs.
[Illustration: BACON FOR LARDING, AND LARDING-NEEDLE.]
LARDING.
828. INGREDIENTS.--Bacon and larding-needle.
_Mode_.--Bacon for larding should be firm and fat, and ought to be cured
without any saltpetre, as this reddens white meats. Lay it on a table,
the rinds downwards; trim off any rusty part, and cut it into slices of
an equal thickness. Place the slices one on the top of another, and cut
them evenly into narrow strips, so arranging it that every piece of
bacon is of the same size. Bacon for fricandeau, poultry, and game,
should be about 2 inches in length, and rather more than one-eighth of
an inch in width. If for larding fillets of beef or loin of veal, the
pieces of bacon must be thicker. The following recipe of Soyer is, we
think, very explicit; and any cook, by following the directions here
given, may be able to lard, if not well, sufficiently for general use.
"Have the fricandeau trimmed, lay it, lengthwise, upon a clean napkin
across your hand, forming a kind of bridge with your thumb at the part
you are about to commence at; then with the point of the larding-needle
make three distinct lines across, 1/2 inch apart; run the needle into
the third line, at the further side of the fricandeau, and bring it out
at the first, placing one of the lardoons in it; draw the needle
through, leaving out 1/4 inch of the bacon at each line; proceed thus to
the end of the row; then make another line, 1/2 inch distant, stick in
another row of lardoons, bringing them out at the second line, leaving
the ends of the bacon out all the same length; make the next row again
at the same distance, bringing the ends out between the lardoons of the
first row, proceeding in this manner until the whole surface is larded
in chequered rows. Everything else is larded in a similar way; and, in
the case of poultry, hold the breast over a charcoal fire for one
minute, or dip it into boiling water, in order to make the flesh firm."
ROAST LOIN OF PORK.
829. INGREDIENTS.--Pork; a little salt.
[Illustration: FORE LOIN OF PORK.]
[Illustration: HIND LOIN OF PORK.]
_Mode_.--Score the skin in strips rather more than 1/4 inch apart, and
place the joint at a good distance from the fire, on account of the
crackling, which would harden before the meat would be heated through,
were it placed too near. If very lean, it should be rubbed over with a
little salad oil, and kept well basted all the time it is at the fire.
Pork should be very thoroughly cooked, but not dry; and be careful never
to send it to table the least underdone, as nothing is more unwholesome
and disagreeable than underdressed white meats. Serve with apple sauce,
No. 363, and a little gravy made in the dripping-pan. A stuffing of sage
and onion may be made separately, and baked in a flat dish: this method
is better than putting it in the meat, as many persons have so great an
objection to the flavour.
_Time_.--A loin of pork weighing 5 lbs., about 2 hours: allow more time
should it be very fat.
_Average cost_, 9d. per lb.
_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
FOSSIL REMAINS OF THE HOG.--In British strata, the oldest fossil
remains of the hog which Professor Owen states that he has
examined, were from fissures in the red crag (probably miocene)
of Newbourne, near Woodbridge, Suffolk. "They were associated
with teeth of an extinct _felis_ about the size of a leopard,
with those of a bear, and with remains of a large cervus. These
mammalian remains were found with the ordinary fossils of the
red crag: they had undergone the same process of trituration,
and were impregnated with the same colouring matter as the
associated bones and teeth of fishes acknowledged to be derived
from the regular strata of the red crag. These mammaliferous
beds have been proved by Mr. Lyell to be older than the
fluvio-marine, or Norwich crag, in which remains of the
mastodon, rhinoceros, and horse have been discovered; and still
older than the fresh-water pleistocene deposits, from which the
remains of the mammoth, rhinoceros, &c. are obtained in such
abundance. I have met," says the professor, in addition, "with
some satisfactory instances of the association of fossil remains
of a species of hog with those of the mammoth, in the newer
pliocene freshwater formations of England."
TO DRY PIGS' CHEEKS.
830. INGREDIENTS.--Salt, 4 oz. of saltpetre, 2 oz. of bay-salt, 4 oz. of
coarse sugar.
_Mode_.--Cut out the snout, remove the brains, and split the head,
taking off the upper bone to make the jowl a good shape; rub it well
with salt; next day take away the brine, and salt it again the following
day; cover the head with saltpetre, bay-salt, and coarse sugar, in the
above proportion, adding a little common salt. Let the head be often
turned, and when it has been in the pickle for 10 days, smoke it for a
week or rather longer.
