The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-04-14
SALT PORK
Made AppGtizlng And Delicious
When SpiCGd

The average country housewife will
frequently express regret over the lack
Of variety in serving both fresh and
salt pork--the meat that plays an i'm.
portant part in the daily bill of fare In
the country home. Salt pork is duly
appreciated as good old standby for
serving with boiled dinners, for season
ing the boiled cabbage, potatoes, beans
and various other vegetables. Fried
salt pork cut in very thin slices like
bacon and fried for breakfast is also
one of the dependables when other
meat is scarce. But fried salt pork
may be made an appetizing relish rath-
er than mere standby, says the Coun-
try Gentleman. One of the simplest
methods of supplying the appetizing
element is to serve fried salt pork in
the form of hot brown fritters.
Prepare the favorite fritter batter,
or use a simple egg and -four batter,
made by beating an egg and sitting in
sufficient flour to make a batter of the
right consistency to cling to the spoon.
No milk or shortening will be required
for the simplest of fritter foundations,
but a teaspoonful of baking powder
should be sifted into each cupful of
-four before the beaten egg is added.
Cut the salt pork into very thin slices,
remove the rind and fry to delicate
crispness. Then remove the slices from
the hot fat, dip each slice into the egg
batter until thoroughly coated, take up
a little extra batter in a spoon with
each separate slice and drop it by
spoonfuls into the hot pork fat. Each
slice with its generous coating will
quickly form big, puffy, oblong frit-
ter When served on dish of mashed
potatoes or platter of hot boiled rice
ii will prove a delicious dish, well
worth the little extra care in prepara-
tion.
Yellow cornmeal-the finely powder
ed rather than the granulated form
N'Ahi OiCi hAOIhOl NhoIbCs OSC Tic
Cornmeal and baking powder with the
simple egg batter instead of the flour
fhe cornmeal pork fritters with rich
cream gravy, prepared in the pan in
which the pork is fried and the fritters
are cooked, will serve as a breakfast
dish without the mached potatoes OF
boiled rice.
The average conscientious farmers
wife Is inclined to guard very Jealous
ly her treasured store of good home
cured hams that are to provide her
family with the greater proportion OF
their meat diet for the spring and sum
rner months as we'll as during the win
ter. On the other hand, she is inclined
to regard the pork shoulders, with
their abundance Of fat and streaks oil
lean, as much inferior to the big hams
A little experimenting will prove that
when baked whole as spiced shoulders
they form very delicious feast and
prove great saver of ham.
The shoulder should be soaked In
cold water for few hours washed and
thoroughly scraped-the rind being
left, but all smoked and blackened
portions that might impart a strong
flavor to the meat being removed
Place the shoulder in big iron pot oI
cold water over the fire and bring II
slowly to boil. hen add the preferred
spices and boil slowly for about tive
hours, Peppercorns, whole cloves and
sage, about a toaspoonful of each, tied
IN bag and boiled with meat, viii
tmpart the correct flavor OF spiciness
for most palates, although some prefer
bic OF mace or grated nutmeg IN
| place of the sage. After two hours oi
eentle boiling with the spices, remove
me shoulder from the pot, pull off the
skin aud place the meat in baking
pan, fat side mp. Half cupful of vine
gar with n cupfnl OF water and two Ia
hlespoonfuls OF brown sugar should be-
placed in the bottom of the pan fol
bastlng, Spices may also be added tC
the basting water if desired. Bake the
shoulder in a moderate oven until thor
oughly tender all through From two
to three hours OF SLOW baking will be
required, according to the size of the
shoulder. Baste frequently with the
spicy liquid throughout the baking pro
cess, and the rich, tender meat will
lose all resemblance to the despiseC
pork shoulder Any leftover portions
will be good when sliced cold.
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