To Order Bacon Like Westfalia
From the treasured pages of The Lady Cravens Receipt Book
Written by Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven

To Order Bacon Like Westfalia
"Cut your Porke Like Westfalia-hams, then rub in two ounces of Salt petter very well all over, & let it lye a day & a night, then take 2 ounces more of the same, & beat it with 2 good handfulls of common Salt, & ye Same quantity of Bay-Salt, then take a pound of brown Suger, & mix all these very well to gether, put them into a stewpan, & make them very hot over some coales, but be sure it does not melt, And whilst it is hot rub it all over your porke with 2 good handfulls more of white Salt, rub it well all over, So lett it lye till it can brine, turne the porke every day, & with a Table or Spoon baste it every day with ye brine twice for thre weekes or a month, according to the bigness of ye porke, then hang it in ye Chimney that it may be well smoak't, And when you boyle it put hay in the Pott~"
Note on the Original Text
This recipe uses period spelling ('porke', 'lye', 'boyle', 'coales') and punctuation is sparse, with instructions chained by conjunctions. Quantities use the ounce and pound system, and 'handfull' as a common, variable measure, reflecting a tactile, experience-driven approach to cookery. Writing was direct yet assumed familiarity with various processes—salting, turning, and smoking pork. Rubrics about basting and brining assume a working knowledge of preserving meats before refrigeration, and much is left implicit or approximated, typical for the era's manuscript cookbooks.

Title
The Lady Cravens Receipt Book (1703)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven
Era
1703
Publisher
Coome Abbey
Background
A delectable manuscript brimming with 18th-century English delights, Lady Craven's receipt book whisks readers from luscious cakes and puddings to savory feasts and creamy cheeses. Elegantly organized and sprinkled with recipes from an illustrious social circle, this culinary collection offers a sumptuous taste of aristocratic home economics.
Kindly made available by
Penn State University
This recipe comes from Lady Craven's receipt book, a handwritten collection dating from the early 18th century (circa 1702–1704). The book reflects the domestic culinary practices of English gentry, often borrowing continental techniques like this homage to the famed bacon of Westphalia (in modern-day Germany), renowned for its flavourful cure and distinctive smoke. At the time, such household manuals were repositories of both family tradition and social connection, with recipes passed among women of rank. Lady Craven's book includes attributed recipes, mirroring a collaborative, network-driven approach to domestic knowledge and reflecting women's critical role in the day-to-day management of landed households.

Back then, the preparation would have involved large wooden chopping blocks or tables for butchering pork, stone or earthenware crocks for curing, coarse cloths, wooden spoons, and glazed ceramic or brass pans for heating cures. The smoking process took place over open hearths or in purpose-built smokehouses, with the bacon suspended from hooks in the chimney. For boiling, large cauldrons or iron pots hung over the fire were common. Hay was added directly to the pot for both aroma and supposed tenderising effect.
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
2 hrs
Servings
12
Ingredients
- 4–6 lb pork belly or side (skin on, if possible)
- 4 oz potassium nitrate (saltpetre), divided
- 3 1/2 oz sea salt, divided (or combination of sea salt and bay salt, if available)
- 1 lb brown sugar
- 1 3/4 oz fine white salt
- Optional: 1 bunch bay leaves (if bay salt not available)
- Water for curing and simmering
- 1 good handful clean hay (for boiling; or omit if unavailable)
Instructions
- Begin by cutting a pork belly or side into large pieces as you would prepare for classic Westphalian hams, typically in slabs weighing about 4–6 lb each.
- Thoroughly rub 2 oz (56 grams) of potassium nitrate (saltpetre) over all surfaces of the meat, ensuring an even coat, and allow it to rest for 24 hours in the refrigerator or a cool space.
- Next, combine another 2 oz (56 grams) of saltpetre with 1 3/4 oz each (about 2 small handfuls) of sea salt and bay salt or, if unavailable, all sea salt.
- To this, add 1 lb (450 grams) brown sugar.
- Mix these ingredients thoroughly and gently warm in a saucepan until just hot, but not melted into liquid sugar.
- While still warm (but not hot enough to cook), rub the mixture all over the pork, followed by two more handfuls (about 1 3/4 oz) of fine white salt, rubbing it in well.
- Place the pork in a non-metallic container or crock, cover, and let it cure in the fridge or a cold space.
- Turn the pieces every day, and use a spoon or ladle to baste with the accumulating brine twice daily for 3–4 weeks (for joints up to 4–6 lb; larger pieces may need longer).
- When cured, hang the pork in a smoker or over a wood fire to allow it to smoke gently for several days until well-flavoured.
- When ready to cook, simmer the bacon in a pot of water with a handful of hay added, simmering gently until tender.
Estimated Calories
600 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Curing takes about 3-4 weeks and requires daily turning and basting. Active prep time is short, but most of the time is passive. Cooking (simmering) takes about 2-3 hours. This recipe makes enough for around 12 servings, with each serving about 200–250g cooked bacon.
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