55. ROAST PORK.--In the preparation of pork for the table, and a roast
in particular, several points must be taken into consideration. Unlike
beef, which is often served rare, pork must be well done in order to be
satisfactory. Rare pork to most persons is repulsive. Also, as a large
part of the surface of a pork roast, especially one cut from the
shoulder, loin, or ribs, is covered with a layer of fat, pork does not
have to be seared to prevent the loss of juice, nor does it have to be
put into such a hot oven as that required for beef. In fact, if the
temperature of the oven is very high, the outside will finish cooking
before the heat has had a chance to penetrate sufficiently to cook the
center. While this makes no difference with meat that does not need to
be thoroughly cooked, it is a decided disadvantage in the case of pork.
56. When a shoulder of pork is to be roasted, it makes a very
satisfactory dish if it is boned and stuffed before roasting. To bone
such a piece, run a long, narrow knife all around the bone and cut it
loose; then pick up the bone by one end and shake it until it will pull
out. Fill the opening thus formed with bread or cracker stuffing.
If an especially inviting roast of pork is desired, a _crown roast_
should be selected, for this is just as attractive as a crown roast of
lamb. It is made by cutting corresponding pieces from each side of the
rib piece, trimming the bones clean as far back as the lean part of the
chops, and fastening the pieces together. A garnish of fried apple rings
is very attractive for such a roast.
57. To cook a roast of any of these varieties, wipe the meat thoroughly,
dredge it with flour, salt, and pepper, and place it on a rack in a
dripping pan. Bake about 3 hours, depending on the size of the roast,
and baste every 15 minutes with fat from the bottom of the dripping pan.
After the roast is removed from the roasting pan, make a gravy as for
any other roast. Serve with apple sauce, baked apples, cranberry sauce,
chilli sauce, pickles, or some other acid dish. Such an accompaniment
aids considerably in the digestion of pork, for it cuts the large amount
of fat that this meat contains and that so often retards the digestion,
and hastens the fat through the stomach.
58. ROAST PIG.--In some households, roasted pig is the favorite meat for
the Thanksgiving or the Christmas dinner. There is sufficient reason for
its popularity, for when properly prepared and attractively garnished,
roasted pig offers a pleasing change from the meat usually served on
such days.
To be suitable for roasting, a pig should be not more than 1 month or 6
weeks old and should not weigh more than 7 or 8 pounds after it is
cleaned. The butcher should prepare it for cooking by scalding off the
hair, washing the pig thoroughly, inside and out, and withdrawing the
entrails of the animal through an incision made in the under part of
the body.
59. When the pig is received in the home, wash it thoroughly, within and
without, wipe it dry, and fill it with stuffing. To make a stuffing
suitable for this purpose, season 2 quarts of fine bread crumbs with 4
tablespoonfuls of chopped onion, 2 teaspoonfuls of salt, 1 teaspoonful
of pepper, and cupful of melted butter. Mix thoroughly and add 3 beaten
eggs. If the stuffing needs moisture, add water or milk. Stuff the pig
firmly with this stuffing, using every effort to restore its original
shape. Then sew up the opening and truss the animal; that is, draw the
hind legs forwards and bend the front legs backwards under the body, and
skewer and tie them into place.
With the animal in this shape, wipe it off with a damp cloth, dredge it
with flour, and place it in a dripping pan, adding 1 cupful of boiling
water in which 1 teaspoonful of salt has been dissolved. Roast in a
moderate oven for at least 1-1/2 hours, or 20 minutes for each pound of
pig. Baste frequently, first with butter and water and later with
drippings. When the skin begins to brown slightly, rub over it a clean
piece of cloth dipped in melted butter. Repeat this operation every 10
minutes until the meat is well done. Then remove the pig to a hot
platter and garnish with parsley, lettuce, celery, or fried or baked
apples. If a more ornamental garnishing is desired, place a lemon in the
mouth and use cranberries for the eyes. In carving, cut the head off,
split through the spine lengthwise, remove the legs, and cut the ribs so
as to form chops.
60. SAUTÉD OR BROILED PORK.--Slices cut from the ribs and loin of pork
are called chops, and those obtained from the shoulder and hind legs are
called steaks. These, together with the tenderloin, the small piece of
lean, tender meat lying under the bones of the loin and seldom weighing
more than a pound, are especially suitable for sautéing or broiling.
When they are to be prepared by these processes, sauté or broil them as
any other meat, remembering, however, that pork must be well done.
Because of this fact, a more moderate temperature must be employed than
that used for beefsteak.
61. PORK CHOPS IN TOMATO SAUCE.--A slight change from the usual way of
preparing pork chops can be had by cooking them with tomatoes. The
combination of these two foods produces a dish having a very
agreeable flavor.
First brown the chops in their own fat in a frying pan, turning them
frequently so that the surfaces will become evenly browned. When they
have cooked for 15 minutes, pour enough strained stewed tomatoes over
them to cover them well, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan
tight, and allow them to simmer until the tomatoes become quite thick.
Place the chops on a hot platter, pour the tomato sauce over them, and
serve hot.
62. SAUTÉD TENDERLOIN OF PORK.--Since the tenderloin of pork is a very
tender piece of meat, it needs no accompaniment to make it a delicious
dish, but sometimes a change of preparation is welcomed in order to give
variety to the diet. The accompanying directions should therefore be
followed when something different from broiled tenderloin is desired.
Cut the tenderloin into lengthwise slices and brown these slices in
melted butter, turning them several times. Then remove to a cooler part
of the stove, and let them cook slowly in the butter for 15 minutes,
taking care to have them closely covered and turning them once or twice
so that they will cook evenly. At the end of this time, pour enough milk
or cream in the pan to cover the meat well and cook for 15 minutes
longer. With a skimmer, remove the meat, which should be very tender by
this time, from the pan, and put it where it will keep hot. Make a gravy
of the drippings that remain in the pan by thickening it with 1
tablespoonful of flour, stirring it until it is thick and smooth and
seasoning it to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the gravy over the meat
and serve hot.
63. PORK SAUSAGE.--The trimmings and some of the internal organs of pork
are generally utilized to make sausage by chopping them very fine and
then highly seasoning the chopped meat. Pork in this form may be bought
fresh or smoked and loose or in casings. It usually contains
considerable fat and therefore shrinks upon being cooked, for the fat is
melted by the heat and runs out of the sausage.
To cook pork sausages put up in casings, place the required number in a
hot frying pan with a small quantity of hot water. Cover the pan with a
lid and allow the sausages to cook. When they have swelled up and the
skins, or casings, look as if they would burst, remove the cover and
thoroughly prick each one with a sharp fork, so as to allow the fat and
the water to run out. Then allow the water to evaporate and sauté the
sausages in their own fat, turning them frequently until they are
well browned.
To cook loose pork sausage, shape it into thin, flat cakes. Grease a
frying pan slightly, in order to keep the cakes from sticking to the
surface, place the cakes in the pan, and allow them to cook in the fat
that fries out, turning them occasionally until both sides are
well browned.