The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-11-24

Eds. Couslsy Gentleman:
A correspondent contributes recipes, in your
issue for October 18th, Up. 647.) for sailing
pork and curing hams, involvinga multitude
of materials, and vast deal of care, trouble
and labor. Ihave already outlived by several
years the Biblical statute of life's Limitation,
and have eaten pork and hams out of many
strange barrels and smoke-hodses, but never
any quite as good as of my own curing, not
even except Wesphalia, North Carolina,
New Jersey or Cincinnati. Scores of COM
petant witnesses who have eaten at my table,
will testify to the same. Ny mode Of pro-
cedure has uniformly been as follows:
Before cooking, first make sure Of your
rabbit-that is see that your meat is Of the
best quality. To secure this begin with
young pig. Feed him at first on milk and
soaked cOm-and give the swill to hogs that
are sold in market for the gross and unap-
preciative feeders, who dine ct Delmonico's
or the Fifth Avenue Hotel. As piggy grows
older, drop the milk and i've hard corn and
water only, (be sure of This, and let him
have plenty Of room for exercise. Do not
kill him until the weather is quite cold. He
should not weigh less than $50 pounds
dressed, or more than 200, (the mean is the
mark. Let him hangtwenty -four to thirty
six hours, or until the meat is entirely cool,
and no longer. Cut him up artisticaliy,
which may be well done in twenty minutes,
and be sure that not stain Of blood goes
with the pieces to be sailed. Do not touch
these with water If the pig has been we'll
dressed, as it takes out the sweetness.
Next see that your barrel is sweet and
clean, and BY no means use one in which
beef has been cured, or one which has stood
long in the vicinity of salfpetre pickle. Now
get YOUR salt-and send to the West Indies
by express rather than take up with any
but the real Turks Island-for it is indis-
pensable in making good salt pork. Cover
we'll the bottom Of the barrel With this, and
pack your layers of pork closely. Cover i;
with salt half an inch Or 50 thick, and pack
another LAYER and 70 on.
Do not fear that you will get your meat too
salt-for if you bury q pound Of pork in a
ton of salt, unlike beef, it will not absorb
more than the necessary quantity to cure it.
When the barrel is full put two or three
inches of salt On top, and next day fill it up
carefully snd slowly with fresh pure water
drawn from the bottom of the well-replen-
ish the water il necessary 70 keep the meat
covered, in day or two, and your work il
esltlSeIS GOucs OIA Sd1SCu AiA ehAc We WILL
keep swee. for two years, as have proved
again ana again, and Is far exceed in taste,
look and quality, the Aabby, greasy, soft.
potato, meal, OF ssillslop fed stuff that you
get with chickens at our frst-class hotels as
salmon does Goldfish.
Now for the hams, shoulders and cheeks;
ard oh, what cheeks-how delicious-ex-
ceeding, ifpoeible the hzms N favor, Get
for these plenty Of the best Liverpool blown
salt, and about one ounce Of saltpetre to
every ten pounds of meat. Provide box,
or a clean floor is just as good, which cover
we'll with the salt; on this pack a layer of
hams in circular form, shanks out, which
cover we'll with salt-the shanks need be
only partially covered; sprinkle the duepor-
ton Of saltpetre over this carelesly, if such
is your habit, for it will be sure to equalize
itself throughout the mass. Repeat the lay
En- IN pyramidal form, and treat them all
the ame With salt and nltpetre. $50
Nov coues The smoking, in which more
than half the secret ieA OF course you
have q boarded smoke-house, apart from
everything else. Hang up your meat in this,