Got pork? World’s Largest Matanza on Saturday

BELEN — A unique cultural and community event is taking place this weekend — the 26th annual Hispano Chamber of Valencia County Matanza.

The World’s Largest Matanza will showcase the traditional preparation of food for the masses from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24, at Eagle Park in Belen.

This year’s matanza will feature 10 teams cooking for the thousands of attendees expected to come out for the day, including one traditional team that will break down a hog on site.

Tickets for the day are $20 per person, and children 10 and younger are free. The entry fee allows attendees to sample food from all the teams for as long as it lasts.

“Every year, I tell myself this is the last year,” said 10-year HCVC board member Dan Chadborn, chuckling. “We’re an all-volunteer board and December and January are quite a stressful time for us. To get this together, we’ve created a system to make it as smooth as possible, but as anyone who’s done large events like this knows, that isn’t always the case.”

Chadborn said the teams are key to the success and have their own challenges gathering up volunteers and making sure they are committed to the long day of hard work.

“It takes a lot of hands and it all culminates on the day of the event in something really special,” he said. “Watching all these folks and their children, their friends, learning these traditional parts of New Mexico culture that’s been around for generations, that predates New Mexico as a state, is so amazing.”

The tradition of matanza dates back to before electricity and refrigeration, when families and neighbors gathered to slaughter, preserve and cook meat for the coming winter. While any animal can technically be used during a matanza, the communities in the valley typically focus on hogs.

While not a necessity in the day and age of grocery stores and deep freezes, the Hispano Chamber and the annual matanza keeps the old ways alive and tasty. Teams battle it out, competing to see who can make the best liver, carne adovada and of course, chicharrones — a crowd favorite.

“This is my favorite thing we do in Valencia County. We have people who come every year from all across the country,” said Chadborn. “At the end of the day, you’re exhausted, but you think about how unique of an event it is and how it brings the community together to enjoy a tradition that is unique to us.”

The discos will be packed away once the last carnitas and tortillas are served, but the impact of the matanza is long-lasting, with dozens of scholarships distributed to local students from the proceeds of the event.

“The scholarships and what they give to the community — those are the two things that keep us driven to keep putting this on and keep it alive,” Chadborn said, who was himself a VCHC scholarship recipient.

“We’ve been through a lot of trials and tribulations; there are a lot more regulations to deal with that make things more difficult. We’ve lost folks, the old hands who guided us and taught the new generation how to do this, and we’re working through the losing some of that tradition. Those who remain are doing an amazing job.”

Not only will the teams be competing, members of the public can bring their own dishes — red chile, natillas, tortillas, salsa, biscochitos and pastelitos — to see how they fare.

Public entries can be brought to the judging tent starting at 8:30 a.m. or at least 15 minutes before judging for the category begins.

No matanza would be complete without music, and this year’s event features Second 2 Last Band, Peter Vigil & the All-Star Band and Black Pearl. There will also be a beer garden, as well as vendors selling non-alcoholic drinks on the field.

Free parking and shuttles will be available at Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church, 101-A N. 10th Street in Belen.

Parking for attendees with valid handicapped placards will be available near the entrance of the grounds at Eagle Park.

Attendees are encouraged to bring folding chairs, but coolers are prohibited. Service animals are allowed, but pets cannot be brought to the event.

The chamber is also selling 26th annual commemorative t-shirts and aprons at the matanza.

“A lot of people come and meet friends and family, hang out and enjoy the music and food,” said VCHC board vice president Mike Ogas. “I think this is the neatest cultural event in this part of the country. It’s a long-time cultural tradition for hundreds of years.”