To roast a PIG

The Experienced English Housekeeper · Elizabeth Raffald · 1784
Source
The Experienced English Housekeeper
Status
success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (9)
Instructions (21)
  1. Stick your pig just above the breast-bone, run your knife to the heart.
  2. When it is dead put it in cold water for a few minutes.
  3. Rub it over with a little resin beat exceeding fine, or its own blood.
  4. Put your pig into a pail of scalding water half a minute.
  5. Take it out, lay it on a clean table, pull off the hair as quick as possible.
  6. If it does not come clean off put it in again.
  7. When you have got it all clean off wash it in warm water, then in two or three cold waters, for fear the resin should taste.
  8. Take off the four feet at the first joint.
  9. Make a slit down the belly, take out all the entrails.
  10. Put the liver, heart, and lights to the pettitoes.
  11. Wash it well out of cold water, dry it exceedingly well with a cloth, hang it up.
  12. When you roast it, put in a little shred sage, a tea-spoonful of black pepper, two of salt, and a crust of brown bread.
  13. Spit your pig, and sew it up.
  14. Lay it down to a brisk clear fire, with a pig plate hung in the middle of the fire.
  15. When your pig is warm, put a lump of butter in a cloth, rub your pig often with it while it is roasting.
  16. A large one will take an hour and a half.
  17. When your pig is a fine brown, and the steam draws near the fire, take a clean cloth, rub your pig quite dry, then rub it well with a little cold butter, it will help to crisp it.
  18. Then take a sharp knife, cut off the head, and take off the collar.
  19. Then take off the ears and jaw-bone, split the jaw in two.
  20. When you have cut the pig down the back, which must be done before you draw the spit out, then lay your pig back to back on your dish, and the jaw on each side, the ears on each shoulder, and the collar at the shoulder, and pour in your sauce, and serve it up.
  21. Garnish with a crust of brown bread grated.
Original Text
To roast a PIG. STICK your pig just above the breast-bone, run your knife to the heart, when it is dead put it in cold water for a few minutes, then rub it over with a little resin beat exceeding fine, or its own blood, put your pig into a pail of scalding water half a minute, take it out, lay it on a clean table, pull off the hair as quick as possible, if it does not come clean off put it in again, when you have got it all clean off wash it in warm water, then in two or three cold waters, for fear the resin should taste; take off the four feet at the first joint, make a slit down the belly, take out all the entrails, put the liver, heart, and lights to the pettitoes, wash it well out of cold water, dry it exceedingly well with a cloth, hang it up, and when you roast it, put in a little shred sage, a tea-spoonful of black pepper, two of salt, and a crust of brown bread, spit your pig, and sew it up, lay it down to a brisk clear fire, with a pig plate hung in the middle of the fire; when your pig is warm, put a lump of butter in a cloth, rub your pig often with it while it is roasting; a large one will take an hour and a half: when your pig is a fine brown, and the steam draws near the fire, take a clean cloth, rub your pig quite dry, then rub it well with a little cold butter, it will help to crisp it; then take a sharp knife, cut off the head, and take off the collar, then take off the ears and jaw-bone, split the jaw in two, when you have cut the pig down the back, which must be done before you draw the spit out, then lay your pig back to back on your dish, and the jaw on each side, the ears on each shoulder, and the collar at the shoulder, and pour in your sauce, and serve it up—garnish with a crust of brown bread grated.
Notes
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