Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/711

Rh factories a certain portion of the bacon is smoked for the retail trade, the quantity varying with the orders received. Sausages, pork pies, etc., are also manufactured in some of the factories.

Salt pork is commonly made in farm houses; somewhat small fat pigs are killed, the roasting parts are cut off and the remainder of the carcass cut up into pieces of about the size which will subsequently be required for cooking, and placed in an earthenware pot in which brine had been already placed. The meat is covered by the brine, and pieces of it are taken out as required for use. It is advisable to use the leaner pieces first, or they may become too salt.

The usual joints of small fresh pork are the leg, the loin, which in turn is divided into fore—or, as it is sometimes called, the crop or spare-rib—and hind; the hand, the spring, the belly, middle cut and the head. The respective prices of these parts varies somewhat according to the season and the district. The heavy fat pig is cut up in various ways; in the north of England, where large fat hogs are now mainly killed, the legs, shoulders, belly and the fat, after the roasting parts taken off, are generally salted lightly and then boiled; the loin, spare-ribs, etc., are roasted whole, save when converted into so-called pork-chops, which are considered to be very rich and suitable only when the weather is very cold.

The Names of the Several Joints are as follows:—

The weight of the several joints of a good pork pig of 6 stone may be as follows, viz:—

(1) Spare-rib.—Generally roasted.

(2) Hand.—Usually slightly salted and boiled, to eat either hot or cold.

(4) Fore-loin.—For roasting.

(3) Spring, or belly.—Generally salted and boiled.

(5) Loin.—The best roasting joint, but rather fat. Large chops are cut from it.

(6) Leg.—The most economical roasting joint in this as in most other animals. It is less fat than the fore-quarter. Used also for raised pies.