The American Pictorial Home Book
or Housekeeper's Encyclopedia - online book

A reference manual of household management in Victorian times.

Home Main Menu Order Support About Search



Share page  


Previous Contents Next

PORK AND BACON.
Ill
A Valuable Suggestion.—Cut ham or salt pork in slices for frying or broiling, put to soak over night in equal proportions of sweet or sour milk and water, for breakfast, and several hours before any other meal.
To Sweeten Salt Pork.—Cut as many slices as will be re­quired for breakfast the evening previous and soak till morning in sweet milk and water, then rinse clean in clear water and fry. The pork will be found nearly as good as when fresh.
To Bake a Ham.—Many people think a ham is never so thor­oughly well cooked as in the oven. It should first lie in cold water for 12 hours, then in warm milk and water for 6 hours. Cover it en­tirely with a coarse paste or put it into an oiled paper bag, so that .none of the gravy may escape, and place it on a baking dish and bake it in a well heated oven for 4 or 5 hours, according to size ; when taken from the oven remove the paste or bag and the skin. Brush it over with white of egg, cover it with raspings of bread, and brown for a few minutes before the fire or stove.
Baked Ham—(Mrs. Denny, San Jose, Cal)—Wash your ham clean, wipe it dry, then boil it for 2 hours in clear water, then take off, carefully remove the skin, then put it into a clean oven; mix together 1 pound each of nice sugar and finely powdered bread crumbs and put them evenly over the ham and bake a nice brown. It is just as nice as can be. The ham should be new and sweet. Begin at the hock bone to cut.
Toast Ham.—Chop some lean ham, put in a pan with a little pepper, a lump of butter and 2 eggs beaten. When beaten thor­oughly, spread it on buttered toasts and serve hot.
To Roast a Ham.—Trim the ham and soak it for 24 hours to re­move the salt, then put it into a deep earthen pan with 3 onions and 3 carrots sliced, and 1-2 ounce of black pepper. Pour over a bot­tle of light French wine, cover it closely up, and let it remain in this marinade 24 hours, then roast {it before the fire, basting it with the marinade. It will require from 4 to 5 hours to be well cooked. Skin it and braise the ham over, and in the meantime reduce the marinade and gravy over the fire to a sauce and pour it around the ham when served. It may be eaten hot or cold; excellent when cold for lunch.
Stuffed Ham.—After boiling the ham skin it, and have ready a dressing made of corn meal muffins or grated biscuits, add 1 moderate sized onion chopped very fine, 2 leaves of sage, pepper, sugar and salt to taste, a few celey sticks ; with a large knife make incisions all over the ham and press the dressing in.—Mrs. Rogers.
Roast Ham.—Soak 3, ham in tepid water the night before you