These didn't come from my family (although I'm sure they cooked these dishes) but are so interesting I had to share.
Depression Breakfast With Clara
These are a short series of "Depression Cooking" that 93 yr old Clara has done. In this one she makes a simple cookie and coffee. She said they ate this on Sundays during the Great Depression. It's interesting. According to my grandparents who would be Clara's age if they had lived, sometimes they didn't eat much more than a biscuit or grits for breakfast. Lunch was a cold biscuit leftover from breakfast or fried grits leftover from lunch. Supper was beans and cornbread. If you had a farm, you might have access to meat, fresh vegetables,fruit, eggs. But don't forget so many farms suffered from the drought which caused the Dust Bowl in the Mid West states AND so many farmers lost their farms during the Depression. If you had coffee, flour, milk and egg, you were doing well. Add sugar and that could be considered a luxury. In the South, we learned, during the War of Northern Aggression, how to make ends meet with nothing. And during the Reconstruction years (a misnomer) and early turn of the century we were still living in poverty due to the ravages of the War. We made a comeback with WWI and the roaring 1920's but our forefathers still remembered the hard times so when the Great Depression came, they still knew all those little thrifty things they had learned from their grandparents. I remember my Grandmother showing me what tree she could use to brush her teeth. The twigs from that tree would fray and you used it like a brush. Or smoking rabbit tobacco when you didn't have real tobacco. Carefully picking thread out of a dress and re-winding it on a spool so you could re-use it. Using lard to shine your shoes because you didn't have shoe polish. Making paste with flour and using it to put newspapers up on the walls during the winter to keep out the drafts. Then washing it down in the spring and peeling it back off the walls. I could go on and on of the things I remember my Grandparents telling me about. Some were habits they still practiced when I was a girl.
You didn't waste ANYTHING! If you had a pig, you used everything but the hooves and the squeal! See below:
Head cheese - Head cheese is in fact not a cheese, but meat pieces from the head of a calf or pig (sometimes a sheep or cow), in aspic, with onion, black pepper, allspice, bayleaf, salt and or vinegar. It may also include meat from the feet, tongue and heart. It is usually eaten cold or at room temperature as a luncheon meat. It is sometimes also known as souse meat, particularly if pickled with vinegar.
Historically meat jellies were made of the cleaned (all organs removed) head of the animal, which was simmered to produce stock, a peasant food made since the Middle Ages. When cooled, stock made from meat congeals because of the natural gelatin found in the meat. The aspic may need additional gelatin in order to set properly.
-Wikipedia
-for more detail, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-head-cheese.htm
Brains and Eggs - Breakfast meal consisting of pork brains (or from another mammal) and scrambled eggs. Before cooking brains, blanch them briefly to firm them, or soak in several changes of cold, acidulated water, made by adding a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice to water.
-Wikipedia
Pickled Pigsfeet - Growing up down South on a tight budget this might have been a weekly staple. Slow cooking is the best way to release the awesome flavors contained in pigs feet.
4 – pigs feet, split in half lengthwise
2 - medium onions, chopped
2 - stalks celery, chopped
1 - garlic clove, chopped
1 - bay leaf
1 - teaspoon salt
1 - cup white vinegar
1 - teaspoon black pepper
3 – teaspoon crushed red pepper
barbecue sauce
water
Begin by giving the pigs feet a good washing. For presentation purposes remove any unsightly hair that you observe. Yes pigs grow hair on the toes and feet just like humans. A disposable razor will remove the hair. Place all the ingredients in a large boiling pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot with lid and allow pigs feet to cook until tender, about 3 hours. While your meat is cooking stir constantly and skim away any foam that develops.
-Cooks.com
-For more... http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.familyoven.com/user/recipe_thumbnails/00100/03336/100-33336.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.familyoven.com/recipes/search%3Fterms%3DSouthern%2520Style%2520Pigs%2520Feet&usg=__IJDsTC65VKMD1qwHvK_hpxy00vk=&h=140&w=140&sz=11&hl=en&start=36&sig2=5DbGPqNBUdL6oF5VWjCvQQ&um=1&tbnid=eFdS58IipGdN9M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=93&ei=HkeYSdzJBszAtgfv_LidCw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpickled%2Bpig%2527s%2Bfeet%2Brecipe%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGLL_enUS311US312%26sa%3DN
Pig's Tail -
1 lb. smoke pig tails
1 lb. bag black eye peas
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
Salt to taste
In a large pot add 1 quart of water. Boil until tender the pig tails. If water boils out add more, then add black eye peas. When peas are halfway done saute onions and green peppers then add them to the pot. Cook until peas are soft, mix flour and 1/2 cup of juices from the pot, then pour back into pot and add butter.
