"After a two-year hiatus, the World’s Largest Matanza — the signature scholarship fundraiser for the Hispano Chamber of Valencia County — is back and ready to let the eager public sample traditional matanza foods," the Valencia County News-Bulletin says.

"The Matanza, a day-long celebration of food, culture, music and community, was cancelled in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19 concerns. Thanks to the continued tradition of generosity on the part of the community, the chamber was able to award scholarships to dozens of local students both years.

"This year, 12 teams will compete to create the best carne adovada, red chile, chicharrones, liver dish and the always mysterious, Iron Pig dish, which is made with an unknown basket of ingredients given to each team on the day of the Matanza. In addition to the individual food categories, the teams will be competing for the coveted People’s Choice Award. Lucero encourages attendees to go to each of the booths to sample their food and vote for their favorite."

"THE MATANZA HAS BEEN a part of New Mexico’s culinary culture since the Spanish first introduced pigs to the Río Grande Valley. In the days before refrigeration, the slaughter of a fattened hog during fall and winter was a community celebration—and a practical way to distribute food among family and friends. Cooking a whole pig is a big job and, by nature, a social event. You need strong arms to dig a deep pit and plenty of firewood to craft a deep bed of coals. In 500 years, the general process hasn’t changed that much," the New Mexico Magazine says.

"You give thanks for the animal’s sacrifice, then cut up all of the fat and put it in a big iron or copper cazo (a type of pot) to simmer for hours. Everyone clamors for chicharrónes, little pieces of fatty meat cooked to crispy perfection. Tortillas are rolled out and put on heated comals to puff, while bigger pieces of pork immersed in red chile slowly simmer.

"What is new is that there are fewer matanzas, in part because it really does take a small village (or a big family) to throw one. Also, fewer people keep backyard pigs the way they used to. (Up until a few years ago, live pigs were brought to the cook-off site; now organizers must have the animals processed in a USDA-certified facility, making the meat costlier—and, some grumble, the process less traditional.)"

"The Matanzeros are busy chopping mesquite wood or laying out knives and ingredients to tackle the 12-hour day ahead of them. So he jukes around the pit fires, propane gas tanks, cauldrons, smokers and skillets behind the team tent and searches for a solution," the Los Angeles Times says.

"Towns in the Land of Enchantment have held matanzas for centuries, ever since Spanish settlers brought the tradition from Europe. These all-day affairs see men and women break down pigs and use every part, from the blood to the bung. In the United States, only Cajun boucheries can compare in terms of a communal feast to revere the animal — and to express gratitude by pigging out. Knowing its drawing power, the Hispano Chamber of Valencia County started what evolved into the World’s Largest Matanza in 2000 as a fundraiser for high school students.

"As agricultural traditions fade across the country, the decline particularly stings in New Mexico, a state where many residents proudly trace their lineage back to the conquistadors and grumble at Americans who view the state only as a land of turquoise and “Breaking Bad.”

"Belén is the second most populous city in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States, after its county seat, Los Lunas. The population was 7,360 at the 2020 Census. Belén is at the southern end of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located 35 miles south of Albuquerque. (Wikipedia)

"Belén is Spanish for Bethlehem but gained the nickname "The Hub City". The city is geographically near the center of New Mexico and has been a significant transportation hub for central New Mexico that includes access to rail, the interstate highway, and air at Valencia County's only public airport.

"The Hispano Matanza, held annually in Belen on the last Saturday in January, is considered the world's largest matanza, a Spanish-style barbecue that can trace its origin back to the conquistadors. This New Mexico matanza tradition, hosted by the Hispano Chamber of Valencia County, involves slaughtering and cooking 45 pigs, then serving the free food, such as chicharrones, to more than 10,000 patrons. All of the proceeds are given as scholarships to local college students."

"La Matanza, (“the killing,” traditionally of a hog), in this part of the country has been a traditional, annual event since the coming of such early Spanish and Portuguese explorers as Juan de Oñate and Coronado over four hundred years ago," the Back Yard Grillerz says.

"Its purpose was originally a harvest of meat in the fall or winter after the pigs or hogs had sufficient time to grow to between three and six hundred pounds. Over time, it, (La Matanza), became an integral part of the Hispanic culture in every village; a social ritual that transcended its original purpose of feeding us to the equally important job of preserving and maintaining the lifelong bonds of immediate and extended family. Moreover, because it was such a big job and frequently yielded in excess of one to two hundred pounds of Manteca, (lard), Matanzas became the social adhesive which helped to unite and bond together whole communities.

"Over the years and decades, Matanzas helped us children conceptualize who we were. As we acquired greater responsibility, from year to year so did we become increasingly comfortable and proud of whom we ultimately saw every morning in the bathroom mirror."

"It’s hard to say you’ve had a true New Mexican experience if you haven’t been to a matanza. For those who haven’t had the joy of attending one, essentially you get to eat a whole pig during a get-together. From bacon to pork chops to chicharrones, they’re an all-out pork bonanza," the Weekly Alibi says.

"Now, typically a proper matanza is the neighborhood getting together and using every piece of a pig to make a feast, but what would happen if you scaled that up a little bit? Say by about 10,000 people? Well, that’s what happens when you go visit The World’s Largest Matanza, hosted by the Hispano Chamber of Valencia County.

"First off, this event is a fundraiser, which to date has raised over $130,000 for scholarships that go to Valencia County students in college. If you’ve ever needed a good reason to eat bacon, doing it to support kids attempts to better their future is about as good as it gets."