Your porkman having supplied you with a short, round pig, say about ten to twelve weeks old, the neck taken off close up to the shoulders and split down the back, you will proceed to take out the bones and gristles and wash it five minutes in salt and water, then wipe dry and rub the following mixture—
| Mace, beaten finely | ½ | oz. |
| Cloves, beaten finely | 1 | oz. |
| Nutmeg, beaten finely | 1 | oz. |
| Pepper, beaten finely | 1 | oz. |
| Salt, beaten finely | 1½ | lbs. |
—in all parts well, and let them lie pressed closely for twenty-four hours, then take them up, wipe dry, roll the one half up into a collar, with tape and new linen, and boil it in a pickle made by boiling up the former used spices—adding thereto
| Six laurel leaves, green | ||
| Twelve bay leaves | ||
| Vinegar | 1 | pint |
| Ginger, beaten coarsely | 1 | oz. |
| Bay salt | ¾ | oz. |
—until tender. Examine the collars when nearly cold, and tighten the binding if requisite. Cut them through, in the middle, straight across, put each roll into a jar just capable of holding it; boil up the pickle again, adding vinegar and porter, if not enough to cover your meat completely; tie bladder over and keep a month, when it will be very rich, yet delicate. The pickle must have been well skimned and all fat removed from it. The other half may be thus treated, making an agreeable change, though this latter will be much higher flavoured: Proceed as with the last, until having rolled it up in a nice tight collar, you will make this pickle:
| Sage leaves, shred | ½ | handful |
| Capsicums, mixed | ½ | oz. |
| Juniper berries, bruised | 1 | oz. |
| Six laurel leaves, shred | ||
| Garlic, shred | ½ | oz. |
| Porter or ale | 1 | quart |
| Salt | ½ | lb. |
Boil these twenty minutes, skim well and pour over the meat, placed in a deep jar that will just hold it, and tying leather over let it remain three weeks. Then take it up, wipe dry, hang it in a current of dry air for a week, turning it daily, and smoke it with
| Oak lops or sawdust | 2 | parts |
| Fern | 2 | parts |
| Beech or birch chips | 2 | parts |
for three weeks. When cold you can coat it with gelatine, or if packed with hams, tongues, &c. &c., in malt cooms, will be a high, much esteemed article, after being kept a month or two to become mellow. Care must be taken in the broiling, as the meat will be extremely rich and tender.
POTTED HARE.