At any time, especially in the warm weather, that the brine shows signs of fermentation or becomes ropy, it should be drained off, boiled, strained through a clean cloth, cooled and poured back on the meat. Scald the barrel or jar and wash the meat before the brine is poured back. Keep the meat in a cool, dark place. It will be ready for use after standing in the brine one month. If kept 2 months, soaking the meat before cooking it will be necessary to remove some of the salt. The parts of the beef usually selected for this purpose are plate, rump, cross ribs and brisket. Best results are obtained by removing the bone be- fore putting the meat in the brine. Dried Beef Use the round for this purpose. To 50 pounds of cooled meat, weigh out 3 pounds of salt, II/2 pounds of brown sugar and 1 ounce of saltpeter.✪ Corned Beef Mix these ingredients and divide into three portions. Rub one portion on the meat and place it in an earthenware jar. Let stand 3 days, then take the meat from the jar J but leave the syrup formed during the curing in it, rub the second portion of the mixture on the meat, return it to the jar and let stand 3 more days. Then take out the meat and rub the third portion on it and put back in the jar with the syrup. After standing 3 days, hang it up in the smokehouse. Smoke until dry and then keep in a dry place. Vienna Sausage Grind very fine 4 pounds of lean beef and 2 pounds of fat pork. Sprinkle with 1% ounces of salt, I/2 ounce of black pepper and ^ ounce of sage✪ Vienna Sausage. Regrind until very fine. Stuff in cleaned casings of any desired size. Smoke until they take on a rich orange color, then cook in hot, but not boiling, water from 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the sausages. The use of too hot water or too much fire in the smokehouse will cause the sausages to split and be wasted. 216 THE FAEM COOK AND RULE BOOK Smoking Meat After meat has been in the brine or pickle long enough, it is removed, soaked in lukewarm water 20 minutes and then washed in fresh lukewarm water. The pieces are then strung with heavy twine and hung in the smokehouse so that no two pieces touch. Allow to dry 24 hours. Then smoke, beginning with a very low fire. The fire should make as little heat and as much smoke as possible. Too hot a fire dries the outside of the meat and prevents the smoke from penetrating it. Any hard wood may be used for smoking meat, although hickory smothered in sawdust is a favorite. Maple is also satis- factory and when wood cannot be obtained, corncobs are an excellent substitute. Length of Time to Smoke Meat is smoked until it is of an even light or medium brown color. The shortest time meat is smoked is 2 days, but the flavor is usually much better if smoked slowly a much longer time. If meat is frozen, it should be thawed out before being smoked. In warm weather the fire should be allowed to die out every other day until the meat is smoked. This keeps the tem- perature from becoming too high. When the meat is of the right color, the door and ventilators of the smokehouse are opened. The meat is left hanging until it is cool. It is then wrapped in heavy newspapers and sewed up in stout muslin bags. Wash for Keeping Meat

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At any time, especially in the warm weather, that the brine shows signs of fermentation or becomes ropy, it should be drained off, boiled, strained through a clean cloth, cooled and poured back on the meat. Scald the barrel or jar and wash the meat before the brine is poured back. Keep the meat in a cool, dark place. It will be ready for use after standing in the brine one month. If kept 2 months, soaking the meat before cooking it will be necessary to remove some of the salt. The parts of the beef usually selected for this purpose are plate, rump, cross ribs and brisket. Best results are obtained by removing the bone be- fore putting the meat in the brine. Dried Beef Use the round for this purpose. To 50 pounds of cooled meat, weigh out 3 pounds of salt, II/2 pounds of brown sugar and 1 ounce of saltpeter. Mix these ingredients and divide into three portions. Rub one portion on the meat and place it in an earthenware jar. Let stand 3 days, then take the meat from the jar J but leave the syrup formed during the curing in it, rub the second portion of the mixture on the meat, return it to the jar and let stand 3 more days. Then take out the meat and rub the third portion on it and put back in the jar with the syrup. After standing 3 days, hang it up in the smokehouse. Smoke until dry and then keep in a dry place. Vienna Sausage Grind very fine 4 pounds of lean beef and 2 pounds of fat pork. Sprinkle with 1% ounces of salt, I/2 ounce of black pepper and ^ ounce of sage. Regrind until very fine. Stuff in cleaned casings of any desired size. Smoke until they take on a rich orange color, then cook in hot, but not boiling, water from 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the sausages. The use of too hot water or too much fire in the smokehouse will cause the sausages to split and be wasted. 216 THE FAEM COOK AND RULE BOOK Smoking Meat After meat has been in the brine or pickle long enough, it is removed, soaked in lukewarm water 20 minutes and then washed in fresh lukewarm water. The pieces are then strung with heavy twine and hung in the smokehouse so that no two pieces touch. Allow to dry 24 hours. Then smoke, beginning with a very low fire. The fire should make as little heat and as much smoke as possible. Too hot a fire dries the outside of the meat and prevents the smoke from penetrating it. Any hard wood may be used for smoking meat, although hickory smothered in sawdust is a favorite. Maple is also satis- factory and when wood cannot be obtained, corncobs are an excellent substitute. Length of Time to Smoke Meat is smoked until it is of an even light or medium brown color. The shortest time meat is smoked is 2 days, but the flavor is usually much better if smoked slowly a much longer time. If meat is frozen, it should be thawed out before being smoked. In warm weather the fire should be allowed to die out every other day until the meat is smoked. This keeps the tem- perature from becoming too high. When the meat is of the right color, the door and ventilators of the smokehouse are opened. The meat is left hanging until it is cool. It is then wrapped in heavy newspapers and sewed up in stout muslin bags. Wash for Keeping Meat

The farm cook & rule book