CHEFS mallorca gourmet

Time for matanzas The rural gastronomy’s big feast Slowly the pictures describing the “matanzas” (slaughter) turn a pale rememberance in the islander’s memories. And to the younger generations it will seem impossible that this necessary tradition within the rural ambiance had once been the the island’s people’s alimentary base. It all started with fattening the pig destined for the matanza. It was thoroughly looked after, special attentionwasgiven to it’snutritionandhealth. Peasants knew very well that they put the next year’s survival at stake. When the moment to slaughter the pig had come the whole family including friends united even before sunrise to spend the whole day together – a day of work for the grown ups and a day of feast for the younger ones. Everyone had his or her designated assignment: women entered into action the moment the intestines were to be taken out in order to be carefully cleaned before being converted into delicious “Sobrasadas , Longanizas, Culanes or Botifarrons”. One of themwould stay in the kitchen preparing dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “Frito” of black pudding or loin, or the extraordinary matanzas risotto to this day are authentic gems of the island’s gastronomy. Men divided the pig’s different parts, separating them due to their destination: to mince it in order to make sobrasada, other pieces, the meat, for “Botifarrons and Camaiots” the rind from the pigs fat part between skin and meat was salted and is called “Ventresca”, indispensable for stews and roasts, as well as the bones which ended up in a “Alfàbia” a special clay pot, in which salt would preserve them until the very last stew. It all was measured to be able to fill the pantry and cover the household’s needs for another year.