_Time_.--To remain in the pickle 10 days; to be smoked 1 week.
_Seasonable_.--Should be made from September to March.
_Note_.--A pig's check, or Bath chap, will take about 2 hours after the
water boils.
PIG'S LIVER (a Savoury and Economical Dish).
831. INGREDIENTS.--The liver and lights of a pig, 6 or 7 slices of
bacon, potatoes, 1 large bunch of parsley, 2 onions, 2 sage-leaves,
pepper and salt to taste, a little broth or water.
_Mode_.--Slice the liver and lights, and wash these perfectly clean, and
parboil the potatoes; mince the parsley and sage, and chop the onion
rather small. Put the meat, potatoes, and bacon into a deep tin dish, in
alternate layers, with a sprinkling of the herbs, and a seasoning of
pepper and salt between each; pour on a little water or broth, and bake
in a moderately-heated oven for 2 hours.
_Time_.--2 hours. _Average cost_, 1s. 6d.
_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
PIG'S PETTITOES.
832. INGREDIENTS.--A thin slice of bacon, 1 onion, 1 blade of mace, 6
peppercorns, 3 or 4 sprigs of thyme, 1 pint of gravy, pepper and salt to
taste, thickening of butter and flour.
_Mode_.--Put the liver, heart, and pettitoes into a stewpan with the
bacon, mace, peppercorns, thyme, onion, and gravy, and simmer these
gently for 1/4 hour; then take out the heart and liver, and mince them
very fine. Keep stewing the feet until quite tender, which will be in
from 20 minutes to 1/2 hour, reckoning from the time that they boiled up
first; then put back the minced liver, thicken the gravy with a little
butter and flour, season with pepper and salt, and simmer over a gentle
fire for 5 minutes, occasionally stirring the contents. Dish the mince,
split the feet, and arrange them round alternately with sippets of
toasted bread, and pour the gravy in the middle.
_Time_.--Altogether 40 minutes.
_Sufficient_ for 3 or 4 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
TO PICKLE PORK.
833. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of saltpetre; salt.
_Mode_.--As pork does not keep long without being salted, cut it into
pieces of a suitable size as soon as the pig is cold. Rub the pieces of
pork well with salt, and put them into a pan with a sprinkling of it
between each piece: as it melts on the top, strew on more. Lay a coarse
cloth over the pan, a board over that, and a weight on the board, to
keep the pork down in the brine. If excluded from the air, it will
continue good for nearly 2 years.
_Average cost_, 10d. per lb. for the prime parts.
_Seasonable_.--The best time for pickling meat is late in the autumn.
THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE HOG.--A singular circumstance in the
domestic history of the hog, is the extent of its distribution
over the surface of the earth; being found even in insulated
places, where the inhabitants are semi-barbarous, and where the
wild species is entirely unknown. The South-Sea islands, for
example, were found on their discovery to be well stocked with a
small black hog; and the traditionary belief of the people was
that these animals were coeval with the origin of themselves.
Yet they possessed no knowledge of the wild boar, or any other
animal of the hog kind, from which the domestic breed might be
supposed to be derived. In these islands the hog is the
principal quadruped, and the fruit of the bread-tree is its
principal food, although it is also fed with yams, eddoes, and
other vegetables. This nutritious diet, which it has in great
abundance, is, according to Foster, the reason of its flesh
being so delicious, so full of juice, and so rich in fat, which
is not less delicate to the taste than the finest butter.
TO BOIL PICKLED PORK.
834. INGREDIENTS.--Pork; water.
_Mode_.--Should the pork be very salt, let it remain in water about 2
hours before it is dressed; put it into a saucepan with sufficient cold
water to cover it, let it gradually come to a boil, then gently simmer
until quite tender. Allow ample time for it to cook, as nothing is more
disagreeable than underdone pork, and when boiled fast, the meat becomes
hard. This is sometimes served with boiled poultry and roast veal,
instead of bacon: when tender, and not over salt, it will be found
equally good.
_Time_.--A piece of pickled pork weighing 2 lbs., 1-1/4 hour; 4 lbs.,
rather more than 2 hours.
