As this sort of animal food can only be got at one season of the year, I recommend any person who is fond of good eating at a moderate cost, to get the two sides or flitches of a prime fat buck, and cure them in the two different ways herein described, with full assurance that the result will be perfectly satisfactory. Take a side and hang it up in a free current of air as long as ever you can trust it, wiping it daily with a coarse cloth, and dusting it over, particularly the fat parts, with ground black pepper, to prevent the flies settling on it. With a sharp knife take off the outer skin, and, removing all sinews, bone it nicely; divide it next into pieces fit for collars, that is, so that when rolled up the ends may be level and firm. Rub vinegar well over the meat and leave it packed closely in a deep dish and covered up till the next day. Make ready a mixture of
| Mace, in fine powder | 1 | oz. |
| Cloves, in fine powder | 2 | oz. |
| Nutmeg, in fine powder | 1 | oz. |
| White pepper, in fine powder | 2 | oz. |
| Bay salt | ¾ | lb. |
| Common or rock salt | ½ | lb. |
| Bay leaves, shred | 3 | oz. |
and with this rub the meat, which should have been dried with cloths well, and pack them down to lie forty-eight hours. Then take them up, and cutting slices of hard fat bacon, half an inch wide and six or eight inches long, insert them in channels cut in the venison and about two and a half inches apart; this should be done with consummate nicety. Now roll up the meat into collars and bind tightly with broad tape, and sew strong unbleached calico all round the length. Lay paper shavings in the bottom of a deep straight-sided jar, and upon them six or eight laurel leaves and twice as many bay leaves, and place the collars lightly upon them, then pouring in half a pint of water, tie doubled paper over the jar and bake slowly for three hours at least, or until nicely cooked; then while warm pour off the gravy into a basin to get cold, and taking out the collars set them to drain all night. Next day, after wiping them dry, place the rolls of meat in a jar that will just hold them without squeezing, and pour clarified mutton suet with sweet lard in the proportion of a quarter of a pound of the latter to twelve ounces of the former, and when cold covering the meat to the thickness of two inches. Tie wet bladder over and put away in a cold airy room. This should not be broached under two months, and then by placing the jar in a pan of boiling water for twenty minutes you can take out a collar and put away the jar, taking care that the meat is totally covered by the suet and made safe from the air. Pop the collar into a saucepan of boiling water and salt for fifteen minutes, then take it out, wipe it dry, and when nearly cold take off the envelopes and set it by till next day. Serve it garnished with fresh parsley and slices of lemon or pickled red beetroot, which two latter may be eaten with it, and then I think you will confess that this “common part of venison” is very first-rate eating.
THE OTHER SIDE SMOKED.
Proceed as with the former side, and having rubbed it well with vinegar, make a mixture of
| Allspice, ground | 3 | oz. |
| Black pepper, ground | 2 | oz. |
| Eschalots, minced | 2½ | oz. |
| Garlic, minced | 1½ | oz. |
| Bay salt | ¾ | lb. |
| Coarse sugar | ¾ | lb. |
| Bay leaves | 2 | oz. |
and rub all parts thoroughly, and let them lie placed down in a deep pan for forty-eight hours; then take them up, wipe dry and lard them well with shreds of the best sweet fat bacon and roll up tightly into collars, which bind with tape and envelope in calico or thin canvas, and stow them away in a deep jar that will hold them conveniently till the next day. Boil up the used spices, herbs, and salts with as much porter as you think will cover the meat, well skimming it till no more scum arises, and pour it hot over the meat; so let it remain covered with leather for a week. Then hang up the collars in a draught of air, minding to turn them every morning regularly, or the neglect is certain to be detected when brought to table. Next suspend them in your chimney, and smoke them for a fortnight with
| Oak lops or sawdust | 2 | parts |
| Beech chips | 2 | parts |
| Fern | 1 | part |
| Peat | 1 | part |
When cold you can coat them with gelatine composition and keep them in malt cooms. Slices cut off these collars and broiled will be excellent in three months, or, if you choose to boil them and eat cold, take care they are put on the fire in ready boiling water, as we do not want venison broth. (See Note, No. 10.)
YOUNG PIG COLLARED.