Christmas traditions in Mexico are unusual and interesting. We experienced one annual Christmas Eve tradition at Apolinar's house, the butchering of a pig. Thankfully we got there when most of the work was done and the fresh meat was hanging from tree limbs in their back yard. Since they have no refrigerator or freezer, they had to salt the meat and hang it up to dry.
It was a big occasion and several friends gathered around to help and share the meat. We were invited to join them. Marcelino brought a large shallow pan with attached feet that fit over a fire built on the ground. In this heavy pan they rendered the fat from cut up pieces of skin, ears, etc. This created chicharrones that in the United States we call cracklings, crisp bacon flavored bites. And the fat will cool and harden later creating lard. When the pieces of skin browned and shrank and floated, someone took a board and lifted them a few at a time out of the hot fat and into a large pan. The men around the fire were taking samples from the pan when they were cool enough to handle. Lloyd and I were encouraged to try the hot chicharrones and we had to eat them the Mexican way, sprinkled with fresh lime juice. In their lean-to kitchen Carla stirred the contents of a large full pot. This pot contained a stew from other usually discarded parts of a pig. The activities were all surrounded with a feeling of celebration, for a little while there would be plenty to eat.
The picture shows one of the men stirring chicharrones in Marcelino's specially made pan with legs.
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