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Rafaella's half-sister lives in the heart of sugar cane country. We were invited to their small ranch for a birthday party. We got there mid-morning and stayed until near sunset. They had just slaughtered a pig and were preparing pozole (a kind of corn stew using the spine, neck, ear and cheek of the pig. It's a recipe that dates back to Aztec times) and rellena (cooked pig's blood). In the picture, I'm steadily stirring a large pot of chicharrón (fried pig skin). All this was prepared without any electricity, running water or gas - only open wood fires. There was nothing of that pig wasted. The shoulder and ribs were cooked into something called a Michoacan - a recipe that included caramel, beer, coca-cola, and Carnation evaporated milk! It tasted a lot better than it sounds. There was beer and toritos (sugar cane alcohol and fresh lime juice) to wash everything down. Click below to see more pictures of the fiesta. |
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