_Average cost_, 10d. per lb. for the primest parts.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
THE ANTIQUITY OF THE HOG.--By what nation and in what period the
hog was reclaimed, is involved in the deepest obscurity. So far
back as we have any records of history, we find notices of this
animal, and of its flesh being used as the food of man. By some
nations, however, its flesh was denounced as unclean, and
therefore prohibited to be used, whilst by others it was
esteemed as a great delicacy. By the Mosaic law it was forbidden
to be eaten by the Jews, and the Mahometans hold it in utter
abhorrence. Dr. Kitto, however, says that there does not appear
to be any reason in the law of Moses why the hog should be held
in such peculiar abomination. There seems nothing to have
prevented the Jews, if they had been so inclined, to rear pigs
for sale, or for the use of the land. In the Talmud there are
some indications that this was actually done; and it was,
probably, for such purposes that the herds of swine mentioned in
the New Testament were kept, although it is usual to consider
that they were kept by the foreign settlers in the land. Indeed,
the story which accounts for the peculiar aversion of the
Hebrews to the hog, assumes that it did not originate until
about 130 years before Christ, and that, previously, some Jews
were in the habit of rearing hogs for the purposes indicated.
PORK PIES (Warwickshire Recipe).
835. INGREDIENTS.--For the crust, 5 lbs. of lard to 14 lbs. of flour,
milk, and water. For filling the pies, to every 3 lbs. of meat allow 1
oz. of salt, 2-1/4 oz. of pepper, a small quantity of cayenne, 1 pint of
water.
_Mode_.--Rub into the flour a portion of the lard; the remainder put
with sufficient milk and water to mix the crust, and boil this gently
for 1/4 hour. Pour it boiling on the flour, and knead and beat it till
perfectly smooth. Now raise the crust in either a round or oval form,
cut up the pork into pieces the size of a nut, season it in the above
proportion, and press it compactly into the pie, in alternate layers of
fat and lean, and pour in a small quantity of water; lay on the lid, cut
the edges smoothly round, and pinch them together. Bake in a brick oven,
which should be slow, as the meat is very solid. Very frequently, the
inexperienced cook finds much difficulty in raising the crust. She
should bear in mind that it must not be allowed to get cold, or it will
fall immediately: to prevent this, the operation should be performed as
near the fire as possible. As considerable dexterity and expertness are
necessary to raise the crust with the hand only, a glass bottle or small
jar may be placed in the middle of the paste, and the crust moulded on
this; but be particular that it is kept warm the whole time.
_Sufficient_.--The proportions for 1 pie are 1 lb. of flour and 3 lbs.
of meat.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
THE FLESH OF SWINE IN HOT CLIMATES.--It is observed by M.
Sonini, that the flesh of swine, in hot climates, is considered
unwholesome, and therefore may account for its proscription by
the legislators and priests of the East. In Egypt, Syria, and
even the southern parts of Greece, although both white and
delicate, it is so flabby and surcharged with fat, that it
disagrees with the strongest stomachs. Abstinence from it in
general was, therefore, indispensable to health under the
burning suns of Egypt and Arabia. The Egyptians were permitted
to eat it only once a year,--on the feast of the moon; and then
they sacrificed a number of these animals to that planet. At
other seasons, should any one even touch a hog, he was obliged
immediately to plunge into the river Nile, as he stood, with his
clothes on, in order to purify himself from the supposed
contamination he had contracted by the touch.
LITTLE RAISED PORK PIES.
836. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of flour, 1/2 lb. of butter, 1/2 lb. of mutton
suet, salt and white pepper to taste, 4 lbs. of the neck of pork, 1
dessertspoonful of powdered sage.
_Mode_.--Well dry the flour, mince the suet, and put these with the
butter into a saucepan, to be made hot, and add a little salt. When
melted, mix it up into a stiff paste, and put it before the fire with a
cloth over it until ready to make up; chop the pork into small pieces,
season it with white pepper, salt, and powdered sage; divide the paste
into rather small pieces, raise it in a round or oval form, fill with
the meat, and bake in a brick oven. These pies will require a fiercer
oven than those in the preceding recipe, as they are made so much
smaller, and consequently do not require so soaking a heat.
_Time_.--If made small, about 1-1/2 hour.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
SWINEHERDS OF ANTIQUITY.--From the prejudice against the hog
among the ancients, those who tended them formed an isolated
class, and were esteemed as the outcasts of society. However
much the flesh of the animal was esteemed by the Greeks and
Romans, yet the swineherd is not mentioned by either the classic
writers or the poets who, in ancient Greece and Rome, painted
rural life. We have no descriptions of gods or heroes descending
to the occupation of keeping swine. The swineherd is never
introduced into the idyls of Theocritus, nor has Virgil admitted
him into his eclogues. The Eumaeus of Homer is the only
exception that we have of a swineherd meeting with favour in the
eyes of a poet of antiquity. This may be accounted for, on the
supposition that the prejudices of the Egyptians relative to
this class of men, extended to both Greece and Italy, and
imparted a bias to popular opinion.
