LARD PRESS
Those butchers who wish to render their Lard scientifically, with the aid of a thermometer, can do so by hanging a thermometer in the Lard and bringing the temperature gradually up to 255 to 260 degrees Fahrenheit, and then turn off the steam or check the fire, as the case may be, and allow the Lard to cook slowly until it is finished.
A butcher can always tell when the Lard has cooked sufficiently by the way the cracklings press out.
After the Lard has all been tried out, skim out all the cracklings, put them into a press and press out all the Lard, adding what is pressed out to that in the kettle.
Now the Lard is ready to be strained through a piece of cheese cloth.
SETTLING TANK
After treating the Lard as directed, with Lard Purifier and water, and after the Lard has been treated enough to make it foam, and the foam has been skimmed off, dip the Lard and water out of the kettle, run it through a piece of cheese cloth into the settling tank. A settling tank is simply a galvanized iron tank with a large faucet at the bottom. The bottom can be made to taper to the center and the faucet placed in the center, so all the water can be drained off, or the bottom can be made flat with the faucet close to the bottom, and the tank can be set slanting, so the water or Lard will all drain out.
After the Lard is in the settling tank, let it settle for one or two hours, according to the size of the tank and quantity of Lard in it. Then drain off all the water and the impurities which have settled to the bottom. After these are drawn off, the Lard is ready to be run into buckets, which should be placed in the ice box to cool.
A better way is to let the Lard settle in the settling tank and, after the water is drawn off, stir the Lard with a large paddle until it is thick and creamy, and then it should be put into buckets. By letting it cool in the settling tank and stirring it until it is thick and creamy, Lard will have a much better appearance when cold than Lard that is run into buckets hot.
After the Lard has been rendered as above, treat as follows: The kettle must not be too full of Lard; it should not be more than three-fourths full when being treated with the Purifier.
Put a thermometer into the Lard to test the temperature. If the temperature of the Lard is below 200 degrees Fahrenheit, add to every 100 lbs. of Lard 3 ounces of B. Heller & Co.’s Lard Purifier, dissolved in one quart of water. For example, if the kettle contains 400 lbs. of rendered Lard, add 12 ounces of Lard Purifier dissolved in one gallon of water.
Should the temperature of the Lard be over 200 degrees F., do not add the Lard Purifier and water, but let the Lard stand for half an hour or so, until the temperature comes below 200 degrees.
If the Lard Purifier and water are added to the Lard when it is as high as 212 degrees F., the water will at once be converted into steam as soon as it gets into the Lard, because water is converted into steam at that temperature. When the Lard Purifier and water are added to Lard that is too hot, the Lard will foam up and boil over; but, when the Lard is below 200 degrees F. and the Lard Purifier and water are added, it will not boil up.
After adding the Lard Purifier and water, take a paddle and stir the Lard thoroughly, so the Lard Purifier is mixed thoroughly with every part of the Lard; then turn on the steam or build up the fire slowly, as the case may be, and heat the Lard up to 212 degrees F. The minute 212 degrees is reached the Lard will begin to foam. When the Lard gets to this point, it should not be left for a moment, because if it gets too hot it will boil over the top of the kettle; but if one stays right with it when it begins to foam, and checks the fire, it will not boil over but will foam a little and most of the impurities will rise to the top of the Lard. Now stop the fire and skim off all the impurities on the top of the Lard and allow the Lard to settle for about two hours, when all the water and the smaller impurities that did not rise to the top will have separated from the Lard and will be at the bottom, and one will be surprised at the amount of impurities that will thus be separated from the Lard.
If the kettle has a faucet at the bottom, draw off the water and the impurities which have settled and then run off the Lard. Should the kettle not have an opening at the bottom, dip out the Lard from the top, being careful not to dip out any of the water which will be at the bottom. When most of the Lard has been taken out, that remaining, which is near the water, can be dipped out together with the water, and put in a bucket or tub and allowed to harden.
The lard will float on the top and when hard can easily be taken off from the top of the water, and should be kept until the next Lard is rendered, when it should be re-melted with the next batch of Lard.
Before running the Lard into buckets, it is always well to run it through a piece of cheese cloth, so as to remove any small pieces of detached cracklings. It is advisable to put the Lard into the ice box as soon as it is run into buckets, so as to set it, which will prevent the separation of the oil from the Stearin.
