Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/736

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Put the pig into cold water directly it is killed; let it remain for a few minutes, then immerse it in a large pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Take it out, lay it on a table, and pull off the hair as quickly as possible. When the skin looks clean, make a slit down the belly, take out the entrails, well clean the nostrils and ears, wash the pig in cold water, and wipe it thoroughly dry. Take off the feet at the first joint, and loosen and leave sufficient skin to turn neatly over. If not to be dressed immediately, fold it in a wet cloth, to exclude the air.

Take an old hogshead, stop all the crevices, and fix a place to put a cross-stick near the bottom, to hang the articles to be smoked on. Next, in the side, cut a hole near the top, to introduce an iron pan filled with sawdust and small pieces of green wood. Having turned the tub upside down, hang the articles upon the cross-stick, introduce the iron pan in the opening, place a piece of red-hot iron in the pan, cover it with sawdust, and all will be complete. Let a large ham remain for 40 hours, and keep up a good smoke.

Ingredients.—To every 14 lb. of meat allow 2 ozs. of saltpetre, 2 ozs. of salt prunella, 1 lb. of common salt. For the pickle: 3 gallons of water, 5 lb. of common salt, 7 lb. of coarse sugar, 3 lb. of bay-salt.

Method.—Weigh the sides, hams and cheeks, and to every 14 lb. allow the above proportion of saltpetre, salt prunella and common salt. Pound and mix these together. Rub well into the meat, and lay it in a stone trough or tub, rubbing it thoroughly, turning it daily for 2 successive days. At the end of the second day, pour on it a pickle made as follows: Put the above ingredients into a sauce-pan, set it on the fire, stir frequently, remove all the scum, allow it to boil for 15 minutes, and pour it hot over the meat. Let the hams, etc., be well rubbed and turned daily; if the meat is small, a fortnight will be sufficient for the sides and shoulders to remain in the pickle, and the hams 3 weeks; if from 30 lb. and upwards, 3 weeks will be required for the sides, etc., and from 4 to 5 weeks for the hams. On taking the pieces out let them drain for 1 hour, cover with dry sawdust, and smoke from a fortnight to 3 weeks. Boil and carefully skim the pickle after using, and it will keep good, closely corked, for 2 years. When boiling it for use, add about 2 lb. of common salt, and the same quantity of treacle, to allow for waste. Tongues are excellent