Chapter 13: La Matanza

Luis wants to organize a Matanza. He has a day in November in mind and puts out feelers among friends and neighbours as to the best weekend for this festive event. Festive that is for the villagers but not for the pig chosen as the lead character.

Both Luis and Alejandro are making preparations for the forthcoming Matanza. It will be held in a large finca below the one that hosted the September festivities. This one is for Campo people and not for faint-hearted town folks.

Sometimes the pig is killed using a metal spike held against its forehead and rammed with a large long handled wooden mallet, the large size important so as not to miss the spike and cause unnecessary suffering. 

At other times, as is the case here, the pig is put on a wooden trestle table and calmed by stroking and cooing to ensure an adrenaline rush does not ruin the meat. The throat is then cut while the pig is held firm to enable the collection of blood into buckets for making the famous Morcilla sausage. One person is assigned the important task of stirring the blood to stop it from coagulating before others have cleaned and prepared the intestines and mixed the ingredients of finely chopped belly fat, cooked rice, herbs and spices.

This finca has a walled courtyard with its own well and plenty room for the large wooden scalding tub used for softening up the pig skin after the killing. 

As this tub is made of wood and assembled from slats, it will dry out from year to year. In order to make it watertight, it is repeatedly filled with water a few days before for the wooden slats to expand enough to create a perfect vessel for the scalding water.

Large tripods are holding metal pots suspended over log fires. They will be used for the boiling water for the tub. When the pig is lowered into its final bath, it is essential that the temperature of the water is neither too hot nor too cold. It must soften and loosen the hair without damaging the skin. This normally takes a few minutes after which the pig is suspended from a ladder and the skin is scraped for all hair and other impurities. Once cleaned and dried, it is opened up from head to tail and the innards collected.

The most critical part of the Matanza is the making of the Morcilla. The blood has been stirred constantly since it was collected, the casings have been cleaned, the main ingredients prepared. Now comes the slow pouring of pig’s blood into the mix while stirring until the consistency is perfect for pouring or stuffing into its final destination. Both ends tied off, the Morcilla is lowered into gently simmering water for about half an hour. Then cooled and stored for consumption during the approaching winter.

Nothing is wasted. Even ears, tail and trotters are considered delicacies among country folks. Hooves are being boiled down for gelatine. The two hams or thighs are put into a below ground salt cellar where they will stay for a few weeks before being hung in the curing or drying loft. A well ventilated cool space this will be their home for upwards of twelve months.

The rest of the pig having been cut into pieces for preserving or minced for sausages for curing or smoking, it is time for the most important part of the Matanza event. Celebrating the successful completion of sacrificing the pig and enjoying some of the products washed down with good wine.

Everyone moves from the courtyard to the garden area below the finca. A good spread has been prepared and there is no shortage of beverages.

The celebrations continue until well after dark when people slowly start their long walk home. Nobody passes by the courtyard and the drowned body in the scalding tub is not discovered until the following morning.