El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-27

HOG KILLING.
Packing Po-!S. Sailing and Smoking
Hams, Shoulders, Etc.

Packing Po-I. Sailing and Smoking
Hams. Shoulders, Etc.
Hogs to be slaughtered should not be
fed for p hours before slaughtering.
They Will not bleed freely. Nor should
they become heated by chasing or any
other cause. 1t likewise has a tenden-
ey to check the flow of blood. Nor
should hog be scalded Until it has
fully expired. says writer in Field and
Farm in preface to the following use
full instructions in hog killing on the
farm:
After the hog is hung up and the intes-
tines lungs, heart and all are removed
and washed out split the carcass right
through the center, leaving a small at
tachment near the tail and at the end
of snout, so as not to overbalance it.
AS soon as the leaf lard is cold enough
to be principally removed take it out
This will insure the perfect cooling of
the meat. The heavier the hog the
more essential it's quick and perfect
cooling. Never allow meat to freeze
solid or pack it in frozen condition, for
1t is sure to spoil.
Before cutting up the carcass remove
spareribs, tenderloins and any over
plus of lean meat from the side pork,
unless it is converted into bacon, and
evenly divide the width of side pork
from four to five inches. Trim off all
surplus of fat from hams and Shout
ers. All this will increase the surplus
of sweet lard.
Now for a good new barrel or One
that never had the least bit Of sour
meat in it. Do not use a whisky bar
rel. A kerosene barrel burned out and
soaked for a time with pure water will
do, but a new barrel is always safe.
There are numberless ways of pre-
serving meats, but we have reason to
think that all additions of sugar and
the like have a tendency to harden and
dry the meats. Cover the bottom Of
the barrel with an inch of pure salt
pack in the meat, the rind outward, SO
that salt may get between the pieces,
cover again with salt over each layer,
and SO ON until the barrel is full up to
about five inches. Lay a cover of clean
new boards on it, with a stone to weigh
1T down.
Prepare a brine of clean salt and wa
ter that will bear up an egg and cover
the meat three days after packing. In
about six weeks thereafter take out the
meat, lay it on a board to drain, take
out the brine in a wash boiler, put it on
the stove and as soon as the scum COM
mences to rise skim it and continue IN
til clear before it boils.
Rinse the barrel, repack it and when
the brine is cold pour it on to cover the
meat, Enough water can be added
during the heating and skimming to
have plenty to cover it. Sometimes we
add one ounce of saltpeter- This, if al
ways covered with brine, will be sweet
meat 10 months from date of packing.
Take the hams and shoulders and
cheeks, rub them well with salt on both
have drainage, and cover the flesh side
well with salt. Take a lot of fine salt
peter and work it in at the end and
around the center bone. Let them re-
main three to four days. Have a clean
barrel ready, clean off all the bloody
salt from the meat, pack in the barrel
rind downward and outward, pour on
and cover with brine of pure salt and
water that will bear up an egg.
Hams from hogs weighing $50 to $50
pounds dressed weight should remain
in this IA days only. Take them out,
drain and dry two, or three days, then
smoke them. Soon after smoking COW
er and sew up in any kind of clean cot
ton cloth.