CHAPTER XIII. PORC (PORK). The fat parts of a pig, the fillets, and cutlets ought to be white, and the rest of a light red. When you choose a pig, try to get one with small bones and fine skin; it is a proof that the breed is good, and the flesh will be more tender. I am going to give receipts concerning fresh pork and salted ham: the receipts for curing ham, making sausages, &c. will be found in the chapter on provisions. 262. Porc frais rôti (Roasted Pork). The best piece for roasting is that which is to be found under the ribs, or the ribs themselves. Previous to roasting, the piece should be slightly salted and put in a dry place for a few days: not in a cellar, where it would be almost sure to get tainted, a taste impossible to remove. A roast of pork, to be really good, must be perfectly done, and will require, at least, two hours roasting at a moderate fire. When ready, serve with a sauce piquante (No. 54, page 29), to which you add the gravy, having previously removed the extra quantity of fat. Some people sprinkle two table-spoonfuls of vinegar upon the piece of pork two days before roasting it; it generally becomes more tender after this process. The remains of this roast may be served cold with a mayonnaise (No. 61, page 31), or warm in a tomatosauce (No. 56, page 29), or with a sauce robert (No. 44, page 25). 263. Filet de porc à la bolonaise. Put the fillet or the ribs in a pot, and cover it over with vinegar and sage-leaves; add four cloves, the rind of a lemon, salt and pepper, and let it remain so for two days; then put it in a pan with half of the vinegar, two tumblers of water or broth, two large onions and four carrots cut in slices. Put it over a brisk fire and let it boil quickly for five minutes; skim it, and cover the fire to let the pork boil slowly for three hours. Take it out of the pan, put the carrots around it, and keep it warm whilst the sauce boils quickly to evaporate; when it is thickish pour it upon the pork. 264. Côtelettes de porc frais à la minute (Cutlets). Put a little lard in a frying-pan over a quick fire, when it is very hot put the cutlets in it, and let them take colour; turn them on the other side, and when they are of a light brown pour a tumbler of water upon them. Reduce the fire; salt and pepper the cutlets, and let them boil rather fast until they are done; then add some gherkins cut in slices, and a tablespoonful of vinegar, and serve. A quarter of an hour is sufficient. 265. Côtelettes de porc en papillotes (Another way). Beat the cutlets and flatten them with a roller, cut off the fat, and dip them in melted lard, roll them in bread-crumbs, and sprinkle upon them a little grated nutmeg and chopped parsley. Tie them in a piece of well-buttered paper, and set them either on the gridiron over a very slow fire, or in a moderate oven. When they are sufficiently done (half an hour is sufficient), take the papers off, and serve the cutlets either with a tomato-sauce (No. 56, page 29), or a sauce piquante (No. 54, page 29). 266. Côtelettes de porc braisées (Another way). Beat the cutlets, and rub them over with flour, have some melted butter or lard on a quick fire; put the cutlets into it, and let them take colour on both sides. Salt and pepper them, add two wine-glasses of water; a bay-leaf, thyme, and parsley tied together; and reduce the fire. Cover the pan, and put some red charcoal on the top. Let the cutlets simmer slowly for an hour. Take the parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf out of the pan, and put in their stead two chopped shalots and two gherkins; let them boil for two minutes, and serve. 267. Côtelettes de porc aux truffes (Cutlets with Truffles). Proceed as above, only do not put any thyme with the cutlets; and use white Burgundy or Bordeaux wine instead of water. When the cutlets are done, chop coarsely four or five truffles and let them boil for five minutes in the sauce, instead of shalots and gherkins. 268. Épaule de porc à la marinière (Roasted Put a shoulder of pork for two days into salted water; take it out and put it for other two days in red Burgundy wine of good quality, such as Beaune (two bottles are required). Put in the wine some. cayenne pepper, four sage-leaves, eight cloves, a bayleaf and thyme. On the fifth day take the shoulder out of the wine and wipe it carefully; make about six incisions in it with a sharp knife, and insert a little garlic in each; then roll it in a sheet of well-buttered paper, and roast it at a moderate fire. When it is done, and still before the fire, take the paper and the skin off and sprinkle some bread-crumbs upon it several times over, so as to form a sort of crust; roasting it, of course, all the time. It may be used. instead of ham. 269. Fambon au naturel (Boiled Ham). Before boiling a ham it is a good precaution to thrust into it a knitting-needle, and put it upon the tongue to ascertain to what degree the ham is salted, and how long it will have to remain in fresh water; some require a day, others two or three. All the yellowish parts must be cut off, for they would spoil the whole of the ham. When you take it out of the water wipe it carefully, and fasten it up in a clean towel. Put it in a large pot with two large onions, four carrots, ten cloves, a bunch of parsley, a little garlic, some cayenne pepper, a branch of thyme, and six bay-leaves; fill up the pot with cold water. Let the ham boil for five, six, or eight hours, according to its size, and take it out of the pot. Undo the towel and take the middle bone out of the ham whilst it is hot; then put the ham back again in the towel, and in fastening it very tight give it a good shape, and let it cool. The day after sprinkle some bread-crumbs upon it, and put some paper, nicely cut out, around the top bone. 270. Fambon à la Bourguignonne (Another way). Proceed as above, only when you put the ham into the pot use less water, and fill up with a bottle of Meursault, or other white Burgundy wine. When it is done, take it out of the towel, and remove all the bones. Lay the ham at the bottom of a round deep dish; lift up the skin without breaking it, and put upon the fat, on all the surface, some chopped parsley soaked in vinegar; it should be about half an inch. thick. Put the skin back upon the parsley, which is now placed between the fat and the skin. Cover the ham with a dish rather smaller than the first-so as to fit the inside of it—and put a good weight upon it to press heavily upon the ham. Take it out the day after; it will have a nice shape, a delicious taste, and will look very pretty with its green edge of parsley when cut in slices. There is another way of boiling ham, but it is very extravagant; it consists in replacing the white wine |