First:—Render the Lard in the Rendering Kettle, and treat it with B. Heller & Co.’s Lard Purifier, the same as directed in the foregoing. After it is treated, run the Lard through two or three thicknesses of cheese cloth, into the Agitator. Allow it to settle in the Agitator for two hours, then run off all the water from the bottom, and start the Agitator. The Lard should be agitated until it is thick like cream, then it is ready to run off. We, however, recommend that Lard should be taken from the Rendering Kettle and put into the Settling Tank and allowed to settle, and then the Lard should be run from the Settling Tank through the faucet about an inch above the bottom, into the Lard Cooler, and while in the Cooler it should be agitated until it becomes thick. There are always small particles of charred tissue which will settle to the bottom of the Settling Tank, which cannot be gotten out in any other way, and the Lard will be whiter and purer if allowed to settle in the Settling Tank and then drawn off into the Cooler.
COOLER AND AGITATOR
A Packer or Butcher who makes any quantity at all of Kettle Rendered Lard, should have a Rendering Kettle in which the Lard is rendered, a Settling Tank in which the Lard is settled, and a Lard Cooler with an Agitator in it. The Lard Cooler and Agitator should be double-jacketed, so that cold water can be run into the jacket to cool the Lard.
When equipping a plant with a Settling Tank and Cooler, we advise that the Settling Tank have two faucets in it; one at the extreme bottom and the other about one inch from the bottom. Then, when the water is drawn off of the Settling Tank, it should be drawn off from the lowest faucet, and when the Lard is drawn off into the Agitator, it should be run off through the faucet which is an inch from the bottom. In this way, small particles which may be in the Lard will remain in the bottom of the Settling Tank, in the one inch layer of Lard which remains in the bottom of the Settling Tank. After all the Lard is run off through the upper faucet, what remains between the upper faucet and the bottom of the Settling Tank should be drawn off through the lower faucet and should be kept until the next time Lard is rendered, and then should be re-rendered with the next batch.
After the Lard has been rendered and has been treated in the Rendering Kettle, with the Lard Purifier, strain it through a cheese cloth into the Settling Tank, allow it to settle for two hours, then draw off all the water from the bottom faucet. After the water has been drawn off, draw off the Lard from the top faucet and again run it through cheese cloth, into the Cooler and Agitator. Start the Agitator and allow it to run until the Lard is thick and white, like cream, and then run it off into buckets or tubs.
A good way to set up the Settling Tank and the Cooler and Agitator, is to have the Settling Tank high enough up, on a bench above the Agitator, so that the Lard can be run out of the Settling Tank into the Agitator. The Cooler and Agitator should also be high enough from the floor so the Lard can be run from it into buckets or tubs.
It costs very little to properly equip oneself with the proper apparatus, and if properly rigged up it is a pleasure to make the Lard and requires very little work.
First:—Put 100 lbs. of water into the lard kettle and add to it one-quarter to one-half pound of B. Heller & Co.’s Lard Purifier; then on top of the water put 100 lbs. of the rendered Lard.
Second:—If a steam kettle is used, turn on the steam; and if the kettle is heated by fire, start the fire; the heat should be applied slowly and must be closely watched, so that the Lard does not get too hot and boil over. In no case should more Lard and water be put into the kettle than to fill it one-half full. By thus having the kettle only half full it leaves plenty of room for the Lard to boil and foam and prevents it from boiling over the top of the kettle.
Third:—While the Lard is being heated stay right with it at the kettle to watch it and continually stir it.
Fourth:—When the Lard begins to boil check the fire and let it simmer from 10 to 15 minutes, then put out the fire or turn off the steam and let the Lard settle for about three hours; all the impurities that come to the top skim off carefully.
Fifth:—After the Lard has settled for three hours all the water will be at the bottom. If the kettle is provided with a faucet at the bottom so the water can be let off, let the water run out slowly until it is all drained out; if the kettle has no opening in the bottom, skim the Lard off from the top of the water and place the Lard in a Lard Cooler. If you have a Lard Cooler with an Agitator, start the Agitator and keep it running until the Lard gets thick like cream; it is then ready to run off into buckets. If you have no regular Agitator, it is necessary to stir the Lard by hand occasionally until it gets thick and creamy; stir it as much as possible until it gets thick, and then run it into buckets.
