The flesh of pork, when in good condition, is a delicate pinky white,
with a close fine grain; the fat, which should not be too abundant, of
a white color, very faintly tinged with pink; the skin should be thin
and elastic to the touch, and the flesh generally cool, clean, and
smooth looking; if, on the contrary, the flesh is flabby and clammy
when touched, it is not fresh.
Pork, like all white meat, is quick to taint, and never should be kept
long before cooking. If you have the slightest doubt about pork, it is
best to reject it, for unlike other meat which may be quite wholesome
and usable, though not of precisely prime quality, pork _must_ be
in really first class condition to be wholesome, and therefore it
is impossible to be too particular in the choice of it. Always if
possible look at the tongue, for, as in beef, this is a very fair
criterion of the condition of the animal; a freshly scraped new
wooden skewer run into the meat along the bone is a good test of the
freshness of the pork, and be careful especially to examine the fat,
for if there be little kernels in it the pork is "measly," a very
common disease among pigs, and one particularly unwholesome to the
consumer.
Pigs for fresh pork should be of medium size, not over fat, and
under a year old. Pigs destined to become bacon are usually older and
larger. Sucking pigs should be small, and are best when about three
weeks old. A sucking pig should be cooked as soon as possible after
it is killed, as it taints very quickly; unless fresh, no care in the
cooking will make the crackling crisp, as it should be.