Meat Curing Made Easy

Citation preview

MEAT CURING made

SAUSAGE

east/

MAKING

AND MANY U S E S FOR MORTON'S M O R T O N

S A L T

C O M P A N Y

CHICAGO, U. S. A.

SAi.T

CURE 1 1

3 §

S A L T S U G A R

CURE

S M O K E

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THIS ONE PRODUCT D O E S T H E ENTIRE J O B W H I L E T H E M E A T IS I N T H E C U R E Yes Sir!—Morton's SMOKE-SALT does the entire job of SALTING, SUGAR-CURING, and putting the appetizing flavor of wood SMOKE into your hams and bacon. It does all three at the same time — SALT, SUGAR-CURE, and SMOKE. That is what we mean when we say "Triple Action Cure." Morton's SMOKE-SALT is the blending together into one convenient product of the highest grade Meat Salt, a marvelously balanced Sugar-Cure and refined, condensed Wood Smoke, so that the whole job is done while the meat is in the cure. This "Triple Action Cure" is the modern method used by modern farmers from coast to coast because it is so much easier, quicker and better. Besides, it adds a richer, finer flavor to the meat and improves its keeping quality. Everybody wants the sweetest, juiciest home cured hams and bacon for their table. Farmers everywhere are fast coming to realize that after raising good hogs and feeding them to proper butchering condition, it is false economy not to turn out the finest quality of meat possible to produce. If you use Morton's SMOKE-SALT in curing your meat, you will never go back to the old methods again. When you use this "Triple Action Cure," you not only save work and get better flavored meats, but you also have a safer cure. Morton's SMOKE-SALT strikes into the meat quicker,- it penetrates to the bone faster,- and gives extra protection against unfavorable weather conditions. That is the added advantage of Morton's "Triple Action." Retail dealers everywhere sell Morton's SMOKE-SALT. Remember this: If you want triple satisfaction—insist on MORTON'S—it's

IT

t h e "Triple

C U R E S

Action

A N D

Cure."

S M O K E S

A L L

IN

O N E

O P E R A T I O N

Be sure to READ this page FIRST T

H E aim of this book is to be of real, practical help to every family that now butchers and cures meat at home. It will also be a big help to those who do not butcher their own meat, but who would like to begin this thrifty practice. Even though you have never butchered before, you can, with this book as your guide, do your own butchering, trimming and curing, just as successfully as those who have had years of experience. Every important step in butchering, trimming, and curing is explained on the following pages. By the use of actual pictures and in easy-to-understand language, we have endeavored to cover the whole process of home butchering and curing in complete detail. Morton's Sugar-Curing SMOKE-SALT and Morton's Sausage Seasoning are two products that have made home meat curing and sausage making easier and simpler. They insure the finest flavored meats and sausage and eliminate a great deal of labor and guesswork.

T h e Most Modern Methods of butchering, dressing and trimming the various cuts are fully explained on. . . .pages

4 to 18

Instructions for C u r i n g your meat with Morton's SMOKE-SALT are on pages 19 to 22 Morton 4 s N e w Meat C u r i n g Thermometer is explained and offered on pages 24 to 25 H o w to M a k e S a u s a g e with Morton's Sausage Seasoning is pictured and explained on pages 28 to 29 New Recipes for M a k i n g everyday foods taste better with Morton's Ail-Purpose Seasoning are given on. .pages 30 to 31 H o w to M a k e Head Cheese, Pickled Pigs' Feet, Corned Beef, Cured Tongue and other home made meat products is explained on pages 34 to 35 M a n y H e l p f u l and MONEY-SAVING USES for Morton's Salt both on the farm and in the home will be found on pages 36 to 40

Don't

Miss—

reading all about M o r t o n New MEAT CURING THERMOMETER (patents pending). If is the greatest invenlion ever developed to help fahe the guesswork out of h o m e meat curing, and every farm h o m e s h o u l d have o n e . If is offered to a l l users* o f M o r t o n ' s S M O K E - S A L T at a special B a r g a i n Price.

See Pages 24 antf 2$« COPYRIGHT, 1 9 3 4 , BY T H E MORTON SALT CO.