If Lard is made without taking out the impurities with water and our Lard Purifier, the Lard will become rancid if it is to be kept during the hot weather, and it will not be so sweet in flavor nor as clean and white as it is when treated with our Purifier according to the preceding directions. Our Lard Purifier neutralizes the free fatty acids in the Lard, thus to a considerable extent preventing rancidity and helps keep the Lard Sweet and Pure.
Lard made with our Lard Purifier according to the foregoing directions will comply with the regulations under the various Pure Food Laws.
In the Southern States, where the climate is warm, it is necessary to add either Tallow or Tallow Stearin or Lard Stearin to Lard, so as to stiffen it in order that it can be handled at all.
To make Compound Lard, first render the Lard and press out the cracklings as directed; then add from 10 to 20 per cent of either Tallow, Tallow Stearin or Lard Stearin and stir until it is all melted and thoroughly mixed with the Lard. The quantity of Tallow or Stearin to add depends upon the climate and season of the year, and also the price of the different materials.
After adding the above, purify the mixture, the same as directed for handling Pure Lard. However, Compound Lard must always be agitated until it is thick and cream-like before it is run into buckets. If one has no Lard Agitator, it must be stirred by hand until it is stiff and cool.
It is perfectly legal to add Tallow, Tallow Stearin or Lard Stearin to Lard for this purpose, but such Lard must be sold as Compound Lard. It cannot be sold as “Pure Lard” when these ingredients are added to it.
For certain purposes Cotton Seed Oil added to Lard is preferred to straight Lard, and the Cotton Seed Oil is added after the Lard has been purified and is ready to put in the Agitator.
To make a really good Compound Lard, a Cooler with an Agitator is absolutely necessary, but if one hasn’t a cooler with Agitator, it can be done by stirring by hand continuously, so the Lard and Oil do not separate while cooling.
When Cotton Seed Oil is used, it must be Refined Cotton Seed Oil, and the more it is refined the better the compound will be. Lard should always be run through cheese cloth before putting it in the Lard Cooler, so as to take out any small particles of detached cracklings which may remain in the Lard.
The formula for making Compound Lard with Cotton Seed Oil varies according to the relative values of the ingredients and the quality of Compound desired. The usual Compounds found on the market, as sold at the present time under trade names, and which contain no Lard at all, are made of 80 per cent Cotton Seed Oil and 20 per cent Tallow Stearin. (Tallow Stearin is Tallow with the oil pressed out of it.) A small butcher can make this Compound by using 80 per cent Cotton Seed Oil and 20 per cent Rendered Tallow, which has previously been purified with B. Heller & Co.’s Lard Purifier.
If it is desired to make a better quality of Compound, use less Cotton Seed Oil and add sufficient Lard to bring the cost and quality to the desired degree.
All such Compounds must be sold as “Compound Lard” when Lard is added; but when no Lard is added, they must be sold as “Lard Substitutes.” These preparations are perfectly legal, and comply with the Pure Food Laws provided they are labeled and sold for what they are, but no one should make a Lard Compound or Imitation Lard and sell it for Pure Lard.
The large packers all refine Lard and Tallow with the Fuller’s Earth process, and for the benefit of the small packers, who would like to know how it is done, we will give the full directions, although a small packing house can hardly afford to put in a plant for the process, as it requires a man who is experienced to refine Lard and Tallow in this manner. If a packing house does not make enough Lard and Tallow to afford to keep a man especially for this purpose, it will not pay to put in a refinery, which consists of the following machinery: A Receiving Kettle, which is a large open tank with steam coils in it to dry the Lard or a large Jacket Kettle will do. A Clay Kettle, which is a tank with steam coils in it for heating the Lard and an air pipe at the bottom of it connected to an air compressor. A Lard Cooler with Agitator to cool and stir the Lard while it sets so as to have it thoroughly mixed. A Pump, Air Compressor and Filter Press. An ordinary size outfit will cost from $2,000 to $3,000.
