The weather begins to cool and stay cool and I am reminded of the many stories that Pappaw told us about "hog killing time". The first crisp fall day---with the promise of cool temperatures hanging around all day--was the time to kill the families pork supply for the year.
I have watched a special on television this week about the continued practice of this old tradition in South Louisiana. It was fascinating and perhaps a little gross---you see ALL of the parts of the pig are used---nothing goes to waste. MAJOR GROSS!
All this said---to get to this----the hog had to be fattened up before slaughter time. He received an extra rich diet of corn---and scraps---loads of food. This produced the fat---which in turn produced the lard once the pig was slaughtered. A fat pig was desirable at slaughter time.
Most of us cooks know what makes for the MOST delicious dishes---a good helping of fat/lard/butter....I don't care WHO tells me how delicious their low fat dishes are---they are just storing or trying to deceive their self. THERE IS JUST NOT ANYTHING AS GOOD AS A FAT LADEN DRIPPING IN BUTTER DISH!
Try it for yourself. Boil a little squash in some water and then put a little pepper only (salt is not good for you) and mash it up. Now on the other side---fry 2-3 pieces of bacon and remove the bacon---put your sliced squash and sliced onion in the hot grease with a touch of flour and plenty of salt and pepper and smother until tender. Serve with the diced bacon on top. I'll let you be the judge of which is better & I don't care HOW long I live---I will never prefer or get used to or prefer the other. We've all got to die someday and I am going to have eaten ALL these delicious dishes on the way. I can't imagine living another year and having missed all of these culinary odysseys!
PASS THE BACON!
1 comment:
I remember when we did this at my grandma's house in Bernice. I was about 5-6 yrs old & fascinated at first--but soon grossed out. Only hog killing I went to. But I loved the smell of the smokehouse!
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