CURING BACON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1295, 22 July 1886, Page 3

CURING BACON.

According to the Wiltshire mode of making bacon, there is much to be done between the killing of the hog and laying the sides in wooden troughs, and much again afterwards. In the first place, after killing the hog, it must hang at least twenty-four hours to stiffen. It musi then be cut np into two neat hams and two sides or flitches. The backbone must be taken ont by first sawing down the middle, and then across the end of the ribs, holding the knife or saw, for both are used, at an angle of 45 degrees. The ribs can be taken out or left in, as preferred. The hams must be neatly ronnded and trimmed, and the whole four pieces must be well sprinkled with salt, and allowed to lie twenty four hours to let the blood run out. Then mix the following ingredients * — coarse sngar, bay salt, 6ozs. saltpetre pounded, 11b common Balt. Lay one of the flitches on a stone table or floor where the brine can ran off, and rub a quarter of the mixture well into it; lay the second flitch on the top, and proceed in the same way ; lastly, the bam, taking care in every ease, to lay the inside np, and have plenty of mixture sprinkled over. It should lie thus for a month, turning It every other day, potting the top flitch to the bottom, and adding a little fresh salt if mnch briuhas ran off. It should then be hung in the smoke of a wood fire for about ten days. The Dumfriesshire method is to use salt and saltpetre only—the latter to give a color to the meat and be’p the Balt to penetrate—putting on fresh salt as the brine rnns off ; letting It He for a month or six weeks, turning it or ce or twice during that time, aod drying it in a gentle heat