Cookery for every household

Take a salted pig’s head, wash it well in cold water, and put it with the tongue into a large saucepan with cold water to cover it. Bring slowly to the boil, skim well, and then simmer slowly for 2 hours. If liked, an onion stuck with cloves, a bunch of herbs, and a few pieces of carrot and turnip may be cooked with the head to give flavour. When the head and tongue have cooked the required time, lift them out and let them cool slightly. Skin the tongue and cut it in slices. Bone the head and spread out the two halves on a board. Season with pepper, salt (if necessary), grated lemon rind, and a little grated nutmeg. Lay the slices of tongue on the top of one of the pieces of head, and place the second piece on the top with any scraps inside. Try to make this sandwich of equal thickness by placing the thick part of one cheek over the thin part of the other. Wben all is tidily arranged, tie it up firmly in a cloth like a little roly-poly, and cook again in the same saucepan for another 2 hours, then press the roll between two dishes or boards until cold. Remove the cloth and cut in slices as required. 996. Pig’s Kidneys, Broiled Prepare and cook in the same way as sheep’s kidneys (Recipe 924), allowing rather longer time. The kidneys may be sprinkled with a little powdered sage. 997. Pigs* Tongues, To Cook (Langues de Pore) Prepare and cook in the same way as sheep’s tongues (see Recipes 933 to 935). 998. Pork Sausages, To Make (Saucisses) 1 lb. lean pork. 4 lb. fat pork. I lb. white breadcrumbs. 4 tea-sp. powdered sage. Salt. Pepper. J tea-sp. grated nutmeg. | tea-sp. powdered mace. Sausage skins. To Prepare the Skins. — As a rule sausage skins can be bought ready prepared from the butcher, in which case they will only require thorough washing and drying before being ready for use. If the skins have to be cleaned at home, wash them first in salt and water, then scrape them with the back of a knife and wash them again. After this preliminary washing, allow the skins to soak for several days in salt and water, and then wash and scrape them again. Finally rinse them in fresh water, and let the water from the tap run through them until they smell quite sweet and fresh. Dry and they are ready for use. To Make the Mixture. — Remove all skin and gristle from the meat, cut it in pieces, and put it through a very clean mincing machine. Add to it the bread-crumbs, sage, and spice, and season to taste with pepper and salt. Mix the ingredients well together with the hand and then fill the skins. To Fill the Skins. — The easiest way to do this is to tie one end of the skin on to a mincer that has a filler spout, and to put the finished mixture through the machine, filling the skin gradually. Do not fill the skin too full or it will burst, and at regular intervals give it a twist so as to divide off the sausages. If the mincing machine is not suitable for this arrangement, the skins must be filled with a small spoon and the mixture worked down with the fingers. Note. — The mixture for filling may be varied very much to suit individual taste. Veal is very often used along with the pork, and finely minced suet sometimes takes the place of some of the fat of the pork. The spices can also be varied, and mixed herbs finely powdered, and grated lemon rind may be added if desired.