WHY? Do M o r e P e o p l e

Use

MORTON'S SMOKE-SALT

Than A n y Other

Kind?

I

F Y O U could talk with f a r m folks in every state in the Union— if you could visit with retail m e r c h a n t s in cities, towns, a n d villages all over this c o u n t r y — y o u would find out for yourself t h a t t h e m a j o r i t y of f a r m e r s when buying Smoke Salt almost invariably insist on Morton's Smoke-Salt—and will not be satisfied with any other kind.

You know how impossible it would be for us to influence t h e great m a j o r i t y of American f a r m e r s to show such a decided preference for Morton's Smoke-Salt, unless there were some mighty good reasons for it. T h e m a n y , m a n y t h o u s a n d s of families who use M o r t o n ' s Smoke-Salt—and keep on using it year a f t e r y e a r — a r e t h e ones who w a n t Q U A L I T Y meat. T h e y know t h a t it takes a Q U A L I T Y p r o d u c t to produce Q U A L I T Y meat. T h e M o r t o n Salt C o m p a n y has been in business for over 80 years a n d has built a nation-wide r e p u t a t i o n for dependable products of honest value. I t has never been t h e aim to see how cheaply M o r t o n ' s Smoke-Salt could be produced—or how cheaply it could be p a c k a g e d — b u t always how G O O D it could be made to do t h e job it is intended for. T h a t is why this quality

product has shown such a large increase in use among f a r m families each year for t h e past several years. T h e kind of Smoke-Salt you use is mighty i m p o r t a n t to you and to everyone who cures meat. T h e quality of t h e m e a t you t u r n out for your table depends a lot on t h e Q U A L I T Y of the salt. N o m a t t e r where you live, you can get Morton's Smoke Salt. Good dealers everywhere sell it a n d if yours, by chance, hasn't got it, he can get it for you quickly. D o n ' t merely ask for " S m o k e S a l t . " Ask for Morton's Smoke-Salt—the kind t h a t is used by more farmers t h a n a n y other b r a n d because they know it produces Q U A L I T Y meat. M a n y experienced "old t i m e r s " who have been curing meat twenty-five a n d t h i r t y years h a v e written saying t h e y did not realize there could be such a big difference in m e a t curing until they had used Morton's Sugar-Curing Smoke Salt. So when you go to buy Smoke Salt don't let anyone tell you t h e y have another kind which is "just the same thing—but cheaperIt doesn't pay to t a k e chances. I t means a lot to get a quality p r o d u c t — cleanly packaged—fresh and full strength. And t h a t is exactly what you will get if you insist on Morton's Smoke-Salt.

Note: This book is an example of the Morton Salt Company's interest in helping farm families everywhere make their home butchering and home meat curing easier, safer, and more successful. Over 5 million books similar to this one have been published during the past few years and distributed free of charge. W e want to thank the many thousands of people who have written us expressing their appreciation for the help and service our book has given them. If you have friends or neighbors who you believe would like to have a copy of this book, just send us their names and addresses, and we will gladly mail each pf them a c o p y , free and postpaid.

MORTON SALT COMPANY Smoke Salt Dept.

T H E FINEST F L A V O R E D M E A T E V E R B R O U G H T T O Y O U R

Chicago, III.

TABLE

MEAT CURING MADE E A S Y

H

OME butchering, curing and canning of pork is in the ascendancy again— more farmers join the ranks each season. Today most farmers are doing their own butchering. The place of the hog on the iVmerican farm is being restored to its proper importance. The past tendency of many farmers to sell all their pork at stockyard prices and buy it back at retail prices is rapidly changing. Such a practice is too expensive. No small part of the influence that has swept in the present era of home butchering has come from the helpful work of state agricultural colleges—and the practical demonstration work conducted by professors of agricultural high schools and county farm agents. Home demonstrators have worked enthusiastically with farm women's clubs to develop new, better, and more appetizing methods of preparing meat for safer keeping over longer periods of time. Everywhere the realization that proper use of the hog on the farm increases the prosperity of the farmer is stimulating the practice of butchering at home.

