Journeying West Before 1840

DECEMBER.



Now is the principal Season for killing of Hogs, as well for Pork as for

Bacon, and likewise for Brawn. I have already in my other Works given

Directions for making of pickled Pork and Bacon; so that I shall say little

of it in this place, but give the Receipts for ordering some particular

parts of Hogs. The following Receipt I received from _France,_ concerning

the preparing of the Jole of a wild Boar, and have had it try'd in

_England_ with the Head of a common Hog; and I find little difference,

especially if the Hog has been fed with Acorns.







To dress a Hog's Head, in imitation of the Jole of a wild Boar.



Take a Hog's Head and burn it well all over upon a clear Fire, till all the

Hair is burnt to the Skin; then take a piece of Brick, and rub the Head all

over as hard as possible, to grind off the Stumps of the Bristles, and

finish the whole with your Knife, and then clean the Head very well; when

this is done, you must take out all the Bones, opening the Head in the

under Part, and beginning with the under Jaw-Bones and the Muzzle; then

cleave the Head, leaving only the Skin over the Skull to hold it together:

take out the Tongue and the Brains. When thus you have taken away all the

Bones, stab the Flesh with the Point of your Knife in many places on the

inside, without wounding the Skin, and put Salt into every Incision, then

join the Head together, and tie it well together with Packthread, and then

wrapping it up in a Napkin, put it in a Kettle, with a large Quantity of

Water, a large Bunch of all kinds of sweet Herbs, a little Coriander and

Anise-Seeds, two or three Bay Leaves, some Cloves, and two or three Nutmegs

cut in pieces, and some Salt, if you think there is any wanting; add

likewise two or three large Onions and a Sprig or two of Rosemary. When

this has boiled half enough, pour in a Bottle of Wine, and let it boil

three or four Hours longer till 'tis tender; for it will not be so under

seven or eight Hours boiling, if the Hog be large; and if it is a Boar's

Head, that has been put up for Brawn, it will take more time to boil. Being

boiled enough, let it cool in the Liquor, and then take it out and untie

it, and lay it in a Dish to be carry'd cold to the Table, either whole or

in Slices. If you will, you may salt it three or four days before you boil

it.







To make Sausages, from Lady _M._



Take the Flesh of a Leg of Pork, and mince it small, and to every Pound of

the Flesh minced, mince about a quarter of a Pound of the hard Fat of the

Hog; then beat some _Jamaica_ Pepper very fine, and mix with it some Pepper

and Salt, with a little Sweet-Marjoram powder'd, and some Leaves of red

Sage minced very small; mix all these very well, and if you fill them into

Guts, either of Hogs or Sheep, beat two or three Yolks of Eggs and mix with

them, taking care not to fill the Guts too full, lest they burst when you

broil or fry them: but if you design them to be eaten without putting them

in Guts, then put no Eggs to them, but beat the Flesh and the Fat in a

Stone Mortar, and work the Spice and Herbs well into it with your hands, so

that it be well mix'd, and keep it in a Mass to use at your pleasure,

breaking off Pieces, and rolling them in your hands, and then flowering

them well before you fry them. If you use them in Guts, take special care

that the Guts are well clean'd, and lie some time in a little warm

White-wine and Spice before you use them; if any Herb happens to be

disagreeable in this Mixture, it may be left out, or others added at

pleasure.



The following Receipt to make Sausages of Fish for Fast-Days, I had at

_Bruxelles_, which I have experienced to be very good.







To make Sausages of Fish.



Take the Flesh of Eels, or of Tench, and to either of these put some of the

Flesh of fresh Cod, or of Pike or Jack, chop these well together with

Parsley, and a few small Onions; season these with a little Salt, Pepper,

Cloves in Powder, a little grated Nutmeg, and, if you will, a little

powder'd Ginger, with some Thyme, Sweet-Marjoram, a little Bay-Leaf, all

dry'd and powder'd; and mix all these well together with a little Butter.



Then beat the Bones of the Fish in a Mortar, pouring in among them while

they are beating, a Glass or two of Claret, which must afterwards be poured

upon the above Mixture; then take the Guts of a Calf well wash'd and

clear'd of the Fat, for in that condition I find there is no scruple to use

them abroad: being well discharged of the Fat, fill these Skins with your

Mixture of Fish, _&c._ tying them at both ends, and lay them for twenty

four Hours in a Pickle of Wine and Salt, and taking them out from thence,

hang them in a Chimney where they may be well smoak'd with a Wood-Fire, or

burning Saw-dust for twenty-four hours, or longer if you please, provided

you have allow'd Salt and Spices enough. When you would use them, boil them

gently in White-wine, with a Bunch of Sweet Herbs; or in Water, with one

third part White-wine, and Sweet-Herbs. These are served cold at the Table,

and eat very well.



The Boars that were put up for Brawn, are now fit to kill. It is to be

observ'd, that what is used for Brawn, is the Flitches only, without the

Legs, and they must have the Bones taken out, and then sprinkled with Salt,

and lay'd in a Tray, or some other thing, to drain off the Blood; when this

is done, salt it a little, and roll it up as hard as possible, so that the

length of the Collar of Brawn be as much as one side of the Boar will bear,

and to be, when it is rolled up, about nine or ten Inches diameter. When

you have rolled up your Collar as close as you can, tye it with Linnen

Tape, as tight as possible, and then prepare a Cauldron with a large

Quantity of Water to boil it: In this boil your Brawn till it is tender

enough for a Straw to pass into it, and then let it cool; and when it is

quite cold, put it in the following Pickle. Put to every Gallon of Water a

handful or two of Salt, and as much Wheat-Bran; boil them well together,

and then strain the Liquor as clear as you can from the Brawn, and let it

stand till it is quite cold, at which time put your Brawn in it; but this

Pickle must be renewed every three Weeks. Some put half small Beer and half

Water; but then the small Beer should be brewed with pale Malt: but I think

the first Pickle is the best. _Note,_ The same Boar's Head being well

cleaned, may be boiled and pickled like the Brawn, and is as much esteem'd.



This is a good Season to make what they call Hung-Beef: The way of doing

it, is, to take the thin Pieces of the Beef, and salting them with

Salt-Petre about two Ounces to a Pound of common Salt, and rubbing it well

into the Meat, dry it in a Chimney with Wood Smoke. When this is throughly

cured, it will be red quite through, which one may try by cutting; for if

there is any of the Flesh green, it is not smoked enough. It is, in my

opinion, better than any Bacon to be boiled and eaten hot.



This is what I shall say, concerning the use of such things as are

generally found about a Gentleman's Country-Seat, or about a Farm, which I

think will be very useful, tho' a little out of the common Road; and so I

shall make no Apology for publishing such Receipts as I am sure are good.

If I do not use proper Terms in some of my Receipts in Cookery, I have at

least put my Receipts into such a Method, as I suppose will make them

intelligible, and what any one may understand: But I must take notice

before I conclude, that the meaning of publishing this, is to instruct

those who may not have had opportunity of observing or collecting so much

as I have done, and not any way pretending to inform those who are full

enough of Knowledge already. However, I hope my Readers will be contented

with what I have here given them, and meet with something that is New and

Useful.

Posted by: Mrs. Stone / 8:18 AM