The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-01
Making English Bacon.


In the. part of England came from
all pigs over 200 pounds weight are
killed early in the morning and the hair
is neatly burned off, using wheat straw
directly after the animal is dead and
from practice the butchers can moder-
ate and regulate the fire so as to SINCE
the whole surface without cracking the
skin. They use a fork made for the
purpose, with iron for foot and half
from the tines. The feet are raised on
one side while the straw is blazing, and
thus the hair is all burned off. Then
the other side is attended to. BY the
occasional use of second bunch of
straw to finish off any place not well
done, it is surprising how nicely the
work is done; the pig is then raised and
set against a wall, or side of any build
ing, by having stout stick which is
fixed so as to have the pig hang from
the jaws and supported by the stick,
which is notched at the end where the
jaws rest on it. Hot water is then used
and scraping is done just as when the
hair has been taken off by scalding. 1
do not say that this way of cleaning the
pig has any influence one way or the
other in the curing, merely mentioning
the custom.
The next morning, the pig having
remained whole till then, the head is
cut off, then the carcass is placed on
the belly and two cuts are made with
knife from where the head was cut off
to the tail, these cuts being from four
to six inches wide, tapering so as to
come to each side of the back bone, and
then the pig is turned so as to lie on its
back when a "cleaver' Ga butchers
chopper) cuts the bones through, and
this long, narrow piece is cut into four
or five "chines," which are cured and
sometimes favored with sage and other
herbs and cured similarly in other re-
| spects to the bacon. The sides are
then operated on so as to take out every
bone, most of which have some meat
on them, which is eaten fresh, but the
bones from the knees and hooks are
taken out by running knife (kept for
the purpose, and a long one,) round so
as to draw out the bone without meat
attached. or at most only an ounce or
two. The blade bones and others on
the hams have been previously removed,
so that it simplifies the taking out of
the bones alluded to. These sides are
what are called " bitches" of bacon,
and the meat which would have been
in the ham, had one been cut off, is
called "gammons." Very few hams
are cut oft from large hogs, so that
fiitches of bacon are the rule, and
shoulders, sides and hams the excep-
ton in the midland counties of England.
Pork pigs run from 100 to 200 pounds
and hams are cured chiefly from the
pork pigs of $50 to 200 pounds. All
above this weight are called bacon pigs.
The porkers are scalded; the bacon pigs
singed.
TheEhitches are sailed with common
table salt, little saltpetre being used
where the bones were extracted. The
tlitches lie in a sailing trough one on
the other, the salt being laid on about
the eighth of an inch thick. 1t is
turned or merely changed 0he under
fitch being on top) about once week.
In from three to five weeks, as conven-
lent, it is either hung up to dry with
out being smoked, or smoked first, as
the case may be. 1t is used generally
from three to eighteen months, by cut
ting what is required from the fitch,
which usually remains hanging or lying
in a rack till the last piece is wanted.
In Kentucky the meat is cured very
much in the same way, only no bones
are taken out, and sugar and red pep
per are added to the salt, besides which,
the side is cut into shoulders, sides and
hams and no chimes made. Cor. Conn
| try Gentleman.