HFF - Roasts #2

Yesterday, a facsimile copy of The Kentucky Housewife arrived on my doorstep.  I was quite excited because I'd tried to order this book before and it was never in stock.  As well, my efforts to find a free digitized downloadable copy have so far proved fruitless.

 online 1839 edition    It is online reading - ick
 
 1885 book with same name by different author
 (wrong cook book)


 So I made myself a huge mug of peppermint tea and sat down to peruse the hard copy which was now in my hands.   I found this recipe for Baked Pork!    It seemed quite obvious to try this one since I was thawing some pork for supper.

Baked Pork

Take a leg, shoulder, or part of the middling, rinse it clean, and score the skin crosswise, so as to form diamonds, season it with salt, pepper, and sifted sage; brush it over with sweet oil, lard or butter, and put it in an oven with a small quantity of water, having placed in the bottom some suitable vegetable, such as squash, tomatoes, sweet or white potatoes.  Bake it with moderate heat, till it is thoroughly done.  If the meat is large, it would be best to bake it till about half done, before the vegetable is put in.  Thicken the gravy with brown flour, and flavour it with any kind of catchup you choose. 


I substituted pork tenderloins for the pork roast.   It was the only pork in the freezer and what I had already taken out for supper.   I rinsed and trimmed the silver skin from the tenderloins.  I sprinkled them with salt, pepper and in lieu of sifted sage, because I was out, I used an 1845 herb combination which was parsley, thyme,lemon peel, tarragon.   Not the same as sage, but a tasty blend non the less.

I patted the herbs and seasonings on, drizzled a bit of oil over it and set it over some chopped and peeled butternut squash cubes.    I added a little bit of broth instead of the water, simply because there was about 3/4 cup left from a previous meal, which desperately needed to be used up.   I popped it into the oven at 350° until done.   I forgot to check the time, but I'm guessing it was about an hour.  I thickened the gravy or pan juices with a bit of starch.

Oh my!  This was incredibly good.  The squash was amazing cooking in all the juices.  The pork was flavourful and being tenderloin, very tender.  No catchup was needed to flavour the sauce though.  It was good as it was.

Cost -  $2.10 squash ( approx.  as it was in the larder needing to be used)
             $6.85 for 2  (eating out of the freezer in order to make space)
             $26.96      The Kentucky Housewife   :)


Accurate save for the cut of pork suggested.



Now to find a copy of The Carolina Housewife.  It is next on the list.