Okay. I admit it. The pork cake did not work out well. Pigs in this century are bred to be lean, whereas in my great-grandmother Lucy's day, quality fat was to be had from the pig's back. Or, maybe they just didn't know anything else. The fat I used resulted in a product that wasn't smooth and therefore eating it was not a pleasant experience. When the cake wasn't quite so fresh – and we had plenty that wasn't quite so fresh – it began to taste – well, "porky." The taste of the fat seemed to come through. Mike made the same unsolicited observation.
So I decided to take the same recipe and substitute ½ cup butter and ½ cup of my homemade applesauce for the pork fat, which of course, makes the cake something that isn't pork cake. Now I have an applesauce cake, and after having experimented with this recipe, I admit that I have a better recipe for applesauce cake on file. You know how it is – you're in a recipe rut and you know it. You want to break out of the rut and try something new (or something old), so you start reading recipes. You land on one that appeals to you, but as you read it, you begin to mental
ly make substitutions according to what you have on hand or what you like. In the final analysis, the new recipe looks like your old tried and true recipe and you're back to square one. I'm afraid that's the case with the pork cake.
Recipes change over time according to what is available, affordable, and fits nutrition trends. We don't eat like we did in Grandma's day – whatever that day was – and that's probably a good thing.
[The first photo is the family of my great-grandparents, Lafe and Lucy Dickson, taken in the late 1880s. Standing are Ina (my grandmother), Bertha, Ben, and Ida; seated beside their parents are Mabel and Frank. The second photo is the extended family of Lafe and Lucy Dickson who are seated in the center. Grandma Ina stands just behind Lafe's left shoulder. Her husband, June Dobson, is to her left with their daughters Myrtle and Ethel behind him. My dad is probably one of the children seated on the lawn.] KW
Do you think rendering the fat in the oven and using the drippings might work? But I guess that might make the fat roast and taste even more porky.
ReplyDeleteYour idea to render the fat may be good, but I've spent enough time and ingredients on Great-grandma Lucy's recipe. I think as we improved basic ingredients, our tastes changed as well. I had a good time experimenting and I'm willing to let it go. Thanks for taking an interest, Murray. KW
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