Plus ca change...

[madbaker]

"Bacon was prepared as follows: the meat was boned, covered in coarse salt, arranged on boards, and pressed with weights to extract the blood. After twelve days of being rubbed with salt, the meat was washed in fresh water, dried a little, and hung up to be smoked" (Columella On Agriculture 12.55)

They've been making bacon the same way for 2000 years. This is the only "recipe" I've seen, possibly because it was so widely known.

I don't actually have Columella Book XII. I shall have to remedy this.

Comments

[vittoriosa.livejournal.com]

Books 1-9 of Columella De re rustica, in Latin and English (both searchable, bilingual views possible), are at the Perseus project: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection?collection=Perseus:collection:Greco-Roman

The complete Columella (up to Book 12) is at the Latin Library: http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/columella.html but no translations.

Caveat lector: the bit you posted above is just a summary of the process that Columella spends a long paragraph one. There are more steps. Let me know if you need a translation. :-)

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

Yes please!

[vittoriosa.livejournal.com]

gladly! i have a big deadline looming this week but Columella will be next on the docket.