To Pickle Pork
From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Elizabeth Langley
Written by Elizabeth Langley
To Pickle Pork
"Take the middle of a fat Hog cut out all the bones & leave very little lean rub it well with salt & after you have rubbed the powdering tub with salt & cover the bottom with salt cut the Pork as near as you can to the size of your tub that it may lye close put peices to fill up pres it down as close as possible with common salt & a little salt petre (3 ounces of salt petre will be enough for the middle of a large Hog) To the same between every layer of Pork keep the top coverd with salt till the Brine rise when the Brine does not rise it will rust if the brine should not rise in two months you must put a very strong brine to it, it will be fit to eat in 7 or 8 months but it is best after laying a Year the Hog must be scalded not singed."
Note on the Original Text
Eighteenth-century recipes were written as vivid procedural instructions, assuming the reader’s experience. Spelling was idiosyncratic (e.g., 'pres' for 'press', ‘lye’ for ‘lie’), and measurements were by sight, touch, or common custom rather than precision. Common terms like ‘salt petre’ meant potassium nitrate, used as a preservative and color agent, and ‘brine’ was a concept rather than a defined saline solution. Instructions prioritized method and proportion over strict ingredient quantities, reflecting everyday hands-on knowledge.
Title
Cookbook of Elizabeth Langley (1757)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Elizabeth Langley
Era
1757
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step into the Georgian kitchen with Elizabeth Langley's 1757 culinary collection, where refined techniques and delightful recipes await those with a taste for historic gastronomy.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe hails from 1757, penned by Elizabeth Langley. At that time, preserving pork for the long seasons without refrigeration was a household essential. Pickling, or salt-curing, was one of the most reliable methods to ensure meat availability through winter and into the next year. Such recipes were often handed down through families or written in household receipt books. The ‘middle of a fat Hog’ would have been a prized cut, and the careful process of packing, pressing, and patiently waiting for the brine reveal a way of life attuned to the rhythms of the agricultural year.
The original process employed sturdy wooden (or stoneware) tubs called 'powdering tubs' for salting large cuts of meat. Cooks would use coarse salt by hand, often rubbing it in wearing thick cloths or bare hands, and stack or press pork with heavy stones or weighted boards. Other necessary implements included sharp knives for butchering, scalding boilers (for prepping the skin), and perhaps linen covers or wooden lids to keep pests out during the long curing.
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
0 mins
Servings
25
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 13-18 lb pork belly (fatty, bone removed, little lean meat)
- 4.5-6.5 lb sea salt or kosher salt (enough for generous packing and brine)
- 3 oz saltpetre (potassium nitrate; food grade, or substitute with Prague Powder #1 if not available—use with caution)
- Water (for additional brine, if needed)
- Optional: ceramic or food-grade plastic tub for curing
Instructions
- To create this 18th-century pickled pork at home, begin with about 13-18 lb of fresh pork belly, preferably from a fatty section.
- Remove as many bones as possible and trim most of the lean meat, keeping primarily the fatty portions.
- Generously rub fine salt all over the meat, including every surface.
- Choose a large, food-safe plastic or ceramic curing tub (or a crock) and sprinkle a thick layer of salt on the bottom.
- Cut the pork slabs so they fit snugly in the tub, ensuring there are no large air gaps.
- Layer the pork into the tub, interleaving each layer with more salt — for the whole batch, use about 3 oz of saltpetre (potassium nitrate) in total, divided between all layers.
- Press the pork down firmly as you go.
- Cover the top with more salt.
- After a few days, a brine should rise, drawn out by the salt.
- Keep the pork submerged in this brine by covering with a plate or a weight.
- If, after two months, no brine has formed, prepare a strong brine solution (boiling roughly 1 part salt to 2 parts water) and add it to fully submerge the meat.
- Keep the pork under brine for a minimum of 7-8 months before eating, for best flavor after a full year.
- Use scalded (not singed) pork skin if possible, mimicking historical butchery techniques.
Estimated Calories
650 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Preparing and salting the pork takes about 1 hour. The pork must cure in brine for at least 7-8 months (up to 1 year) before it can be eaten. Once ready, you can cook slices by boiling, roasting, or frying, but the base recipe does not require a specific cooking time.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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