First, the Lard, Tallow or Cotton Seed Oil, which is termed stock, is placed in the Clay Kettle. The Clay Kettle is simply an iron jacket with a coil in the bottom of it through which air is pumped. In this kettle, the Fuller’s Earth is added. To each and every 100 lbs. of stock, there is added from one to two lbs. of Fuller’s Earth; the quantity depending upon the grade of stock. Before the stock is treated a small test is made as follows. A small quantity is heated; in a part of it one per cent of clay is put, in another part 1½ per cent, and in another two per cent. Mix each lot thoroughly, put them into a funnel over filter paper and allow them to filter. By examining these samples, one can tell how much earth to use to the stock in the kettle. This must be done when the stock varies. Of course, when the Lard, Tallow, or Oil are running uniform, it is not necessary to make the test, but where the stock changes, it is always advisable to test before treating, for the reason that too much Fuller’s Earth put into the stock will give the Lard an objectionable flavor. Before stock of any kind can be treated with Fuller’s Earth, all the moisture must be out of it; Lard usually contains two to three per cent of moisture, and very often considerably more, so it must be heated in a Jacket Kettle until all the water is evaporated. If there is any water in the Lard, the Fuller’s Earth attacks the water first, and the Lard is not affected, because wet Fuller’s Earth has absolutely no effect upon Lard. When the Fuller’s Earth is added to Lard, it must be 155 degrees hot; Tallow must be 185 degrees hot, and Cotton Seed Oil 140 degrees hot. After the desired heat is obtained, regulate the steam so the temperature will remain stationary, turn on the air, and when it is blowing hard, put in the Fuller’s Earth and blow for about 20 minutes; then start the force pump and pump the stock through the Filter Press. If the stock is of fine quality and only a small percentage of Fuller’s Earth is used, it can be pumped directly into the Receiving Kettle, but if a large percentage of Fuller’s Earth is used, it is advisable to let the Lard run back into the Clay Kettle, and keep on letting it run through the filter and pumping it round until it is thoroughly clarified; then allow it to run into the Receiving Kettle.
If inferior stock is used, sometimes as much as four and five per cent of Fuller’s Earth is used to refine it, but it is not advisable to use that large amount as the clay gives off an odor which the stock sometimes absorbs. Always use the least amount of clay that good judgment indicates will do the work, and after pumping through the filter, if it is not as it should be add more clay and refilter it.
To make Compound Lard, treat the different stocks separately, run them in different tanks, and then mix them. After they have been put into the receiving tank or the mixing tank, it is advisable to mix them by blowing air into the bottom of the kettle in which are Lard, Tallow and Oil; this will mix even better than any process or method that we know of. The amount or kind of stock to be used depends upon the season of the year, and the kind and quantity of goods you wish to make. Equal parts of Tallow, Lard and Oil make a very good Compound. All the cloths for the Filter Press should be washed every day after using them as they must be kept perfectly clean; the cleaner the better.
After the Compound Lard has been thoroughly mixed it must be put into an Agitator and agitated until it is thick like cream before it is run off into buckets.
It is an easy matter to render Tallow so it will have a very light color, in fact, will be almost white and at the same time flaky and soft like Lard, if the instructions which follow are carried out. When so rendered, the Tallow will sell at a good price, as it will be entirely free from a tallowy odor, and is an excellent thing for baking purposes. Tallow rendered according to these instructions can be mixed with Lard and it will even improve the Lard. But it must be sold for what it is.
Take Beef Suet and all the Beef Fat trimmed from steaks and other cuts, and run it through a Chopper, chopping it very fine. It will thus become soft and sticky so it can be rolled in small balls about one and one-half to two inches in diameter. While this is being done, fill Rendering Kettle half full of water, dissolving in the water about two ounces of Lard Purifier to every 100 lbs. of Tallow to be rendered and start it to boil. While the water is boiling the small balls of Tallow should be placed on top of the water until a sufficient number of balls have been thus put into the water to make a layer three or four inches deep, but not deeper. After the Tallow is rendered out of the balls, the heat should be turned off and the Tallow should be permitted to cool. Just as soon as the boiling has ceased, all the cracklings that are on the surface should be skimmed off, put into a press and pressed out. The Tallow that is on the surface should be skimmed off and put into buckets. Care should be taken that no water is taken out with the hot Tallow. The tallow which remains on the water can be left there until it is hard, when it can be taken off and melted if desired, and then run into buckets. The advantage in rendering Tallow in this manner is to prevent the Tallow from becoming too hot, and thus to keep it from turning dark; besides, the water and Lard Purifier purifies the Tallow and also draws out the tallowy odor.
