Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-17
FARM EDUCATION
Home-cured Meat Products
BY DR.. ANDREW M. SOULE

OQG dppGlllS lllpIONSS. II Is IlSCSS-
sary to supply the furnace with
more fuel, and particularly foods
which are rich and fat. The burn
ing up of these foods in the human
boiler supplies the necessary heat
and energy to make us comfortable
during cool weather. What can we
have at this season Of the year that
will prove most palatable. and how
Should We prepare it? These are
questions of primary interest to the
housewife and her family as well.
Why not have some good, pure, pork
sausage? 1t has not become rarity
anywhere except on the farm.
Picked, salt pork is also good. Corn
ed beef, properly made, is very
delectable dish. The dietary can be
varied with dried beef, and. OF
course. through the agency of the
smollehouse, We may supply our
selves with meat products of various
kinds which cannot otherwise be OBJ
tanned. How should We proceed to
supply ourselves with these foods?
The following recipes and sugSes-
lions. culled from a wide variety
of sources, will be found thoroughly
trustworthy. These recipes have
been thoroughly tested, and their re-
/, liability demonstrated beyond the
question of any reasonable doubt.
PURE PORK SAUSAGE
A mild favored pork sausage,
which is not greasy, may be made
by following this formula:
Seventy-five pounds of lean pork,
IS pounds of pork fat, 3-4 pounds
of salt, ounce of saltpeter. ounces
. Of black pepper, , ounces of red pep
per, 2 ounces of sage.
These ingredients may be varied
to suit individual taste.
The lean meat and the fat are cut
into small pieces and the salt, salt
peter and SPICES added and well
mixed with the meat and FAT. This
mixture is run through the coarse
plate of a food grinder and again
we'll mixed ty kneading with the
hands. This makes a very acceptable
sausage, but many people prefer the
sausage ground fine. in which case
it is again run through the grinder,
using the fine plate.
Sausage may be packed in bulk
containers or may be stuffed in cas-
ings or in narrow muslin tubes or
sacks. Sausage is usually eaten
fresh, but it makes a delicious ar
= ticle of diet if given a light smok-
ing after stuff;ng.
Meat and fat used in making sau-
sage must be fresh, sweet and clean.
All utensils used in the making
must be scrupulously clean. Spoiled
sausage or sausage made from faint
ed meat or fat is source of grave
danger to those who eat it.
Cut fat backs or other thick pieces
Of fat pork into pieces about six
inches square. Rub lightly with fine
co1k i 60 l. To 1-o
barrel or in a stone-ware crock. AL
low to stand overnight, then pour
over 1t brine made of four gallons
of cooled, boiled water. ten pounds
of salt and two ounces of saltpeter.
Weight meat down so that it is COW
cred with the brine. Keep the pork
in the brine until used.
This is made from fat pieces of
beef. The brislIet, plate, short ribs
and rump are the parts from which
!, corned beef is usually made. Cut
the beef into pieces of moderate size,
about six inches square. For each
90 pounds of beef, take eight pounds
of salt. Place a one-fourth-inch lay
er in the bottom of q hardwood key
or barrel or a stone ware crock, and
upon this pack tightly a siX-inch
\ layer of the beef. One>this place an
other one-fourth inch layer of salt
and upon this pack another sixinch
layer of meat. Alternate layers of
meat and salt until the meat is pack
ed, but reserve enough of the salt to
cover the top layer of meat.
Make q brine of four pounds Of
sugar. four ounces of saltpeter and
two ounces of Saleratus or baking
soda dissolved in four gallons of
IL I la "a
meat has stood overnight, packed in
the salt, add the brine, using these
quar- titles for each one hundred
pounds of meat. See that the meat
is all covered with the brine and
weight the top layer to hold the
n eat below the surface of the brine.
It will be corned in from thirty to
forty days and ready for use. If it is
kept for a length Of time, the brine
unjust be examined frequently, and
II it becomes stringy or ropy, the
receptacle, the meat and the brine
must be treated as directed under
brine cured pork
This is made of lean beef only.
The thick portion of the hind leg,
known as the round, makes the best
dried beef. The meat is cut into
medium sized strips lengthwise or
with the grain of the meat, SO that
in slicing the finished product, the
meat will be cut across the grain.
The strips of meat are rubbed at
three-day intervals with one-third
Of the following mixture: Salt, I
pounds; sugar. pounds; saltpeter,
2 ounces (amount for 100 pounds of
meat.) After the first rubbing, the
strips OF beef are packed into a
hardwood key or barrel or a stone
ware crock and are repacked after
Zach subsequent rubbing in the
brine which has accumulated in the
receptacle. Three days after the
third rubbing, re move the meat from
he brine and smoke it. After smok-
ing. the meat should hang in a
WARN. dry place.
The smoking of meats in small
WY may be done in an ordinary
I1ygoods box or barrel, but on the
farm where considerable meat is to
De smoked for home use or for sale,
t will be found to be very advanta-
geous to have a smoke house ana
his building should be so substantl-
ally constructed that it will serve as
meat house for storage after the
meat has been smoked.
The most substantial smokehouse
is constructed of stone, brick or
concrete. but an entirely satisfac
tory structure may be built of wood.
4 moderately sized structure will
serve the average need. This should
be about ten or twelve feet square
and at least eight feet high at the
caves. The walls should be tight
There should be no windows, but
small ventilators must be provided
best up close to the caves. for use
while smoking and to provide for
,,n 11roner ventilation Of stored