-Cooks.com
2 lbs. collard greens
1/2 lb. smoke pig tails or smoke neck bones
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Salt to taste
Boil smoke meat until tender, clean grease leaf by leaf, then slice in 1/2 inch thick pieces and place them into the pot with meat. If water boils out add more and cook until greens are tender.
-Cooks.com
Pig's Intestins aka Chitterlings (aka chitlins) - are the intestines and rectum of a pig that have been prepared as food. 'Chitterling' is a Middle English word for the small intestines of a pig, especially as they are fried for food. Pig intestines are also used as casing for sausages. Chitterlings are carefully cleaned and rinsed several times before they are boiled or stewed for several hours. A common practice is to place a halved onion in the pot to mitigate what many regard as a pungent, unpleasant odor that can be particularly strong when the chitterlings begin to cook. In America chitterlings are sometimes battered and fried after the stewing process and commonly are served with cider vinegar and hot sauce as condiments.
-Wikipedia
Pig's Heart - This is larger and less tender than lamb's heart, usually inexpensive and may be stuffed and slowly braised. To saute, slice and dredge in flour and spices. Heat butter or oil in a skillet. Sauté over medium heat until brown on each side and done in the middle. Heat cooking liquid with herbs, spices, and vegetables in a Dutch oven. Add heart, cover and cook in the oven at 325°F (160°C), or simmer on the stovetop from 45 minutes to three hours, depending on variety meat used.
Pig's Kidneys - Cut them open lengthwise, season well with pepper and salt, dip in raw egg, dredge into bread-crumbs, run a skewer through to keep them open, and broil for about a quarter of an hour over a good fire; when done place them upon a dish, have ready an ounce of butter, with which you have mixed the juice of a lemon, a little pepper and salt, and a teaspoonful of French or common mustard, place a piece upon each of the kidneys, place in the oven for one minute, and serve. Pig's kidneys may also be sauted.
-Chestofbooks.com
Pig's Liver - Slice the liver and lay in cold water for half an hour to draw out the blood. Wipe perfectly dry, salt and pepper and flour well. Fry slices of thin, fat bacon clear ; take them out and cook in the same fat a sliced onion. Strain the fat, return to the pan, and when it hisses lay in the floured slices of liver and fry to a good brown. It should be better known that pigs' livers, as well as those of lambs and even young mutton, are nearly as good when well-cooked as calf's liver, and cost much less.
-Chestofbooks.com
Pig's Lung and Pig's Blood -
Blood Pudding
2 cups Pork blood
Salt
2 lb Pork, fresh
1 Pig's lung
1/2 Pig's heart
2 Pig necks
Salt
5 Onions; chopped
Salt & pepper
Cloves
Summer Savory
Coriander seeds; crushed
2 Tbsp Flour
Cut the fresh pork, the lung, heart and neck into large pieces. Place the meat into a large pot and add just water to cover the meat. Add the salt and 3 chopped onions.
Simmer on medium heat for 3 hours.
Remove the meat from the cooking liquid and let it cool. Cut the meat into very small pieces or grind it with a meat grinder.
Add the meat to the cooking liquid with the 2 remaining onions, pepper and spices. Bring the liquid to a boil and slowly add the blood by pouring it through a sieve.
Stir constantly. Add the flour, mixed with a small amounts of water. (The flour may be browned in the oven before being add to the meat, provided that slightly more flour is used.) Simmer the mixture on low heat for approximately 1 hour, stirring frequently. This sauce may served later by warming in a skillet.
To make blood pudding sausages, prepare blood pudding sauce but do not simmer for the last half hour. Rather, clean the small intestines of the pig, cut them into 20 inch pieces at tie them at one end. Using a funnel or a piece of birch bark as was the Acadian tradition, fill the intestinal lining with the sauce until the intestine is three quarters full. Press out the air and tie the other end, leaving some space for expansion. Put the sausages in boiling water and cook for 45 to 1 hour.
