To Bake a Pig

This recipe comes from the late 1600s, a time when English kitchens were evolving from medieval traditions to early modern gastronomy. Boar and domestic pig were core elements of the rural British diet, especially during winter months when preserving meat became essential. Spices like mace, cloves, and nutmeg signal the growing influence of global trade, while the use of clarified butter suggests preservation for longer storage—a common practice before refrigeration. The process reflects both feasting and practicality. Baking whole pigs or large cuts in wine and butter was typical of gentry and aristocratic houses, and shows both extravagance and a concern for food safety and longevity.

Cooks in the 17th century would prepare this dish with knives for butchery and boning, large pots or earthenware jars for seasoning and marinating, and heavy, lidded baking vessels for the oven—either brick-lined hearths or communal bakehouses. A clean cloth was essential for drying meat, and paper (often oiled or treated as an early form of parchment) was used to seal dishes. Clarifying butter would involve a heavy-bottomed pan and a strainer or muslin cloth. Open hearths and wood-fired ovens made temperature control an art, requiring careful management of embers and coals.