Pigs were usually slaughtered in the fall, after they'd had the
summer and late summer to fatten up on acorns, those unharvested
peanuts, etc. Then it would also give the family provisions for the
long winter. Hey, don't laugh, for a Virginian a few months of less
than 80 degrees was a long, brutal winter.

Keep in mind that before there was canning or refrigeration, drying,
smoking, salting or brining were the only ways to preserve meats.

Nancy

-------
I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.

--Daniel Boone



On Jan 11, 2007, at 10:34 AM, Melinda Skinner wrote:

> Does anyone remember "beaten biscuits?"
> They are pale, nearly white, smaller than the "dollar biscuits,"
> and almost like hardtack but taste great with Smithfield ham (or
> most any ham from Virginia peanut-fed hogs).
> What about the "skippers" in ham.  My father always said that those
> chalky little white spots in the meat were the sign of a really
> good ham.  (I later learned that they were the cooked result of fly
> larvae.)  I must have eaten quite a lot of them, but I guess it's
> all been cleaned up these days.
> My family had two peanut farms with many pigs, and we always had
> fantastic hams, pork and sausage-- which we usually got in the
> winter-- brought up to our home in Richmond in big, lidded tin
> containers.  I would help my mother package the sausage and chops
> and tenderloin to dole out to friends and relatives.  I have cooked
> hundreds of hams and used to soak them after scrubbing-- to get
> some of the excess salt out.  A few years ago, a learned that it
> works just as well to cook the ham in a roasting pan with a few
> inches of water for the first few hours-- then bake it at the end
> of the process.  Much easier.
>
> My husband and I once sent a ham to my mother-in-law in England.
> She thanked us but said she had to throw it out because it was
> "bad" because it had mold on it.  (I had tried to explain to her
> the whole Virginia ham deal and methods of cooking, but it didn't
> sink in.)  We later sent a cooked Smithfield ham, but she said it
> was too salty to eat.
>
> --
> Melinda C. P. Skinner
> Writer and Wonderer
>
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: [log in to unmask]
>> All righty.
>> I've gotten the word that some of you would like to have my
>> mother's Ham
>> Biscuit "receipt".
>> I'm taking the liberty of putting it straight to the List so you
>> can take it
>> or leave it.
>> The recipe I'm going to give you is the one that evolved over the
>> course of
>> her 88 years and it's truly awesome. People who don't even care for
>> Smithfield ham have been known to crave these biscuits.
>> First of all, when silver dollar biscuits became too hard to find
>> anymore
>> (after Crum's Bakery in Newport News closed) Mother switched to
>> none other
>> than Pepperidge Farm Party Rolls.
>> I know. I know. That sounds like heresy but bear with me.
>> Break open the biscuit (roll) and on one side of it spread some
>> butter.....real butter, please, not margarine.
>> On the other side spread a generous layer of, none other than,
>> Texas Pete
>> Honey Mustard (this was a later in life concession to making her own
>> sweetened mustard concoction).
>> Between those two pieces of the roll place 3-4 slices of paper-thin
>> Smithfield ham....neatly trim the edges and cut away any excessive
>> pieces of
>> fat.
>> Wrap the biscuits in tin foil and put them into an oven warmed to
>> about 375
>> degrees.
>> Only leave them in there for about 5-8 minutes...just long enough
>> to melt
>> the butter and warm things up.
>> Serve them immediately upon leaving the oven as they are best
>> served warm.
>> Now I KNOW that this is a severe variation of the traditional cold
>> ham
>> biscuit that is served on hard tack.
>> But this is one of many  receipts that won my mother the
>> reputation for
>> being a fabulous cook.
>> Just do yourself a favor and try this.
>> Then, if you would like, I'll give you her receipt for fried simlins!
>> Now who KNOWS what they are?
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Sunshine49" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 2:03 PM
>> Subject: some recipes
>>
>>
>>> All this food talk made me get out my old family recipes, so before
>>> we run out of our allotted 50 posts for today:
>>>
>>> POPOVERS
>>>
>>> 1c. flour
>>> 1/2 tsp. salt
>>> 1 c. whole milk
>>> 2 eggs
>>>
>>> Heat oven to 425. Grease well deep muffin cups or custard cups.
>>> Measure flour. Beat all ingredients together with rotary beater till
>>> just smooth. Overbeating will reduce volume. Fill muffin cups 3/4
>>> full, or custard cups 1/2 full. Bake 40-45 minutes. Serve
>>> immediately. [this was a favorite of my father]
>>>
>>> *******
>>> SOUTHERN BISCUIT RECIPE
>>>
>>> 2 c flour
>>> 2/3 tsp. salt
>>> 1/2 tsp soda
>>> 3 Tblsp. shortening
>>> 3/4 c buttermilk
>>>
>>> Combine flour, salt, and soda. Cut in shortening until it resembles
>>> coarse crumbs (I use two table knives- it is important to get it
>>> crumbly, this adds to the light texture- this is also the secret to
>>> light pie crusts). Add buttermilk and stir till well blended. Turn
>>> onto floured board and knead lightly, 3 or 4 times. Roll to 1/2"
>>> thickness, cut with a 2" biscuit cutter, drinking glass, or small
>>> juice glass. Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 450
>>> for 12-15 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.
>>>
>>> **************
>>> UNCLE MIKE'S FUDGE
>>>
>>> 2 c sugar
>>> 1 c. canned, condensed milk
>>> 2 sq. unsweetened baking chocolate
>>> butter the size of a walnut
>>> 1 tsp. vanilla
>>>
>>> This is best cooked in an iron skillet. Place all ingredients in a
>>> pan [except vanilla], mix well, boil till a bit of it forms a ball
>>> when dropped in cold water. Remove from heat and add vanilla, beat
>>> with a large spoon till thick. Pour into buttered pan and chill. If
>>> unhard, reheat, add more sugar, and chill. This beating takes a long
>>> time, we used to spell each other, but it's the best fudge ever.
>>>
>>> ************
>>>
>>> Raleigh Tavern, Williamsburg, Gingerbread Men
>>>
>>> Preheat oven to 350. Warm together 1/2 lb. butter, 1 c. old-
>>> fashioned
>>> dark molasses,  and 1 c evaporated milk, blending well. Add 1 tsp.
>>> each vanilla and lemon extracts, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Mix together 4
>>> Tblsp ginger [yes, 4 Tblsp], 1 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg, 1
>>> 1/4 c
>>> sugar, and 1 tsp. baking soda. Combine with liquid mix. Sift in 9
>>> cups of flour, one cup at a time, stirring after each. When it
>>> becomes stiff blend with hands till all flour is absorbed. Roll to
>>> 1/8" thick and cut out shapes. Bake 13-15 minutes or until dough
>>> springs back lightly in center when touched. Bake round shapes 8-10
>>> minutes.
>>>
>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
>>> instructions
>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>>
>>
>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
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>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
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