TO MAKE SAUSAGES.
(_Author's Oxford Recipe_.)
837. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of pork, fat and lean, without skin or gristle;
1 lb. of lean veal, 1 lb. of beef suet, 1/2 lb. of bread crumbs, the
rind of 1/2 lemon, 1 small nutmeg, 6 sage-leaves, 1 teaspoonful of
pepper, 2 teaspoonfuls of salt, 1/2 teaspoonful of savory, 1/2
teaspoonful of marjoram.
_Mode_.--Chop the pork, veal, and suet finely together, add the bread
crumbs, lemon-peel (which should be well minced), and a small nutmeg
grated. Wash and chop the sage-leaves very finely; add these with the
remaining ingredients to the sausage-meat, and when thoroughly mixed,
either put the meat into skins, or, when wanted for table, form it into
little cakes, which should be floured and fried.
_Average cost_, for this quantity, 2s. 6d.
_Sufficient_ for about 30 moderate-sized sausages.
_Seasonable_ from October to March.
THE HOG IN ENGLAND.--From time immemorial, in England, this
animal has been esteemed as of the highest importance. In the
Anglo-Saxon period, vast herds of swine were tended by men, who
watched over their safety, and who collected them under shelter
at night. At that time, the flesh of the animal was the staple
article of consumption in every family, and a large portion of
the wealth of the rich freemen of the country consisted of these
animals. Hence it was common to make bequests of swine, with
lands for their support; and to these were attached rights and
privileges in connection with their feeding, and the extent of
woodland to be occupied by a given number was granted in
accordance with established rules. This is proved by an ancient
Saxon grant, quoted by Sharon Turner, in his "History of the
Anglo-Saxons," where the right of pasturage is conveyed in a
deed by the following words:--"I give food for seventy swine in
that woody allotment which the countrymen call Wolferdinlegh."
FRIED SAUSAGES.
[Illustration: FRIED SAUSAGES.]
838. INGREDIENTS.--Sausages; a small piece of butter.
_Mode_.--Prick the sausages with a fork (this prevents them from
bursting), and put them into a frying-pan with a small piece of butter.
Keep moving the pan about, and turn the sausages 3 or 4 times. In from
10 to 12 minutes they will be sufficiently cooked, unless they are _very
large_, when a little more time should be allowed for them. Dish them
with or without a piece of toast under them, and serve very hot. In some
counties, sausages are boiled and served on toast. They should be
plunged into boiling water, and simmered for about 10 or 12 minutes.
_Time_.--10 to 12 minutes.
_Average cost_, 10d. per lb.
_Seasonable_.--Good from September to March.
_Note_.--Sometimes, in close warm weather, sausages very soon turn sour;
to prevent this, put them in the oven for a few minutes with a small
piece of butter to keep them moist. When wanted for table, they will not
require so long frying as uncooked sausages.
THE SAXON SWINEHERD.--The men employed in herding swine during
the Anglo-Saxon period of our history were, in general, thralls
or born slaves of the soil, who were assisted by powerful dogs,
capable even of singly contending with the wolf until his master
came with his spear to the rescue. In the "Ivanhoe" of Sir
Walter Scott, we have an admirable picture, in the character of
Gurth, an Anglo-Saxon swineherd, as we also have of his master,
a large landed proprietor, a great portion of whose wealth
consisted of swine, and whose rude but plentiful board was
liberally supplied with the flesh.
SAUSAGE-MEAT CAKES.
839. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of lean pork, add 3/4 lb. of fat bacon,
1/4 oz. of salt, 1 saltspoonful of pepper, 1/4 teaspoonful of grated
nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley.
_Mode_.--Remove from the pork all skin, gristle, and bone, and chop it
finely with the bacon; add the remaining ingredients, and carefully mix
altogether. Pound it well in a mortar, make it into convenient-sized
cakes, flour these, and fry them a nice brown for about 10 minutes. This
is a very simple method of making sausage-meat, and on trial will prove
very good, its great recommendation being, that it is so easily made.
_Time_.--10 minutes.
_Seasonable_ from September to March.
TO SCALD A SUCKING-PIG.
