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by Pettus Read
The other day while leaving the bank, another gentleman around the same age as myself, commented about how cold the north wind was coming around the corner and said, "I guess it's about hog killin time isn't it?" Actually he said, "ain't it" instead of "isn't it," but I didn't want the wrath of all my English major friends and their losing interest in what I'm about to say in the very first paragraph. But, his comment caused our conversation to go on to include the discussion about how the weather has seemed to change where it is no longer suitable to kill hogs on local farms in these parts like we once did forty or more years ago.
Now is suppose to be the time of year when most of the farm harvest is complete and the coldness of winter is settling in. A time when everything has decided to take a rest from a really tough long summer and a brisk fall. However, lately our weather has been intermingling summer and fall, but I'm sure there will still be plenty of cold to suit most of us.
Not only the weather, but modern-day processing has also pretty much taken the old tradition of processing hogs on the farm away and made it a thing of the past. In fact, the weather has also changed and it is really difficult to find weather cold enough anymore to do it right like we used to. But, for many of the "Country Boomers" and beyond, those memories of cold days, wood fires, sharp knives and hard work will always linger.
For those of you who are not of those generations that did their own processing, and get your pork products from a grocery store, a "hog killin" may sound somewhat crude. However, it was a necessity back many years ago that often would turn into a social event as much as a necessary job on the farm.
The cold weather during the month of November served as a perfect setting for harvesting hog meat for the coming months on my grandfather's farm. And, boy would it be cold on "hog killin" day. I will never forget the taste of fresh pork tenderloin and sausage, as well as the sight of fresh meat lying out in the smoke house to chill before it was salted down. Hog killings were also a time for families to get together and work side by side to put up the meat supply for the months ahead.
At my grandfather's, I have seen 20 or 30 people working together in cold temperatures to prepare the meat. Men usually took care of the killing and scalding box, as well as the cleaning of the hog. The women would prepare the lard, help with cutting up the meat and skim off the cracklins. There is nothing like good cracklin bread on a winter's day. In fact, everything was harvested except the squeal.
One of the most important procedures in hog killings was the preparing of the hams. These valuable delicacies would become the feature at next year's Thanksgiving meal, or even more importantly, they would be the family's official Christmas ham.
A very special feature of our holidays, which continues today, is the annual cooking of the country ham. I know the doctors say the salt is bad for us, but it just wouldn't be the holidays without one ham and biscuit. Over the years in my column, I've given our family recipe for cooking a country ham in a lard stand, or lard can, as some may call it.
My mother always cooked our ham in a lard stand on top of the stove. You are basically boiling the ham. First, you wash the whole ham thoroughly with a brush or rough cloth. Trim off any dark, dry edges and soak the ham in water overnight, then drain. This also removes a lot of the salt. After the ham is ready for cooking, place it on an old plate or rack in the bottom of the lard stand. Cover the ham with cold water. One tablespoon of brown sugar or molasses per quart of water may be added, but is not really needed.
Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce heat. Simmer until the meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Cooking time is about 15 to 20 minutes per pound for whole hams. Now here is the secret to cooking a ham this way: After cooking at the desired minutes per pound, take the lard stand off the stove and wrap it in several layers of newspaper and a quilt.
Let the ham slowly cool in the broth for approximately 20 hours. This is part of the cooking procedure and will bring the internal temperature to 170 degrees F. Later, take your ham out of the lard stand and put your favorite glaze on it and enjoy some real Tennessee eating.
Give it a try this Christmas. I know this is some repeated information for some of you, but for those who still call and ask me to repeat it, Merry Christmas. This method of cooking a ham is an old tradition that has been around Middle Tennessee prior to the War of Northern Aggression. It is truly a family tradition at our house that I hope will be carried on for generations to come.
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