Morton's Smoke Salt comes into this situation with an important contribution. By eliminating yesterday's tedious and long-drawnout practices through providing a quicker, simpler, easier and safer way to cure and smoke meat—it renders a distinct service to the farmer. By doing the entire job at the same time—it gives to the farmer a more efficient and dependable method with which to realize the advantages and economies that home-killing of meat affords. The following is quoted from the United States Department of Agriculture Farmers' Bulletin No. 1186 and more farm homes are yearly seeing the wisdom of this statement. Every f a r m should produce the pork and pork products w h i c h are consumed on t h a t f a r m . Selling hogs and buying pork involves profits, but n o t for the f a r m e r engaged in the practice. H o m e curing of pork is an old practice. I t nearly w e n t out of style, b u t the style is rapidly b e c o m i n g popular again. H o m e - c u r e d pork, fresh canned pork, sausage, scrapple, head-cheese, pickled pigs' f e e t , and lard afford a variety of products t o supplement the daily meals.

Better Meat is Now a Fact Instead of a Wish on Over One Million Farms.

Better Sausage is Sure and Certain

With Morton's Sausage Seasoning

MODERN METHODS BUTCHERING

N

O longer need the curing and smoking of meat and preserving the surplus cuts be a tedious, long-drawn-out job. With a definite step by step plan of butchering as the following illustrations make possible, and with a modern pressure cooker outfit for safely canning the surplus cuts, and the use of Morton's sugar-curing Smoke Salt for curing and smoking the hams, bacon, shoulders, etc., the whole job can be easily finished in short order. There is no surer way to set a better table and to increase the value of a good many farm dollars than through efficient curing and canning of pork.

pounds is hard to properly cool, cure and keep under normal farm conditions. Finished meat of good quality is the main end that should be sought and meat from the extra heavy hog is always coarse and of inferior quality when compared to meat from medium weight growing hogs. It also costs considerably more to produce each pound of meat in heavy hogs than in ones of medium weight.

Care of Hogs Before Butchering

Equipment A cool, clear day, with your butchering tools all sharp and clean, is the best way to start the job.

Kind of Hogs The best-hbgs for home-butchering are ones weighing from 200 to 250 pounds and eight to ten months old. The heavy 400 to 600 pound hogs or the non-thrift^/young shoat should never be butchered. There are many reasons why meat from hogs weighing 400 to 600

Hogs should be confined in a small pen two or three days prior to being slaughtered and for twenty-four hours before killing should not be given any food, but should have plenty of fresh water. The prevention of spoilage and likewise the foundation of quality meat begins with the live hog. The primary cause of low quality meat and meat spoilage is due to allowing the natural forms of bacteria to develop and multiply. It has been proven that keeping hogs quiet and off feed for a day before butchering will reduce the forms of natural bacteria that are present in the blood and tissues of live hogs. The job of cleaning is also made much easier when the stomach contains the minimum amount of food.

Quality meat of a sweet, rich flavor is always worth a premium. The six important steps in preventing spoilage through bacteria development and in turning out good meat are— (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

Hogs that are quietly handled A thorough bleed Quick and efficient chilling Proper application of the Salt Cleanliness in handling the meat Proper attention when curing.

other one holds the chin down and sticks. The diagram opposite shows the object of a perfect job of sticking. The knife slips under the point of the breast bone and severs the forking vein and artery. The knife movement of the sticking is made downward and forward as shown in outline positions one, two, and three in the diagram. Keep the knife squarely in the center and do not twist, also do not make any effort to stick the heart. Twisting the knife or sticking on either side of a center line results in "shoulder sticks" and a heavy loss in trimming. Sticking too far back toward the heart causes internal bleeding and poor drainage.

Do Not Try To Stick the Heart

Killing Sticking is the best method of killing hogs. If a block and tackle arrangement is handy, loop a chain around one hind leg and draw the hog clear of the ground before sticking. If it is not convenient to swing the hog, then stick on the ground. One man stands straddle of the hog and holds the forefeet while the

Very often when sticking hogs some one will make a special effort to try and stick the heart. This should never be done as in the first place the vein and artery should be severed well in front of the heart to prevent internal bleeding, and second, the heart should be left uninjured in order that it will continue pumping and drain out all blood from the carcass as rapidly as possible. The only time a hog should be shunned or shot before sticking is when, due t