The Preservation of Food in the Home. — Part III 1321 



Dry-cured pork. — For each 100 pounds of meat weigh out 5 pounds 

 of sah, 2 pounds of granulated sugar, and 2 ounces of saltpeter, and mix 

 them thoroughly. Rub the meat once every three days with a third 

 of the mixture. While the meat is curing it is best to have it packed in 

 a barrel or tight box. For the sake of convenience it is advisable to have 

 two barrels, and to transfer the meat from one to the other each time it is 

 rubbed. For the last rubbing the meat should lie in the barrel for a week 

 or ten days, when it will be cured and ready to smoke. To cure nicely 

 it is desirable to have a cool and rather moist place in which to keep it. 



This recipe should not be used where the meat must be kept in a warm 

 and dry place, as the preservatives will not penetrate easily and uniformly. 



Trying out lard. — Only the best of fat should be used for choice lard. 

 Leaf fat is the best. The back strip of the side also makes nice lard, 

 as do the ham, shoulder, and neck trimmings. Gut fat should never 

 be mixed with the leaf and back fat. It makes a strong-smelling lard 

 and should be kept separate. All scraps of lean meat should be cut out 

 of the fat before trying out, as they are very likely to stick to the kettle 

 and get scorched, giving an unpleasant flavor to the lard. When pre- 

 paring the fat for trying cut it into pieces from i to i| inch square. 

 They should be nearly equal in size, so that they will try out in about 

 the same time. Fill a clean kettle about three fourths full and put in 

 a quart of water, or, if convenient, a quart of hot lard. One or the other 

 is necessary to prevent the fat from burning before the. heat is sufficient 

 to bring out the grease. Keep the kettle over a moderate fire until the 

 cracklings are brown and light enough to float. Frequent stirring will 

 be necessary to prevent burning. When done remove from the stove and 

 allow to cool slightly, and then strain through a muslin cloth into a large 

 jar. Stir it occasionally until it is cool enough to begin to solidify. If 

 pails or smaller jars are to be filled the lard should be dipped out while 

 just warm enough to be liquid. Stirring while the lard is cooling tends 

 to whiten it and make it smoother. A quarter of a pound of saleratus 

 added to each 100 pounds of fat has a like effect. 



Sausage. — Pork sausage should be made only from clean, fresh pork. 

 To each 3 pounds of lean pork add i pound of fat. As the pork usually 

 used for sausage is the shoulder, neck, and lean trimmings, the sausage is 

 quite likely to be too fat unless part of the fat is removed and used for lard. 

 Mix the fat and lean meat together in chopping. Where a rotary cutter 

 is used it is best to cut the meat twice. After it is cut the first time spread 

 it out thinly and season. One ounce of pure, fine salt, one half ounce 

 of ground black pepper, and one half ounce of pure leaf sage, rubbed 

 fine, to each 4 pounds of meat, will suit the taste of most persons. The 

 seasoning should be sprinkled thinly over the cut meat and the meat 

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