Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-01-06
THE HERALD.
How TO Cure Bacon, Ham and Pork.

estimation of his friends, and many
persons who would not taste of flesh
in the Summer months are pleased
to see the various dishes composed
of it upon their tables. But bacon
holds its own at all seasons, of the
year, and ham is always appreciated
when properly cured and cooked.
Opinions differ as to the derivation of
the term bacon" Some wise heads
think it to be corruption of the
Scotch baken (dried); while others
believe it to come from beechen. as
the finest fitches, are furnished by
animals ted upon the beechnuts.
There are various ways OF curing
bacon. The Yorkshire { Eng } method
is to burn off the bristles, rather than
to scald them, then brush the carcass
and wash it in cold water, and let it
hang where it will not freeze for
twenty-four hours. One-qlarter of
pound of salt-peter and twenty-five
pounds of common salt are then rub
bed thoroughly into the pieces of the
animal, which should be placed in a
large tub and covered up closely in
cool place for fortnight. Then
turn over each piece and rub in a
little more salt. Let it remain in the
pickle another fortnight, and the
bacon is ready to be smoked. The
best way to smoke it is with corn on
the cobs burned upon charcoal keep
ing up slow, dense smoke, and not
a fire. Then put it in q cloth and
wash it over with whitewash, to
preserve it from mold or fy-blows,
and place where there is no moisture,
and it will keep for years.
The Westphalian hams and bacon
are cured by the following recipe ;
To six pounds of rock salt add three
ounces of saltpeter and two pounds
of coffee G sugar. Put it into three
gallons of water and boil until
Dissolved, skimming it we'll while il
boils, and when cold pour it over the
meat. keeping 1T under the brine.
Bacon can be picked ready tc
smoke in about ten days, but hams
should remain in for four or five
weeks. This pickle can be usec
| again aud again, if it is boiled up
skinned, and a small portion of it,
ingredients added each time. Before
putting the meat into the brine i
should be carefully washed and wiped
| clean from blood, as that spolls tht
pickle. Pickling-tubs should b.
larger at the bottom than at the top
so that pork can remain undisturbet
in its layers until needed for use
and the bottom of the tub should b.
! covered with coarse salt, and then
layer of meat placed upon it, and 81
on, until the tub is filled. A gooC
way to pickle one ham-take a deep
stoneware dish, just large enough t
hold ham, and mix together on
pound of coarse brown sugar, on
and half pounds of fine salt, ant
one ounce each of saltpeter and sal
prunelIe. Then rub every portion 0
the ham, and pile the remainder o
it over the top, having placed tn
ham skin side downward in the dish
| Let it stand for two or three days
then turn it over and rub in the mix
ture, and ladle over it with spool
any brine that may be found at tn
bottom of the pan. DO this for
fortnight, and if the ham is needles
fer use it can be smoked for TWO 0
three days, and then boiled. And i
| will prove delicious dish, especially
if roasted and served with q claret
wine sauce, made by bastlng 1t th'
last hour with q tumbler full of tn
wine. And after pouring off the fat
thicken the gravy. If it is to b
kept, lot it remain in the pickle, rub
bling it occasionally for a month o
so. A pint of molasses can be sub
stituted for the sugar, and a pint 0
beer is also an Improvement to it
favor.
Bacon is almost the only meat eve
tasted by hundreds of thousands 0
Frenchmen, and they have becom
connoisseurs in the method of pre-
pairing it. AS soon as the pig
killed, it is always singed, not scald
ed, the carcass being placed upon
ibundle Of straw and the fire set to /
| to windward. AS one side Is singe'
the pig is turned over, and if an,
bristes remain they are burnt Of
| with wisps Of blazing straw. Mex
| it is brushed, and scraped with
knife, and washed clean with col
water. After cutting it open, tn
"fry" is placed into water to b.
cleansed from blood, and afterwarC
it is speedily cooked. Some person
will leave the opened carcass to coo
at night; while others kill by early
dawn, and cut up in the evening BY
candlelight to save time. The pig il
cut up into convenient pieces from
three to five pounds each, reserving
the hams, feet, heads and tales To-
special treats; also a few roasting
pieces and some sausage meat. Tbs
feet are then boiled tender anC
broiled as tidbits.
For a pig weighing 200 pounds
take thirty pounds of common salt
6 quarter of pound of saltpeter, two
ounces of ground pepper, four oncel
of ground allspice and cloves mixec
together. Stir these ingredients az
we'll and ruo each piece of pork
whether it is to be sailed or smoked
then sprinkle the mixture over the
bottom of the tub and put in layer
of meat, sprinkling it With the salt
and spices and SO on until it is al
| packed covering the upper layer
thickly with the salt. Cover uI
closely, and it will keep more per-
| fectly and be more toothsome than
- .A:nI.lo 4 In Tho 10 % mo- rrnr-