Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-11-09
Brine Method and Dry Method
Explained.

4
Clemson College, Nov. S.-Coun.
try sausage and home cured ham
These words make almost any man
smile, but too often he will be disap-
pointed in the eating, because poten-
tiolly good pork is often ruined by
ignorance of the essentials of meat
curing to some extent but they
can be overcome.
The pork carcass should be divided
ed on the basis of lean or fat, thick
or thin. Properly divided, there will
be ham, loin, bacon, shoulder and
head, says D. T. Herman, extension
swine specialist, who makes the fol
lowing suggestions on curing meat;
! The ham is cut off just back Ut
the rise of the backbone and at right
angles to the leg. The hindleg is cut
off an inch above the knee. The head
| is cut from the shoulder at the atlas
joint and includes all of the jowl
meat. The shoulder is cut off between
the third and fourth ribs and at right
angles to the body. The bacon is cut
from the loin just below the tender
loin muscle on the rear part of the
middle and parallel to the back. All
of these cuts require trimming and
squaring. This improves the appear
ance of the finished product, and
makes for uniform curing. No more
lean meat than necessary should be
exposed, as curing hardens it. All
loose pieces should be trimmed off,
for they dry out in curing. All but
one-fourth inch of fat should be trim
med off the loin and put into the
lard, care being taken in trimming
this off not to cut into the loin.
Lean trimmings and head meat go
into the sausage; fat trimmings into
the lard. The loin and sausage are
used for fresh meat and the remain
der is cured.
The first essential to successful
curing is thorough cooling, but the
meat should not be frozen at any
time. Either brine or dry curing will
be satisfactory. Brine requires less
work unless it gets ropy and in this
case it must be drawn off and boiled
or a new brine made. Brine also
keeps away insects and vermin. Dur
ing warm weather the dry method is
much safer. Whichever method is
used it is advisable to rub the surface
of the meat with fine salt and allow
it to drain for 6 to IL hours before
packing in the cure.
Brine Method of Curing.
For brine curing use 10 pounds of
salt, 1-2 pounds of sugar 2 ounces
of saltpeter, 1-2 gallons of water
for every 100 pounds of meat. Boil
these in the water so that they will
be thoroughly dissolved and allow to
cool. Pack hams in the bottom of the
container, shoulders next and the ba-
con cuts on top, and pour on the
brine, being sure that it covers the
meat. In FIVE days draw off the brine,
reverse the order of packing, and
pour the brine back again. Repeat
this operation on the tenth and eigh-
teenth days. Allow four days cure
for each pound of ham and shoulder
in piece, and three days for each
pound in piece of bacon.
Dry Method.
For dry curing use 6 to z pounds
of salt, 2 1-2 pounds of sugar, 2
ounces of saltpeter for every 100
pounds of meat. (Two ounces of red
pepper and a ounces of black pepper
may be used if desired.) Mix thor
oughly; rub one-third on the meat
the first day and pack; unpack on
the third day and rub in one-third
more and repack; and on the seventh
day rub on the remainder and pack
the meat to cure. Allow two days in
the cure for each pound in piece of
bacon and 2 1-2 days for each pound
in ham or shoulder.
Much of the superiority of pack
ers' meat comes from proper soaking
after curing and before smoking.
This brightens the meat and removes
excess salt, which will harden and
form crust if left on through the
smoking process. The packers use
water at about 65 degrees F'ahren-
heit and soak hams or shoulders two