Evening star., 1901-12-21
A WEEK OR TWO OF PIG
IF A WHOLE ONE IS BOUGHT HERE
Is WHAT4To DO WITH 1T.
Every Part is Utilized, the Least as
Well as the Best known
Pork Products.
Written for The Evening Star.

The potentiaIities of a live I.ss are we'll
nigh nlimitable, but since he is impossible
to the mass of ho.sekeepers. deal we here
with a g dead one to be purchased
Monday morning for holiday consump-
tion-a pig nicely scraped and scald-
ed. and hanging, pink and plump, in the
market He will cost more, much more,
than he did a year back Still he Is cheap
by comparison with beef and mutton, very
cheap If bought whole. Many more people
would avail themselves of the fact, if they
knew exactly what to do with his pigship.
He must be small-seventy-fve pounds
is the outside limit. Forty is much bet
ter. and thirty best of ALL Still, with mahy
mouths to feed, the seventy-five-pound fel-
low will prove most economical. as there
Is apt to be more meat and fat, In proper
tion to bone.
Any butcher will cut your pig up, but be
sure the cutting is right. Have the ribs
chopped free, either side the backbone,
take 1t out, and have 1t chopped partly
through in many places from neck to tan.
But first the head must have been cut of,
and laid aside. After the backbone is out,
lay the sides fiat, and have the leaf-fat
which covers the kidneys pulled out, also
| the ribs well up to the shoulders. These
are the spare-ribs, most delicious of all
hog-killing tid-bits. Next have the feet
chopped off. then cut the hams free OF the
sides, and trim them neatly around the
III
of the sides, taking the streaky parts, and
leaving the thick fat.
Next separate the head proper from the
jowl cut off the snout, split the skull and
remove the brains. The jowl, with the
tongue left in it, is for boiling with cab
bage or turnips or green's, or even beans.
Lard and Sausage.
This leaves the shoulders and the scraps
of middlings. Make them into lard and
sausage. Free the lean meat from all
gristle, and both lean and fat from skin
and bone. Wash 1t in clean cold water,
drain it well, then chop fine or grind
through meat-grinder, putting in alter
nately fat and lean. There should be as
much of one as the other, to make good
sausage. Too much lean makes them
heavy, too much fat cfoying. Weigh after
grinding To each pound allow a level
tablespoonful Of dry salt a half teaspoon
full of sugar. a saltspoonful of red and
black pepper, powdered fine, and two
heaping teaspoonfuls of dry, finely pow
dered sage. Work all wen through the
ground meat, then pack 1t in small longish
bags of clean cotton cloth, tie the bag
Thus kept, the sausage will not get strong.
If it can be smoked dry in the bags it will
keep Indefinitely.
Cut up the leaf fat, and all the clean fat
from the pig, carefully removing any sus-
picion of lean. wash the bits, drain them
and put in a clean kettle with a cupful of
cold water, over a slow fire. Let 1t stay
there, stirring 1t every ten minutes until
the grease tries out, and shows clear with
crisp brown craeklings floating about in it.
Skim out the cracklngs, drop them in a
sieve and press with the back of the skim
mer Thus they will yield the best part Of
their fat. What remains can be saved by
making them into sweet potato cracking
bread. IT,. at .-...'.
Cleaning Up Part.
Clean the feet and head very carefully,
scraping soft every trace of hair. The
butcher will most likely have taken Off the
hoofs-f not. they can be removed by hold
ing them a half minute in the fire, then
Tipping the hoof off with the point of a
knife. After cleaning the head well cut off
the ears close, scrape them inside and out,
and put head, ears and feet to soak for an
hour in tepid water. very lightly safted. If
jelly making is contemplated do not salt
the soaking water, but leave the meat in it
half an hour longer. After the soaking
wash well in cold water, then put into
very clean and roomy vessel, cover with at
least two gallons of cold water, bring to a
boil, skim clean, then set where the vessel
will simmer for six to eight hours Fill up
as the water bols away, and occasionally
stir gently so there shall be no sticking to
the pot. When the meat drops from the
bones take it out with skinner, pick out
every bone, and put in deep dish. Season
well with salt, pepper, fine herbs and, if
liked, little onion juice or tarragon vine
cool. II the meat is dry add to it after sea-
soning a cup of the liquor it was boiled in
Thus you will have souse to match your
sausage 1t is equally good sliced and
served in strong vinegar, or dipped in egg
and crumbs and fried in deep hot fat.
Save the liquor until cold, take off the fat
from the top, then skim off the jelly under
meath, heat and clarity it, for either aspic
or wine jelly.
Sailing the Hams.
Scald and skin the brains mash them
with two fresh eggs and fry in a very little
fat, shaking in they cook salt and pep
per to taste. Score the skin on the roasts
plentifuIly, salt well and cook until brown
and crisp and well done through and
through. Lay the hams flesh side down in
dish or tray, and rub them we'll over
with cupful of fine salt mixed with a ta-
hlespOonful of sugar and a half teaspoon
full of saltpeter. Set the dish where is is
cool and airy, and turn the hams every
day until the salt strikes through. Then
wipe them dry, sprinkle them thickly with
dry salt and ground black pepper, slip in
side cloth bags and hang In the air until
wanted. A little smoking will make them
into bacon. But they are excellent cooked
green.