840. Put the pig into cold water directly it is killed; let it remain
for a few minutes, then immerse it in a large pan of boiling water for 2
minutes. Take it out, lay it on a table, and pull off the hair as
quickly as possible. When the skin looks clean, make a slit down the
belly, take out the entrails, well clean the nostrils and ears, wash the
pig in cold water, and wipe it thoroughly dry. Take off the feet at the
first joint, and loosen and leave sufficient skin to turn neatly over.
If not to be dressed immediately, fold it in a wet cloth to keep it from
the air.
THE LEARNED PIG.--That the pig is capable of education, is a
fact long known to the world; and though, like the ass,
naturally stubborn and obstinate, that he is equally amenable
with other animals to caresses and kindness, has been shown from
very remote time; the best modern evidence of his docility,
however, is the instance of the learned pig, first exhibited
about a century since, but which has been continued down to our
own time by repeated instances of an animal who will put
together all the letters or figures that compose the day, month,
hour, and date of the exhibition, besides many other
unquestioned evidences of memory. The instance already given of
breaking a sow into a pointer, till she became more stanch even
than the dog itself, though surprising, is far less wonderful
than that evidence of education where so generally obtuse an
animal may be taught not only to spell, but couple figures and
give dates correctly.
ROAST SUCKING-PIG.
841. INGREDIENTS.--Pig, 6 oz. of bread crumbs, 16 sage-leaves, pepper
and salt to taste, a piece of butter the size of an egg, salad oil or
butter to baste with, about 1/2 pint of gravy, 1 tablespoonful of
lemon-juice.
[Illustration: ROAST SUCKING-PIG.]
_Mode_.--A sucking-pig, to be eaten in perfection, should not be more
than three weeks old, and should be dressed the same day that it is
killed. After preparing the pig for cooking, as in the preceding recipe,
stuff it with finely-grated bread crumbs, minced sage, pepper, salt, and
a piece of butter the size of an egg, all of which should be well mixed
together, and put into the body of the pig. Sew up the slit neatly, and
truss the legs back, to allow the inside to be roasted, and the under
part to be crisp. Put the pig down to a bright clear fire, not too near,
and let it lay till thoroughly dry; then have ready some butter tied up
in a piece of thin cloth, and rub the pig with this in every part. Keep
it well rubbed with the butter the whole of the time it is roasting, and
do not allow the crackling to become blistered or burnt. When half-done,
hang a pig-iron before the middle part (if this is not obtainable, use a
flat iron), to prevent its being scorched and dried up before the ends
are done. Before it is taken from the fire, cut off the head, and part
that and the body down the middle. Chop the brains and mix them with the
stuffing; add 1/2 pint of good gravy, a tablespoonful of lemon-juice,
and the gravy that flowed from the pig; put a little of this on the dish
with the pig, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. Place the pig
back to back in the dish, with one half of the head on each side, and
one of the ears at each end, and send it to table as hot as possible.
Instead of butter, many cooks take salad oil for basting, which makes
the crackling crisp; and as this is one of the principal things to be
considered, perhaps it is desirable to use it; but be particular that it
is very pure, or it will impart an unpleasant flavour to the meat. The
brains and stuffing may be stirred into a tureen of melted butter
instead of gravy, when the latter is not liked. Apple sauce and the
old-fashioned currant sauce are not yet quite obsolete as an
accompaniment to roast pig.
_Time_.--1-1/2 to 2 hours for a small pig.
_Average cost_, 5s. to 6s.
_Sufficient_ for 9 or 10 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to February.
HOW ROAST PIG WAS DISCOVERED.--Charles Lamb, who, in the early
part of this century, delighted the reading public by his quaint
prose sketches, written under the title of "Essays of Elia,"
has, in his own quiet humorous way, devoted one paper to the
subject of _Roast Pig_, and more especially to that luxurious
and toothsome dainty known as "CRACKLING;" and shows, in a
manner peculiarly his own, _how crackling first came into the
world._
According to this erudite authority, man in the golden age, or
at all events the primitive age, eat his pork and bacon raw, as,
indeed, he did his beef and mutton; unless, as Hudibras tells
us, he was an epicure, when he used to make a saddle of his
saddle of mutton, and after spreading it on his horse's back,
and riding on it for a few hours till thoroughly warmed, he sat
down to the luxury of a dish cooked to a turn. At the epoch of
the story, however, a citizen of some Scythian community had the
misfortune to have his hut, or that portion of it containing his
live stock of pigs, burnt down. In going over the _débris_ on
the following day, and picking out all the available salvage,
the proprietor touched something unusually or unexpectedly hot,
which caused him to shake his hand with great energy, and clap
the tips of his suffering fingers to his mouth. The act was
simple and natural, but the result was wonderful. He rolled his
eyes in ecstatic pleasure, his frame distended, and, conscious
of a celestial odour, his nostrils widened, and, while drawing
in deep inspirations of the ravishing perfume, he sucked his
fingers with a gusto he had never, in his most hungry moments,
conceived. Clearing away the rubbish from beneath him, he at
last brought to view the carcase of one of his pigs, _roasted to
death_. Stooping down to examine this curious object, and
touching its body, a fragment of the burnt skin was detached,
which, with a sort of superstitious dread, he at length, and in
a spirit of philosophical inquiry, put into his mouth. Ye gods!
