Sucking pigs are in season all the year round, though they are to be preferred in cold weather, and are at their best from the middle of November to the end of December. To be eaten in perfection they should not be more than three or four weeks old, and should be cooked as soon as possible after they are killed, as they deteriorate in quality every hour that they are kept.

SUCKING PIG.

Sucking Roast Pig

Wipe the pig thoroughly, stuff it with a very mild sage-and-onion stuffing, and sew up the slit securely with soft cotton. Truss it like a hare, with the fore-legs skewered back and the hind-legs drawn forward. Rub it over with clarified butter, or fresh salad oil, and put it down, not too near, before a clear brisk fire. Baste constantly, or the crackling will be blistered and burnt, instead of crisp and brown. As the middle part requires less roasting than the ends, it is usual, when the pig is half done, to hang a flat iron from the spit in such a position that it will shade the heat of the fire from the middle. It is well to tie some butter in a piece of muslin, and rub the pig over with this two or three times whilst it is roasting. When it is clone enough, cut off the head before the pig is taken from the lire, take out the brains, and chop them up quickly with the gravy which has dropped from the pig, and add a cupful more, together with a little cayenne, lemon-juice, and grated nutmeg. To dish it, cut the pig open, and lay the sides back to back, lengthwise, upon the dish, with one half of the head at each end and the ears at the sides. If preferred, the brains may be stirred into melted butter instead of gravy. Rich brown gravy, apple, and the old-fashioned currant sauce, are all served with sucking-pig. Time to roast, according to size; a three weeks' old pig, two hours. Probable cost, 6s. to 12s. Sufficient, a three weeks' old pig for eight or nine persons.

A sucking-pig is often, when rather large, sent to the bakery to be baked in a large oven.

Pig's Brains

Pig's brains are generally served with the pig's tongue, like calf's brains and tongue. When a pig's head is used for soup and the tongue cut up and put in the soup, the brains will make a few small scollops, by boiling, cutting into small pieces and placing them in small escallop shells with pepper and salt, chopped parsley, small pieces of butter, and a little powdered sage; covering them with bread crumbs and raspings, and baking them in the oven.

Pig's Feet

Pig's feet are best stewed till quite tender. The liquor in which they stewed can then be thickened with butter and flour or egg.

Chopped parsley should be added, as well as a little pepper and salt.

When stewed down with very little liquor they can be taken out, salted, peppered, and the liquor in which they were stewed poured over them just before it becomes a jelly, so as to mask the feet. Shake some bread raspings over them, and serve cold with parsley.

The feet of sucking-pigs can be stewed till quite tender and fried in batter (see Batter, and No. 6).

Pig's-Feet Soup

Proceed exactly as in making ox-foot soup.

Pig's Fry

A pig's fry should be very fresh, and the sweetbreads are the best part, but are not always easily obtained. Proceed exactly as in lamb's fry (see Lamb's Fry,), or place the pig's fry in a pie-dish with a layer of potatoes, peeled and cut in slices; add a dessertspoonful of chopped onion, half that quantity of sage, and plenty of pepper and a little salt; fill the dish three parts full with water or stock, cover it over with the fat skin sold with it, and bake in the oven. When the potatoes are tender, the pig's fry will be done.

Boiled Pig's Head

The head is generally pickled. Soak in fresh water over-night. Boil the head, and serve peas pudding and boiled cabbage with it. The liquor will make pea-soup if not too salt.

Baked Pig's Head

For this, the head should be fresh; remove the brains, bake the head in the oven with some sage-and-onion stuffing, serve with a little gravy. Time to bake, one hour and a half. This is a very rich dish. It is far more economical to make the head into soup. Serve plenty of boiled potatoes with baked pig's head.