Any butcher can build up a large trade on home-rendered tallow when it is prepared in this manner. In fact, his trade will like the Tallow so well that he will not be able to supply the demand. As a rule, the butcher sells his Tallow unrendered at a low price, but if he will render it himself and follow the above instructions carefully, he can sell the Tallow for at least 10 to 12 cents per pound, owing to the fact that Tallow rendered in this manner produces a very fine fat for cooking purposes. We believe it is much better than Lard.
Neat’s Foot Oil is made by simply boiling the feet of cattle in a water bath, in an open kettle. The oil will come out of the feet and float on the top of the water. After the oil has been cooked out of the feet, they should be skimmed out of the kettle. The oil should then be treated with our Lard Purifier, the same way as directed for treating Lard. Simply let the water and fat cool down to 200 degrees Fahrenheit or below, and to every 100 lbs. of oil add about four ounces of our Lard Purifier dissolved in a quart of water. Stir the water, Lard Purifier and Neat’s Foot Oil thoroughly, and then start up the fire and bring it to a boil. Skim off any foam and impurities that may come to the surface and then stop the fire and allow it to settle about two hours; then skim the oil off of the top of the water and you will have genuine, sweet and refined Neat’s Foot Oil.
Very often butchers in the smaller towns find it convenient to slaughter live stock in the country where it is purchased. In order to meet such cases we submit the following directions for slaughtering cattle, hogs and sheep, and no doubt they will be found useful and suggestive.
It is absolutely necessary that only healthy animals shall be slaughtered for food. It is not so important that stock should be fat, although no one can expect the best results from lean animals, but as there is a demand for all grades of meat, condition is not so exacting as health.
In the case of injured animals, crushed ribs, broken limbs, etc., the flesh is not good for food unless the stock has been slaughtered immediately upon receiving the injuries.
It is a well known fact that the meat of old animals is tougher than that of young ones. The flesh of young animals frequently lacks flavor and is not solid. An old animal in proper condition and good health is preferable as food to a younger one in poorer condition.
Cattle if properly fed are fit for beef at 12 to 24 months, although the meat from these animals often lacks flavor, especially if they have not been well fed. The best meat is from aged steers 30 to 40 months old. A calf should not be slaughtered under four weeks and is not at its best until about eight weeks of age. There is a law in many States confiscating veal offered on the market under six weeks of age.
Pigs may be used after six weeks but the most profitable age at which to slaughter hogs is between eight months and one year.
Sheep may be used at from 3 to 4 months of age; but are at their best from eight to twelve months.
Experience dictates that an animal intended for slaughter should be kept from eating for twenty-four to thirty-six hours before killing. If kept on full feed the system is gorged and the blood, loaded with assimilated nutrients, is pumped to the extremities of the capillaries. It is impossible to thoroughly drain the blood from the veins when the animal is bled, and the result will be a reddish-colored, unattractive carcass. Again, food in the stomach decomposes very rapidly after the animal is slaughtered. Where the dressing is slow, as it must be on the farm, the gases generated from the stomach often flavor the meat. It is well to give water freely up to the time of slaughter as it aids in keeping the temperature normal and helps in cleaning out the system, resulting in a nicer colored carcass.
It is but natural that the condition of animals prior to slaughter should have a positive effect on the keeping qualities of the meat. There should be no excitement sufficient to raise the temperature of the body. Excitement creates fever, prevents proper drainage of the blood vessels, and, if intense, will cause souring of the meat very soon after dressing. No animal should be killed after a long drive or rapid run about the pasture. It is always better in such cases to permit the animal to rest over night rather than to risk spoiling the meat. The flesh of an animal that has been overheated and then killed is usually of a dark color and frequently develops a sour odor within a few hours after dressing. Bruises cause blood to settle in the affected portions of the body, often causing loss of a considerable part of the carcass. A 24-hour fast, ample water, careful handling and rest are necessary in order that the meat may be in the best condition for immediate use or curing.
Fig. 2—Beef: Illustrating method of securing to stun. Intersection of dotted lines show place to strike.