the felicity he then enjoyed, no pen can chronicle! Then it was
that he--the world--first tasted _crackling_. Like a miser with
his gold, the Scythian hid his treasure from the prying eyes of
the world, and feasted, in secret, more sumptuously than the
gods. When he had eaten up all his pig, the poor man fell into a
melancholy; he refused the most tempting steak, though cooked on
the horse's back, and turned every half-hour after his own
favourite recipe; he fell, in fact, from his appetite, and was
reduced to a shadow, till, unable longer to endure the torments
of memory he hourly suffered, he rose one night and secretly set
fire to his hut, and once more was restored to flesh and
manhood. Finding it impossible to live in future without
roast-pig, he set fire to his house every time his larder became
empty; till at last his neighbours, scandalized by the frequency
of these incendiary acts, brought his conduct before the supreme
council of the nation. To avert the penalty that awaited him, he
brought his judges to the smouldering ruins, and discovering the
secret, invited them to eat; which having done, with tears of
gratitude, the august synod embraced him, and, with an
overflowing feeling of ecstasy, dedicated a statue to the memory
of the man who first _instituted roast pork_.
PORK CARVING.
SUCKING-PIG.
[Illustration: SUCKING-PIG.]
842. A sucking-pig seems, at first sight, rather an elaborate dish, or
rather animal, to carve; but by carefully mastering the details of the
business, every difficulty will vanish; and if a partial failure be at
first made, yet all embarrassment will quickly disappear on a second
trial. A sucking-pig is usually sent to table in the manner shown in the
engraving (and also in coloured plate S), and the first point to be
attended to is to separate the shoulder from the carcase, by carrying
the knife quickly and neatly round the circular line, as shown by the
figures 1, 2, 3;--the shoulder will then easily come away. The next step
is to take off the leg; and this is done in the same way, by cutting
round this joint in the direction shown by the figures 1, 2, 3, in the
same way as the shoulder. The ribs then stand fairly open to the knife,
which should be carried down in the direction of the line 4 to 5; and
two or three helpings will dispose of these. The other half of the pig
is served, of course, in the same manner. Different parts of the pig are
variously esteemed; some preferring the flesh of the neck; others, the
ribs; and others, again, the shoulders. The truth is, the whole of a
sucking-pig is delicious, delicate eating; but, in carving it, the host
should consult the various tastes and fancies of his guests, keeping the
larger joints, generally, for the gentlemen of the party.
HAM.
[Illustration: HAM.]
843. In cutting a ham, the carver must be guided according as he desires
to practise economy, or have, at once, fine slices out of the prime
part. Under the first supposition, he will commence at the knuckle end,
and cut off thin slices towards the thick part of the ham. To reach the
choicer portion, the knife, which must be very sharp and thin, should be
carried quite down to the bone, in the direction of the line 1 to 2. The
slices should be thin and even, and always cut down to the bone. There
are some who like to carve a ham by cutting a hole at the top, and then
slicing pieces off inside the hole, gradually enlarging the circle; but
we think this a plan not to be recommended. A ham, when hot, is usually
sent to table with a paper ruffle round the knuckle; when cold, it is
served in the manner shown by coloured plate P.
LEG OF PORK.
[Illustration: LEG OF PORK.]
844. This joint, which is such a favourite one with many people, is easy
to carve. The knife should be carried sharply down to the bone, clean
through the crackling, in the direction of the line 1 to 2. Sago and
onion and apple sauce are usually sent to table with this
dish,--sometimes the leg of pork is stuffed,--and the guests should be
asked if they will have either or both. A frequent plan, and we think a
good one, is now pursued, of sending sage and onion to table separately
from the joint, as it is not everybody to whom the flavour of this
stuffing is agreeable.
_Note_.--The other dishes of pork do not call for any special remarks as
to their carving or helping.