COLLARED PIG'S FACE

The Book of Household Management · Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary) · 1861
Source
The Book of Household Management
Time
Cook: 240 min Total: 240 min
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (20)
For the pig's face
For brine
For forcemeat
For simmering
Instructions (21)
  1. Singe the pig's face carefully.
  2. Bone it without breaking the skin.
  3. Rub the face well with salt.
  4. Make the brine by boiling the brine ingredients for 1/4 hour.
  5. Let the brine stand to cool.
  6. When cold, pour the brine over the head.
  7. Let it steep in the brine for 10 days, turning and rubbing it often.
  8. Then wipe, drain, and dry the face.
  9. For the forcemeat, pound the ham and bacon very finely.
  10. Mix the pounded ham and bacon with the remaining forcemeat ingredients.
  11. Take care that the whole forcemeat mixture is thoroughly incorporated.
  12. Spread the forcemeat equally over the head.
  13. Roll the head tightly in a cloth.
  14. Bind the cloth-wrapped head securely with broad tape.
  15. Put the wrapped head into a saucepan with a few meat trimmings.
  16. Cover the head with stock.
  17. Let it simmer gently for 4 hours, ensuring it does not stop boiling the whole time.
  18. When quite tender, take it up.
  19. Put the cooked face between 2 dishes with a heavy weight on top.
  20. When cold, remove the cloth and tape.
  21. Send it to table on a napkin, or garnished with a piece of deep white paper with a ruche at the top.
Original Text
COLLARED PIG'S FACE (a Breakfast or Luncheon Dish). 823. INGREDIENTS.—1 pig's face; salt. For brine, 1 gallon of spring water, 1 lb. of common salt, 1/2 handful of chopped juniper-berries, 6 bruised cloves, 2 bay-leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, basil, sage, 1/4 oz. of saltpetre. For forcemeat, 1/2 lb. of ham, 1/2 lb. bacon, 1 teaspoonful of mixed spices, pepper to taste, 1/4 lb. of lard, 1 tablespoonful of minced parsley, 6 young onions. [Illustration: PIG'S FACE.] Mode.—Singe the head carefully, bone it without breaking the skin, and rub it well with salt. Make the brine by boiling the above ingredients for 1/4 hour, and letting it stand to cool. When cold, pour it over the head, and let it steep in this for 10 days, turning and rubbing it often. Then wipe, drain, and dry it. For the forcemeat, pound the ham and bacon very finely, and mix with these the remaining ingredients, taking care that the whole is thoroughly incorporated. Spread this equally over the head, roll it tightly in a cloth, and bind it securely with broad tape. Put it into a saucepan with a few meat trimmings, and cover it with stock; let it simmer gently for 4 hours, and be particular that it does not stop boiling the whole time. When quite tender, take it up, put it between 2 dishes with a heavy weight on the top, and when cold, remove the cloth and tape. It should be sent to table on a napkin, or garnished with a piece of deep white paper with a ruche at the top. Time.—4 hours. Average cost, from 2s. to 2s. 6d. Seasonable from October to March. THE WILD AND DOMESTIC HOG.—The domestic hog is the descendant of a race long since banished from this island; and it is remarkable, that while the tamed animal has been and is kept under surveillance, the wild type whence this race sprung, has maintained itself in its ancient freedom, the fierce denizen of the forest, and one of the renowned beasts of the chase. Whatever doubt may exist as to the true origin of the dog, the horse, the ox, and others, or as to whether their original race is yet extant or not, these doubts do not apply to the domestic hog. Its wild source still exists, and is universally recognized: like the wolf, however, it has been expelled from our island; but, like that animal, it still roams through the vast wooded tracts of Europe and Asia.
Notes
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