The first step in killing is to secure the animal so that, in no emergency, it can escape. Use a rope one inch in diameter. Put a slip noose in one end with a knot just far enough from the noose to prevent choking when drawn tight, but it should at the same time allow the noose to draw tight enough so that there is no danger of escape, in the event of the rope becoming slack. If the animal has horns, pass the noose over the head, back of the ear and horn on the right side, but in front of the horn on the left side of the head. This operation leaves the full face of the animal bare and does not tighten on the throat. When a dehorned or polled animal is to be slaughtered it will of course be necessary to put the noose around the neck. Attach an ordinary pulley to a post or tree close to the ground, to the barn floor or sill, pass the rope through it and draw the animal’s head down as close to the pulley as possible.
Administer a heavy blow in the center of the forehead at a point where lines from the base of the horns to the eyes would cross. Shooting has the same effect as stunning and may be resorted to. Frequently where an animal can not be brought to the pulley it is necessary to shoot. In shooting use only a rifle of good caliber.
Bleed the animal immediately by sticking just in front of the breast bone as shown in Fig. 3. Stand in front of the animal with back toward the body after the manner of a horseshoer. Reaching down between the front feet, lay open the skin from breast-bone toward the chin for a distance of 10 to 12 inches, using the ordinary skinning knife. Insert the knife with the back against the breastbone and the tip pointing to the spinal column at the top of the shoulders, cutting just under the windpipe and about 5 to 6 inches in depth at the junction of the jugular vein near the collar bone; at this point if the vein is severed the blood will run out rapidly. If stuck too deep, the pleura will be punctured and blood will flow in the chest cavity, causing a bloody carcass. It requires practice to become expert in the sticking of beef. Not so much skill is required to simply cut the animal’s throat back of the jaws but the time required for bleeding is very much longer and the bleeding less thorough.
Begin skinning at once while the carcass is lying on its side by splitting the skin through the face from the head to the nose as shown in Fig. 4. Skin the face back over the eyes on both sides and down over the cheeks, cutting around the base of the horns so as to leave the ears on the hide. Split the skin down the throat to meet the cut made in bleeding. Start the skin in slightly on the sides of the neck and down to the jaws. Now remove the head by cutting just back of the jaws toward the depression back of the head as shown in Fig. 5. The atlas joint will be found at this point and may be easily unjointed with the knife.
Fig. 3—Beef: Place to stick and manner of sticking.
At this point the carcass should be rolled on its back and held in position by a small, strong stick, say 18 inches long, with a sharp spike in both ends. Insert one end in the brisket and the other in the floor or ground. This will hold the carcass in position. Then split the skin over the back of the four legs from between the dew-claws to a point three or four inches above the knees. Skin around the shin and knee, unjointing the knee at the lowest joint as seen in Fig. 6 and skin clear down to the hoof.
Fig. 4—Beef: Skinning the face, illustrating manner of starting.
The brisket and forearms should not be skinned until after the carcass is hung up. Now cut across the cord over the hind shin, splitting the skin from the dew-claws to the hock up over the rear part of the thigh to a point from four to six inches back of the cod or udder. Skin the hock and shin, removing the leg as shown in Fig. 7. In splitting the skin over the thigh turn the knife down flat with the edge upward to avoid the cutting of flesh. While the hind leg is stretched ahead it is skinned down over the rear of the lower thigh but do not skin the outside of the thigh until the hind-quarters are raised. After the legs are skinned split the skin of the carcass over the midline from the breast to the rectum.
Fig. 5—Beef: Removing the head.
Fig. 6—Beef: Showing manner of unjoining fore leg and skinning shank.
Now begin at the flanks and skin along the midline until the side is nicely started. With a sharp knife held flat against the surface have the hide stretched tightly and remove the skin down over the sides with steady down-strokes of the knife, as shown in Fig. 8. But it is necessary that the hide should be stretched tightly and without wrinkles. Care should be taken to leave a covering of muscles over the abdomen of the carcass as it keeps it better. In siding the beef, it is usual to go down nearly to the back bone, leaving the skin attached at thighs and shoulders; skin over the buttock and as far down on the rump as possible, always avoiding cutting the flesh or tearing the membrane over it. A coarse cloth and a pail of hot water should be at hand while skinning and blood spots wiped quickly from the surface, but the cloth should be nearly dry, as the less water used the better. Open the carcass at the belly and pull the small intestines out at one side. Use a saw or sharp ax in opening the brisket and pelvis. After raising the windpipe and belly and cutting loose the pleura and diaphragm along the lower part of the cavity, the carcass will be ready to raise.
Fig. 7—Beef: Unjointing the hind leg.
