BUTCHERING AND CURING MEATS. 95 



and firmest product it is necessary to remove all flesh, 

 membrane and blood, and cut it into pieces an inch or 

 less in size ; then heat a small quantity in kettle or 

 boiler, and afterward add more and cook slowly. 

 When the scraps, cracknels or cracklings are crisp, 

 and a delicate shade of brown, strain -the melted lard 

 through a cloth into the vessel that is to receive it. 

 Afterward the scraps may be pressed and an additional 

 quantity of only slightly inferior lard obtained. The 

 fat from the internal organs and the small miscellaneous 

 trimmings should be rendered separately and kept in 

 separate vessels. No water should be used during the 

 operation ; in fact, the purpose of rendering the lard 

 is partly to drive off all the water. 



Excellent sausages may be made of the scraps and 

 trimmings of fresh pork by using one-third fat and 

 two-thirds lean meat, chopped finely, and seasoned 

 with salt, pepper and sage. The seasoning should be 

 evenly distributed through the scraps before they are 

 chopped. As sage is offensive to some people it may 

 be omitted. A little red pepper is often added. Tastes 

 differ so much that a sausage receipt cannot be given 

 that will suit all. The meat grinders now in common 

 use come handy for preparing sausage scraps. For- 

 merly the general custom was to soak the small intes- 

 tines of the animal and cleanse by scraping thoroughly 

 with a dull knife, and use these as cases for holding the 

 sausage meat. The meat being pressed into these by 

 a " stuffer," they were twisted into links three or four 

 inches long. The practice still prevails, but much of 

 the meat is now sold in rolls or lumps, wrapped in 

 butter paper or corn husks. 



