10 



BULLETIN 1086, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The firm carcass is solid and firm and tlie fat is pure white. The 

 cuts are rigid and easily handled. 



After the meat is cured and smoked, however, the difference be- 

 tween the oily and firm meat is not so noticeable, and it is difficult 

 for the average person to detect one from the other from outward 

 appearances. After being smoked and retained for 10 days the ham 

 and shoulder cuts of the oily hogs were just as firm to the touch as 

 similar cuts that had been classed as firm in the cooler. The oily 

 bacon bellies, however, remained soft, were difficult to slice, and the 

 constant oozing of the oil made them unsatisfactory to handle in 

 retail trade. 



Fig. 1. — Samples of lard from hogs graded as oily. Note that when the bottles are tilted the contents 

 become adjusted to maintain a natural level, thus showing its liquid condition. Photograph taken 

 immediately after samples were removed from a constant temperature of 30° 0. 



APPEARANCE OF THE MEAT. 



According to these tests, the most serious objection to the oily 

 meat was its appearance. Because the oil remained liquid in the 

 cell, the fat of the thinly sliced bacon was almost transparent, giving 

 to it a yellowish appearance instead of being pure white. When the 

 meat was cut, oil in the broken cells smeared over the meat, making 

 it unsatisfactory to handle. The lard also remained as oil instead of 

 being firm and white. This fact is shown by Figures 1, 2, and 3, 

 showing the samples of fat taken from oily, soft, and firm hogs. As 

 shown in Figure 1 , the samples of lard taken from oily hogs is liquid 

 and transparent, as indicated by the dark color. 



These samples, as well as those of soft and firm, had been held in 

 an ice box at a temperature of 10° C, were removed and placed in a 



