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Pork, Spare-Rib of, Roasted

A spare-rib of pork usually weights 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 sparerib that if you have a large, fierce fire it will be burnt before it is warmed 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 with a little butter. Dry a dozen sage-leaves, rub them through a hair sieve, and put them into the top of a pepper-box, and about a quarter of an hour before the meat is done baste it with butter, then dust with the pulverised sage, or sprinkle with duck-stuffing. 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.