1832 - The Cook's Own Book

Pork Spare Rib

DDV CULINARY

Usually weighs about eight or nine pounds,
and will take from two to three hours to roast it thoroughly;
not exactly according to its weight, but the thickness of the meat
upon it which varies very much. Lay the thick end nearest to the fire.
A proper bald spare rib of eight pounds weight
(so called because almost all the meat is pared off),
with a steady fire, will be done in an hour and a quarter.
There is so little meat on a bald spare rib, that if you have a large,
fierce fire, it will be burned before it is warm through.
Joint it nicely, and crack the ribs across as you do ribs of lamb.
When you put it down to roast, dust on some flour,
and baste it with a little butter;
dry a dozen sage leaves, and rub them through a hair-sieve,
and put them into the top of a dredging-box;
and about a quarter of an hour before the meat is done,
baste it with butter; dust with the pulverized sage.

Obs.--Make it a general rule never to pour gravy over any thing that is
roasted; by so doing, the dredging, &c. is washed off, and it eats insipid.

Some people carve a spare rib by cutting out in slices the thick part at
the bottom of the bones. When this meat is cut away, the bones may be
easily separated, and are esteemed very sweet picking.

Apple sauce, mashed potatoes, and good mustard are indispensable.