1 T butter, softened ¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ pound salt pork, trimmed of all ½ c seedless raisins
rind and cut into ¼-inch dice ½ c dried currants
½ c boiling water 1/3 c (2 ounces) finely diced
2 c unsifted flour candied citron
½ tsp baking soda 1 egg
1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ c sugar
¼ tsp ground allspice ½ c molasses
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
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Preheat the oven to 300°. With a pastry brush spread 1 tablespoon of the
butter over the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.Drop the salt pork dice into a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set them aside to soak for 10 or 15 minutes. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves, and sift them together into a deep bowl. Add the raisins, currants and citron, and stir to coat them evenly with the flour.
With a wooden spoon, beat the egg, sugar and molasses to a smooth paste. Pour in the pork and its soaking water, and mix well. Then add the flour-and-fruit mixture about ½ cup at a time, beating the batter well after each addition.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1½ hours, or until the top is brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn the pork cake out on a wire rack and cool to room temperature before serving. Makes one 9-by-5-by-3-inch cake.
