Emprimir
Correo Electrónico
Direcciones
Add to favorites
In Trinidad and Tobago, Christmas is synonymous with pork. It is used in our pastelles, baked or roasted, soaked in brine to make garlic pork and of course we can’t forget our trini style ham. Yes, it is so popular that even Scrunter, our local Parang Soca King, had to sing about it.
*singing….Ah want ah piece ah pork, Ah want ah piece ah pork for meh Christmas…..*
But how did this tradition come about? I honestly do not know. It probably came from the European influence in the country, but as usual everything gets lost in time and is further integrated and synthesized into our Callaloo of a society.
One thing though remains sure; when the Christmas season is here, look out for pork.
With…
View Full Recipe at Simply Trini Cooking
%20lamps%20and%20flambeaux%20to%20light%20their%20houses%E2%80%A6%E2%80%A6%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPork:%20A%20Trini%20Christmas%20Tradition%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMost%20people%20in%20the%20countryside%20or%20their%20neighbour%20had%20a%20pig%20pen%20to%20%E2%80%9Cmine%E2%80%9D%20pigs%20for%20Christmas.%20This%20was%20either%20as%20a%20side%20business%20for%20the%20coming%20months%20or%20as%20a%20way%20to%20provide%20for%20your%20family%20in%20the%20season%20of%20plenty%20and%20Christmas%20cheer.%20Back%20then%20the%20pigs%20were%20fed%20scraps%20from%20the%20kitchen%20and%20everything%20else%20in%20between%E2%80%A6.%20from%20left%20over%20food%20to%20scraps%20like%20green%20banana%20skins,%20grass%20and%20pieces%20of%20discarded%20provision.%20As%20early%20as%20June/%20July%20the%20animals%20would%20be%20reared%20and%20cared%20for%20until%20December;%20just%20in%20time%20for%20Christmas.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBy%20then,%20the%20animals%20would%20have%20put%20on%20a%20considerable%20amount%20of%20weight%20and%20were%20ready%20to%20be%20slaughtered.%20For%20some%20this%20would%20have%20been%20a%20task%20depending%20on%20the%20amount%20of%20pigs%20to%20be%20slaughtered%20and%20would%20require%20assistance%20from%20neighbours%20and%20friends.%20So%20this%20was%20a%20time%20to%20socialise%20with%20your%20%E2%80%9Ccomp%C3%A8re%E2%80%9D%20and%20your%20neighbours%20while%20the%20work%20was%20going%20on.%20And%20of%20course%20it%20was%20a%20time%20for%20sharing%20as%20well%E2%80%A6.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20it%20was%205lbs%20for%20tanty;%20a%20piece%20by%20de%20belly%20for%20she%20to%20make%20she%20pastelle,%20a%20piece%20for%20meh%20cousin%20because%20he%20does%20handle%20meh%20with%20%E2%80%98gouti,%20deer%20and%20lappe%20when%20he%20hunt;%2025lbs%20by%20de%20front%20shoulder%20for%20Boysie%20down%20de%20road%20who%20have%20de%20shop,%2010%20pounds%20%20%20ah%20ribs%20for%20meh%20brother%20and%2015lbs%20for%20Fong%20Sook%20who%20used%20to%20gi%E2%80%99%20meh%20some%20stale%20bread%20an%E2%80%99%20ting%20from%20de%20bakery,%20and%20de%20rest%20ah%20go%20share%20up%20with%20meh%20in%20laws%20and%20meh%20family.%20Oh,%20and%20ah%20have%20to%20save%20some%20blood%20to%20make%20black%20pudding%E2%80%A6%E2%80%A6%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EEveryone%20in%20the%20village%20came%20together%20during%20Christmas%20time%20and%20really%20enjoyed%20themselves.%20The%20community%20was%20strengthened%20by%20this%20simple%20tradition%20and%20many%20others%20like%20it.%20And,%20it%20would%20pass%20on%20through%20the%20generations%E2%80%A6.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20has%20been%20the%20tradition%20for%20many%20hundreds%20of%20years%20here%20in%20Trinidad%20and%20Tobago%20and%20today%20it%E2%80%99s%20still%20being%20carried%20on%20in%20the%20countryside%20villages%20for%20a%20profit%20or,%20just%20as%20in%20the%20days%20gone%20by,%20to%20share%20with%20family%20and%20friends.%20It%20is%20with%20this%20spirit%20that%20I%20was%20led%20to%20do%20this%20post%20and%20of%20course%20I%E2%80%99m%20always%20up%20for%20a%20good%20lime%20lol!!