THE
HUNTING OF THE SNARK by Lewis Carroll, a graphic novel by this artist
and explained here, page by page, panel by panel, squiggle by squiggle …
right now we're in Fit the Sixth, where the Barrister (played by Martin
Heidegger) is dreaming of prosecuting a pig …
Fit the Sixth has reached an apotheosis of sorts in this
stanzel.
The swinish defendant has evaded his just desserts by revealing himself
to be dead and thus safely beyond the reach of any earthly verdict —
and all attendant legal fees, the cunning cheapster!
This artist has cleverly furnished Le Cochon with a small lyre and a spare set of wings to indicate his
après-vie
status. Naturally, this assumes that our pig is going to heaven, the
jolly, winged, lyre-strumming place, as opposed to hell, the
overcrowded, forked-tail and burning-flesh place.
Of such
niceties are all of our after-life dining and entertainment plans based
upon. One makes reservations for one's impending eternity based upon
one's individual life choices. Some of us will be nibbling tapas in
air-conditioned Elysian Fields while some of us will have to dress for
hot weather and dine al fresco, ad infinitum.
Some readers may be
shaking their heads in dismay at this conflation of eschatology and the
food-services industry but such are the grim exigencies of the modern
Snark Hunter. When one's entire day has been spent pursuing a
non-existent, annihilating beast, one simply doesn't have the time to
prepare for the afterlife, much less prepare a healthy supper for the
entire family.
Which is why this artist is pleased to share the
following Snark recipe with his fellow Snark Hunters. As befits the
dead-pig motif vaguely binding together this aleatory posting, it can be
prepared with either Snark or Pig …
Cuban-Style Roast Snark• a large Snark roast, 2-4 kgs (if snark is unavailable, substitute pork)
• head of garlic minced
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 2 tbsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. black pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• 1-2 cups of freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 medium onions, sliced thinly into rings
• 2 cups of white wine
Score
the Snark/pork roast diagonally. Combine all other ingredients together
and then add meat to marinade. One need not be too fussy or precise
with measurements. Refrigerate meat & marinade for at least 12
hours. I find that the simplest way to do this is to combine everything
in a large freezer zip-lock type bag and then leave it in the fridge.
Bake
at 350 degrees, check periodically to baste roast with juices. If using
a meat thermometer, roast till interior is 160-185 degrees, a nice
crust will form by then, especially if you basted diligently. Remove
from oven when done, remaining juices can be whipped up in a blender to
provide a gravy. If necessary, remove fat from juices first by chilling
in fridge & skimming.
Serve with forks and hope, or if unavailable, black beans and rice. And of course, bellow on to the last.
Ad astra per alas snarqui!