Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-16
straws from a Hay Stack.-.-No. 2.

BACON, &c.
CUTTING OUT Pork, This work belongs to
the male division of the house, and the mas.
ter will do it up without your ever thinking
of it. We will, however, give few briet
hints on this branch of the business. Have tho
hog laid on his back, clean the carcass of the
lean fat, take off the feet at the ankle joints,
cut the head off at the shoulders, separate
the jowl from the skull, and open the upper
part lengthwise, on tho under side, so as to
remove the brain, fully, remove the back bone
in its full length, and with sharp knife cut
off the skin, taking all but about half an
inch Of fat off the spinal column. The mid
dlings or sides is now cut from between the
quarters, leaving the shoulders square shaped
and the ham pointed, or which may be point
ed to suit you-the ribs are next removed,
partially or entirely, from the sides, the fat
trimmings from the hams and Aabby parts Of
the sides are rendered up with the backbone
strip, the sausage meat is cut from between
the leaf fat and the ribs, any other lean
pieces are used for the same purpose, tho
thick part of the Sack-bone, being cut from
the tapering bony end, you can now proceed
to Sailing When your meat is to be picked
it should be heavily sprinkled with salt, and
drain for "a hours, when it is to be pre-
pared with dry SALT Mix one tcaspoonful Of
pulverized saltpetre, to one gallon of salt,
and keep it warm beside you. Cut off hogs
car, and with it rub every piece of meat
with tho salt, on the skin side, until it is
moist, then lay it down and rub anil cover
the flesh part entirely with salt. Pack hams
upon hams, and sides upon sides, &C., for
convenience in getting them, to hang up at
different times, as they will not be all ready
at once, it is, likewise, best to put the large
and small pieces ia different divisions. The
weather has so much to do with the time that
meat requires to take salt, that no time can DC
safely specified, after three weeks fry piece
from the thickest part of medium sized
ham, if salt enough, all pieces smaller, and
of the same size, are ready for smok ng, and
the larger ones can wait few days. The
jowl and chine arc sailed in the same way
for smoking. The heaps after smoking
day, and draining we'll, arc sailed less heavi-
ly and used fresh The backbone and spare
ribs are just sufficiently sailed to keep, the
last, if the weather is freezing, may be kept
quite fresh. The feet may bo packed away
in SALT if not to be Immediately used, aud
will prove almost as good as when first killed,
they are kept thus much better than pickle,
though ribs, when the weather makes much
salt necessary, keep sweeter in pickle. Many
people turn over and rub their pork, once a
week, while it is salt, we have never prac-
ticed it, nor ever lost joint.
And now having tresspassed thus far on
the gentleman's province, we may as well say,
that when the pork is ready to hang, the raw
side should be we'll sprinkIe1 with cayenne,
about the bones, especially, good supply
should be laid on. The hams should be hung
highest, because they are least liable to the
attacks Of the insects A fire place on the
outside commune ting with smoke Aue, is
preferable for a meat house, to internal ar
rangoment, because it does not heat the room,
which, by-the-way, is the best if lofty, cool
and dark.
We give receipt for pickle for pork, and
the English method for curing Bacon.
PICKLE FOR PORK,-One gallon of water,
one and half pounds Of salt, one half pound
Of sugar, one half pint of mo- asses, one half
ounce Of potash, often omitted, boil and skim
thoroughly, and pour over the meat when
perfectly cold, it must remain a month, if
for bacon, and if to keep pork, all the year,
it should be boiled over two or three times,
in the warm months, with an additional cup
of salt and sugar.
ENGLISH BACoN-As soon as the meat
comes from the butchers hand, rub thorough
ly, and fill every fine crevice with fine salt
next day scrape off the salt, not absorbed,
cleanse out the vessel, salt the pork as the
day before, repeat this three days, the fourth
day use pulverizcd saltpetre, mixed with
handful of common salt half pound Of salt
petre to 70 pounds of meat, then mix one
poul Of coarse brown sugar, and one pint
of common molasses, and pour over the salt
petre, repeat this four times day for three
DAYS, aud afterwards, twice day for q
month, then smoke it with ma pie, or hickory
wood, or clean corn cobs.
SAUsAaEs.---Wash the sausage in tepid water /;
do not soak it see that it is free from bone,
gristIe, sinews, &c. cut it up in small pieces ;
to 3 lbs. of lean meat, allow lb. of leaf
fat; chop or grind it very 6ne Mix in this
quantity 3 OF. Of salt, l 2 OF. of pepper, and
two tablespoons of powdered sage. When
we'll mixed, cook one and try it. 1t is easy
to add seasoning, therefore be cautious in US
ing it. Your sausage will become more salt