Excellent Bacon.
When the hog is divided, if a large one, the chine should be cut out. The bacon will be preserved from being rusty, if the spareribs are left in. Salt the bacon six days; then drain it from the first pickle. Mix as much salt as you judge proper with eight ounces of bay salt, four ounces of saltpetre, and one pound of coarse sugar, to each hog, the hams being first cut off. Rub the salts well in, and turn it every day for a month. Drain, and smoke a few days; or dry without, by hanging in the kitchen, not near the fire.
Mutton. The Haunch.
Keep as long as it can be preserved sweet, by the different modes of keeping. Let it be washed with warm milk and water, or vinegar, if necessary; but soak off the flavour from keeping. Put a coarse paste on strong paper, and fold the haunch in: set it at a great distance from the fire, and allow proportionable time for the paste, which do not remove till about thirty five or forty minutes before serving; then baste it perpetually. You will have brought the haunch nearer to the fire before you take off the paste, and must froth it up as you would venison.
A gravy must be made of a pound and a half of loin of old mutton, simmered in a pint of water to half, and no seasoning but salt. Brown it with a little burnt sugar, and send it up in the dish: but there should be much gravy in the meat; for though long at the fire, the distance and covering will prevent its being done dry.
70Serve with currantjelly sauce.
Legs roasted, and onion or currantjelly sauce: or, boiled, with caper sauce and vegetables.
Necks are particularly useful, as so many dishes may be made of them; but they are not advantageous for the family. The bones should be cut short; which the butchers will not do unless particularly desired.
Note. When there is more fat to a neck or loin of mutton than is agreeable to eat with the lean, it makes an uncommonly good suet pudding, or crust for a meatpie, being cut very fine.
The best end of the neck boiled, and served with turnips: or roasted: or in steaks, in pies, or harrico.
The scrag stewed in broth, or with a small quantity of water, some small onions, a few peppercorns and a little rice, and served together.