Fig. 9 shows the carcass ready for raising, and Fig. 11 shows the block and tackle rigging attached to the carcass about to be raised.
Fig. 8—Beef: “Siding down;” knife held flat against the tightly stretched skin.
When the carcass is raised to a convenient height, skin the hide over the thigh, rump and hips. While in this position, it is well to loosen the rectum and small intestines and allow them to drop down over the paunch. The fat lining, the pelvis and the kidney fat should not be disturbed nor mutilated. The intestines may be separated from the liver to which they are attached by the use of a knife. The paunch is attached to the back at the left side and may be torn loose. Let it roll on the ground and cut off or draw off the gullet. The carcass at this point is shown in Fig. 11. Now raise the carcass a little higher and take out the liver, having first removed the gall bladder. Now remove the diaphragm, lungs, the heart, and finish skinning over the shoulders, forearms and neck, as shown in Fig. 12. Sponge all the dirt and blood off with a cloth, split the carcass in halves, using a saw, cleaver or sharp ax, wash out the inside of the chest cavity and wipe it dry.
Fig. 9—Beef: Ready to raise: Breast, forearms and neck, left covered to protect the meat until the carcass is raised.
Fig. 11—Beef: Removing paunch and intestines.
Trim off all bloody veins and scraggy pieces of the neck and leave the beef to cool before quartering.
Fig. 12—Beef: Skinning shoulders and forearms.
13.—Beef raised out of the way of animals to cool.
Fig. 13 shows the finished carcass hanging high up and cooling.
Fig. 14—Manner of Sticking a Sheep.
If the sheep is an old one, it should be stunned. If a young one, dislocating the neck after cutting the throat serves the same purpose. This is accomplished by placing one hand on top of the head, the other under the chin, and twisting sharply upward. Lay the sheep on its side on a platform, with its head hanging over the end. Grasp the chin in the left hand and stick the knife through the neck back of the jaw, turning the cutting edge of the knife toward the spinal column and cut the flesh to the bone. By so doing it is impossible to cut the windpipe. (See Fig. 14.)
Fig. 15.—“Legging out” a sheep.
Split the skin over the back of the front leg from the dewclaws a little above the knee. (See Fig. 15.) Open the skin over the windpipe from breast to chin, starting in slightly on the sides of the neck. Split the skin over the back of the hind leg through the middle line and skin the buttock. Raise the skin over the udder or cod and flanks. Skin around the hocks and down to the hoofs, cutting off the feet at the toe joints. Run the knife between the cord and bone on back of the chin and tie the legs together just above the pastern joint. Do not skin the legs above the hock until the carcass is hung up.
Fig. 16—Fisting off the Pelt.
Hang the sheep up by the hind legs, split the skin over the middle line; start at the brisket and “fist off” the skin. This is done by grasping the edge of the pelt firmly in one hand, pulling it up tight and working the other with the fist closed between the pelt and the body, over the fore-quarters downward and upward and backward over the hind-quarters and legs. It is unwise to work down on the skin over the hind legs, as it would rupture the membrane. The wool should always be held away from the flesh as a matter of cleanliness, and the skin on the legs should be pulled away from the carcass rather than toward it. When the pelt has been loosened over sides and back, it should be stripped down over the neck and cut off close to the ears. Remove the head without skinning by cutting through the atlas joint.
Fig. 17.—Removing the intestines of sheep.
Remove the entrails by cutting around the rectum and allowing it to drop down inside, but do not split the pelvis. Open down the belly line from cod or udder to breast bone; take out the paunch and intestines, leaving the liver attached to the diaphragm. It is not best to split the breast. Reach up in the pelvis and pull out the bladder. Wipe all blood and dirt from the carcass with a coarse cloth wrung dry from hot water. Double up the front legs and slip the little cord found by cutting into the fleshy part of the forearms into the ankle joints.
Fig. 18.—Manner of holding and sticking a hog.
A good sticking knife, hog hook, scrapers, a barrel or a trough for scalding, and a convenient place for working are the important necessities. Set the barrel at the proper slant with the open end against a table or platform of the proper height, with the bottom securely fastened; a strong tackle built for the purpose is desirable, but not necessary. Hogs should not be excited or heated, and in catching and throwing them bruising must be avoided. However, it is not necessary to stun hogs before sticking them. At slaughter houses they are usually hung up by one hind leg. If there is no hoisting appliances, lay the hog on its back and hold it there until stuck. Two men can handle a hog if they will but work with intelligence. By reaching under the animal, one at the fore leg and the other at the hind leg, they can turn a heavy hog on its back easily. One man, standing astride the body, with his feet close against the side and holding its front feet, can control it while the other does the sticking.