-YumYum.com
Pig's Spleen - Laying both spleens out on a plastic sheet, layer raw bacon, salt & pepper and fresh sage leaves. Then roll them up and skewer with toothpicks. Place the spleen rolls into an oven safe dish and cover them with chicken stock. When done, cut in cross sections and serve with red onion rings.
-Nosetotail.com
Pig's Snout - While cooking you want them to be flat on the grill thus the purpose of scoring them. Score the snouts with a sharp knife by making cross cuts every 1/2" thru the meat and fat (NOT the skin). This allows the fat to drain off them after you have placed them on the grill on a med fire. Use any BBQ seasoning or seasoned salt with grd red pepper to taste. Have a bottle of water close by for flareups. They will get soft and after defatting will become crisp. They must get crispy all over. Watch for flareups because you do not want them to burn and turn black. They should be a nice brown color. Do not put BBQ sauce on them until ready to serve. Can be served as a sandwich with potato salad on the bread as a condiment.
-Malik on Chitterlings.com
Pig's Ears -
3 lbs. pig ears - whole or halves
2 tbsp. pickling spice
3 tbsp. red crushed pepper
2 tbsp. vinegar
Put pig ears in large pot - cover with water. Add all ingredients to pot. Let cook on medium heat about 2 hours or until meat is tender.
Zelia's Mississippi Sauce
3 pkg. pork snoots
3 pkg. pig ears
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
Place snoots with 1/2 of each ingredient in pot. Add water to almost cover meat. Allow to boil. When boiling, lower heat, cook until very done about 4 hours.
In a different pot do same with pig ears. This cooking can be done at same time. When snoots and ears are very done, cool and discard liquid.
Mash, chop snouts and ears together very well.
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes or ground
16 oz. cider vinegar
4 tsp. sage
1 tsp. brown sugar
Mix thoroughly, store in small containers or large bowl. Note: When sauce is set firmly (takes overnight or about 8 hours). I slice small piece, taste. If needed more seasoning may be added. Do this by heating sauce to soften it to original consistency. Add some of needed ingredients: sage, vinegar, pepper, salt, spices. Return to containers to reset.
-Cooks.com
Pig's Stomach -
A pig’s stomach (cleaned and trimmed by your butcher; you might need to order it beforehand)
750g of minced pork
two fresh eggs (beaten)
100g of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
two slices of stale white bread soaked in milk
two hard-boiled eggs (shell removed)
salt and black pepper
cooking-oil
Wash the stomach thoroughly in plenty of salted water. Mix together the minced pork, beaten eggs, soaked bread, cheese, salt and pepper. Stuff the stomach with this, placing the hard boiled eggs in the middle. Sew up the stomach using a sewing-needle and strong cotton. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the vegetables, tomato pulp, stock or stock cube, and some salt and pepper. Bring the pot back to the boil, then turn the heat right down and put in the stuffed stomach. Leave the pot to simmer for an hour. Now carefully remove the stomach from the minestra, put it into a baking-dish, brush it with oil and season it with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4½/180C and bake the stomach for an hour. Leave the soup to simmer for the same amount of time. Remove the stomach from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes before slicing it to serve it. Do this in the kitchen, in a large dish that can catch the juices which ooze out. Serve it with baked potatoes, and with the minestra as a first course.
-taste.com.mt
Pig's Testicles -
Four pigs’ testicles (you will need to order them at the butcher’s), sea-salt, black pepper, three cloves of garlic, or stalks of fresh garlic (peeled and chopped), fresh parsley (chopped), table salt, 100ml of white wine, cooking-oil.
Cook the testicles in salted water for about 20 minutes; then peel off the skin. Cut them into slices a centimetre thick. Heat some oil in a pan and cook the testicles with the garlic, parsley and white wine for about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper, and serve.
-taste.com.met
Pig's Skin - Pork rind or Pig Skin. Cooked, this may be either eaten warm with a meal, or served cold as a snack. In both forms, any fat attached to the skin of pig at the time of frying is absorbed in the process. Cracklings is the American name for pork rind produced by frying or roasting.
Pork skin
Salt
Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Put leftover ham skin on a sheet pan and sprinkle with salt. Bake until nice and crispy, usually about 3 hours.
-Paula Deen on Foodnetwork.com
Gracious goodness. There's a lot to absorb here. A well written read.
ReplyDelete