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20off%20I%20went%20to%20the%20countryside%20by%20my%20aunt%20who%20had%20a%20few%20pigs%20to%20slaughter%20for%20Christmas.%20%20Experience%20is%20still%20the%20greatest%20teacher%20and%20I%20really%20had%20a%20memorable%20time%20watching%20my%20cousins%20and%20their%20friends%20slaughtering%20the%20pigs%20in%20the%20backyard%20that%20definitely%20throws%20back%20to%20our%20long%20tradition%20for%20Christmas.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo,%20here%20I%20was%20in%20the%20midst%20of%20all%20that%20was%20happening%20on%20this%20day.%20Armed%20with%20camera%20in%20hand,%20I%20was%20there%20to%20capture%20the%20action.%20As%20usual,%20there%20was%20lots%20of%20help%20and%20of%20course%20lots%20to%20eat.%20But%20we%E2%80%99ll%20get%20to%20that%20part%20later.%20First%20we%20have%20to%20work%20and%20that%20means%20we%20have%20a%20few%20pigs%20to%20kill.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHow%20was%20the%20pig%20killed?First%20the%20pig%20would%20be%20strung%20up%20by%20its%20hind%20legs%20and%20the%20underside%20washed.%20To%20prevent%20much%20noise%20from%20the%20pig%20the%20mouth%20would%20also%20be%20tied%20with%20wire.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20butcher%20then%20uses%20the%20long%20knife%20to%20make%20an%20incision%20at%20the%20throat%20and%20then%20cut%20the%20arteries%20and%20finally%20the%20knife%20punctures%20the%20heart.%20The%20other%20way%20would%20be%20to%20tie%20the%20pig%20and%20hit%20it%20with%20a%20heavy%20object,%20like%20a%20piece%20of%20iron,%20on%20its%20skull.%20Somehow%20I%20prefer%20the%20first%20method.%20It%E2%80%99s%20quicker%20and%20less%20painful%20to%20the%20animal.%20Of%20course%20I%20am%20well%20aware%20of%20my%20vegetarian%20readers%20so%20I%E2%80%99m%20doing%20this%20in%20a%20very%20tasteful%20manner.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAfter%20the%20blood%20has%20drained%20and%20collected%20for%20the%20black%20pudding%20the%20pig%20is%20placed%20on%20a%20table%20and%20hot%20water%20poured%20on%20it%20and%20the%20hair%20scraped%20off.%20First%20using%20very%20sharp%20knives%20and%20cutlass%20(machete)%20then%20the%20final%20scraping%20using%20razor%20blades.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20pig%20is%20then%20strung%20up,%20gutted%20and%20cut%20in%20quarters.%20Some%20of%20the%20intestines%20saved%20for%20pudding%20later%20of%20course.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThen%20according%20to%20the%20orders%20the%20pork%20is%20cut%20up%20and%20weighed.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENow%20since%20there%20was%20so%20much%20work%20going%20on%20we%20had%20to%20eat%20something%20as%20well.%20And%20what%20would%20that%20be?%20You%20guessed%20it;%20stew%20pork%20and%20provision%20and%20cassava%20dumpling.%20It%20couldn%E2%80%99t%20get%20any%20better%20than%20this.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOne%20plate%20of%20stew%20pork%20with%20yam,%20cassava,%20dasheen%20and%20cassava%20dumpling.%20Delicious!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20work%20lasted%20the%20whole%20day%20since%20there%20was%20a%20lot%20of%20work%20to%20do.%20The%20women%20had%20their%20job%20as%20well%20making%20black%20pudding%20which%20for%20me%20was%20the%20highlight%20of%20the%20evening.%20And%20I%20was%20ready%20with%20camera%20in%20hand%20to%20capture%20every%20second%20of%20this%20process%E2%80%A6..%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EComing%20up%20next%20%E2%80%A6..%20We%20makin%E2%80%99%20black%20pudding%20trini%20style.%20Stay%20tuned!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYeah,%20ah%20know%20real%20people%20waitin%E2%80%99%20on%20dat%20one,%20so%20leh%20me%20get%20busy.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAh%20gone%3C/p%3E){kind=link}