New Mexico is full of culture that's tied to the people that live here. This is one of the reasons I love my home state and I think makes it the "Land of Enchantment."
Recently I talked with one of my uncles about a matanza his family was having and basically forced him to invite me! A matanza is the slaughtering and cooking of an animal. As strange as it may sounds, photographing a matanza has been very high on my list of photography projects. I think it's because it is engrained with culture, is something new I hadn't experienced and would bring many people together. So, I was interested and very excited that the opportunity to be at one finally presented itself.
Once I arrived there were a dozen or so men ready to start the matanza. They began by preparing a fire and getting a large pot full of water to boil. This was important to do before killing the pig, since it would help get the hair off the pig easier later on. Meanwhile the prospective pig is hanging out in a trailer full of hay enjoying his last moments.
Next was the killing of the pig. Depending on the family, they will choose other animals such as cows, goats, lambs or the sort. In this case, a vegan pig (who knew) was chosen and killed in a trailer. After being shot about 5 men jumped in the trailer and jumped on top of the poor pig struggling to live. At this point Shawn, the host, stabs the pigs heart and ends his life to officially kick off the matanza.
These men jumped in the trailer to hold the pig down so Shawn could stab the heart.
Shawn after killing the pig.
Now is the time to skin the pig. After laying the deceased pig on the stainless steel butchering table, hot burlap bags are put on the pig. Another person starts pouring boiling water on the pigs as well to make the process easier. Everyone that wants to joins in skinning the pig starts now and does it till not a hair is left on his chinny chin chin. At this point 1-2 people come in to clean the pig's skin with soap. This is a wise thing to do since we will all be eating this pig later on in the day.
Drinking wine out of the bottle is their family tradition.
My Uncle John starts washing the pig before the butchering process.
Butchering el cerdo
Everything before this point was very basic to getting the animal prepped for the glory of a matanza. This portion of the matanza is the most graphic part, so if you don't like looking at any blood, this may not be for your eyes.
Everyone gathers around Shawn and he does the honor of cutting the beast open from the neck to the tail. Inside you see the anatomy of the pig, almost perfectly intact, except for the heart and liver that were stabbed during the killing. They make fun of him for getting the liver, but he holds true that he killed the pig the right way.
Removal of intenstines and organs.
Shawn and his family see what organs he stabbed during the killing of the pig. He cut the heart and liver.
They removed the guts to bury and organs for cooking later. Generations are watching at this point. Shawn's son is watching how to properly cut the pigs, and two young nephews are watching closely as well.
They part the ribs before placing them in the smoker.
Once the meat is parted, everyone is free to work on any part of the pig they'd like. My uncle decides to make the chicharones, which require constant stirring of the fat in a large pot of boiling water.
My uncle constantly stirs the pot of pig fat to make chicharones.
The chicharones once they are done.
Others cut the meat in pieces for the many ways to eat the pig. They take care not to waste any part of the pig if it's not necessary.
The liver was cut before cooking over the fire.
Nothing is wasted, even the pig's feet are kept for food.
Hot red chile is added to the pork meat cooked over the fire pit.
This was my matanza experience. It was a lot of hard work done by a team working together for a purpose. New memories were formed and many relationships strengthened. I was very blessed to be a port of this matanza and would like to go to more in the future.
The Matanza crew.
Culture is tied to the people we surround ourselves with and the food we eat. During a matanza, your culture is being formed. The roots of you grandparents influence your actions today. My uncle learned the art of having a matanza from his father, and as a family they decided to honor this tradition. They also are in turn passing it on to the next generation by teaching the kids that this is what their family does. Of course when the time comes, they can decide on their own if they want to keep the tradition going, but I hope that they do. That they remember what they learned and how it was.
I saw it as a great excuse to have people come together, and who better than family. Yes it was a cold, gloomy day, but didn't compare to the warmth of the people surrounding you. It was fun, and I think I learned a lot, especially about the way butchering works. It definitely gave me more respect for butchers.
This is culture- New Mexican culture- at least for many families in the state. The matanza was a family event, but culture was being formed during the time spent together. It went far deeper than just skinning the pig... it went to the heart of spending time with family and of course satisfying the stomach with tasty food.
They talked me into taking a photo with the pig.