Fig. 19.—Scalding a hog. Note
arrangement.
The knife should be eight inches long, straight bladed and narrow, and stuck into the hog’s throat just in front of the breast bone, the point directed toward the root of the tail and held in line with the back bone. This is necessary to prevent cutting between the ribs and the shoulders, which would cause the blood to settle there with waste in trimming of the shoulder. When the knife has been stuck in six or eight inches, according to the size of the hog, turn the knife quickly to one side and withdraw it. The arteries that are to be cut run close together just inside of the breast bone and both are cut when the knife is turned, providing the edges are sharp at the point.
The water for scalding when heated in the house should be boiling when removed from the stove. If put into a cold barrel it will be about the right temperature when the hog is ready for scalding. During the scalding process the water should be about 185 to 195 degrees, if the scalding tub holds only enough water to scald one hog. Water at 150 degrees will scald a hog, but, of course, more time is required. In large packing houses where a large tub is used and steam is continually blowing into the water, the water is kept at 150 degrees. Too hot water is likely to cause more trouble than too cold, and for this reason it is always best to have a thermometer at hand. Of course, the temperature may be reduced by putting in a little cold water. A hog should not be scalded before it is dead or the blood in the small blood vessels near the surface of the skin will cook and give a reddish tinge to the carcass.
To make the hair easy to remove and to cleanse the skin of the hog and free it from all the greasy filth which forms a scurf on the skin of all hogs, our Hog-Scald should always be used. Hogs scalded with the aid of Hog-Scald do not require so much heat to loosen the hair, it requires much less labor to clean them, and the dressed hogs will look much nicer and the rinds will cure and smoke nicer than when it is not used. No Farmer or Butcher will dress his hogs without Hog-Scald after giving it a trial. For description and price list on Hog-Scald, see page 278.
Fig. 20.—A convenient way of hanging up a hog.
While being scalded the carcass should be kept moving constantly to avoid cooking the skin. While scalding, the hog should occasionally be drawn out of the water for air, when the hair may be tried. When both hair and scurf slip easily from the skin, scalding is completed. Remove the carcass from the water and begin scraping. The head and feet should be cleaned first, as they do not clean easily when cold. Use a “candlestick” scraper on the head. Use the hands and a knife if you haven’t this tool. The feet and legs are easily cleaned by grasping them firmly with the hands and twisting them around and back; pull the little bristles of the body by hand and remove the scurf and fine hair with the scraper, long corn knife or other tool. Wash the entire carcass with hot water and shave it with a sharp knife. Insert a stick under the gambrel cords and hang up the hog.
Wash down with hot water, shave patches and rinse with cold water. Occasionally the hog is too large to scald in a barrel. Cover it thickly with blankets or sacks containing a little bran, pour hot water over it and the hair will be readily loosened.
Gutting the Hog
Split the hog between the hind legs, separating the bones with a knife. Run the knife down over the belly line, guiding it with the right hand and shielding the point with the lingers of the left hand and thus avoid the danger of cutting the intestines. Split the breast-bone with a knife or an ax and cut down through the sticking place to the chin. Cut around the rectum and pull down until the kidneys are reached, using a knife whenever necessary to sever the cords attached to the back. Do not disturb the kidneys or the fat covering them, excepting in warm weather, when the leaf may be removed to allow quicker and more thorough cooling. Remove the paunch and the intestines. The gall bladder lies in plain sight on the liver, and it lies attached to the diaphragm and hypatic vein. It should be stripped off after starting the upper end with a knife. Avoid spilling the contents on the meat. Insert the fingers under the liver and strip it out. Cut across the artery, running down the backbone, and cut around the diaphragm, removing them with the pluck, that is, heart, lungs, liver and gullet. Open the jaw and insert a small block to allow free drainage. Wash out all blood with cold water, and dry with a coarse cloth. In hot weather the backbone should be split to facilitate cooling. The fat should be removed from the intestines before they get cold. It is strong in flavor and should not be mixed with the leaf lard in rendering.