Don't know if a bit of this and that will give readers of this newsgroup a
reason to participate... but what the heck, nothing ventured, nothing
gained.

Why pork is so popular in Mexican food. Those of you who managed to stay
awake reading any of my stuff will know that I will take you back into the
centuries between nomads hunting the mammoth, to when Cortez conquered
Mexico. The Wisconsin ice age, which is still with us, and still receding,
as it has done thousands of times over the last few million years, receded
by leaving lush greenlands where herds of all kinds of grass eaters thrived.
The Amerindian ancestors, some surely from Mongolia, hunted these herds.
They lived by hunting and gathering. As the ice age receded the deserts in
Chihuahua, New Mexico, Arizona and California became.. deserts. The meat on
hoof went north, and some went south. As did the hunters.

So they come to the high valley where Mexico city now thrives, and these
nomads and meat on hoof also went to the tropics. The meat on hoofs met
their match in the tropics and only a few survived by becoming small. Thus
we see the start of cochinito a pibil, a delicacy to this day. Cochinito is
little pig. It is a native of the tropics of Veracruz, Tabasco, Yucatan,
Quntana Roo and neighboring states. These are small pigs. They act like any
normal pig by using it's nose to dig through the earth in search of
delightful roots, and tubers. They are, to a degree, omnivorous in that they
will eat something with meat, but prefer roots.

Deer, cochinito, armadillo, iguana, turtles, birds of all kind with turkey
being the king of them all, monkey... fish, insects, worms ant-eggs... all,
of these things were plentiful and easy to get even with primitive spears,
rocks, bows and arrows, atlatls.

About five thousand years ago a love-struck teenager tossed the grain of
sand sized maiz seed into the garbage heap next to the campsite. The next
year she was amazed to see a cornstock with a cob with a kernel of corn just
a tad larger than the one she had tossed the year before. Thus began the
American civilization where people learned to plant and harvest, and use
their spare time in creating art and a religion, politics, warfare...
civilization!

The greatest delight among these Amerindians were the festive days in which
a cochinito was killed, cooked in a green chile sauce, eaten by holding the
meat in a tortilla, and adding the hot sauce to your taste. That sense of
joy and good taste remains and when cochinito is not available, well a
descendent of the Spanish imports of pig will do. It's the same animal only
cochinito tastes just a bit better. A bit less fat, a little more gamy, but
not much.

Wayne
www.pueblaprotocol.com

The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty far
fetched.
"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
> Don't know if a bit of this and that will give readers of this newsgroup a
> reason to participate... but what the heck, nothing ventured, nothing
> gained.
>
> Why pork is so popular in Mexican food. Those of you who managed to stay
> awake reading any of my stuff will know that I will take you back into the
> centuries between nomads hunting the mammoth, to when Cortez conquered
> Mexico. The Wisconsin ice age, which is still with us, and still receding,
> as it has done thousands of times over the last few million years, receded
> by leaving lush greenlands where herds of all kinds of grass eaters
> thrived.
> The Amerindian ancestors, some surely from Mongolia, hunted these herds.
> They lived by hunting and gathering. As the ice age receded the deserts in
> Chihuahua, New Mexico, Arizona and California became.. deserts. The meat
> on
> hoof went north, and some went south. As did the hunters.
>
> So they come to the high valley where Mexico city now thrives, and these
> nomads and meat on hoof also went to the tropics. The meat on hoofs met
> their match in the tropics and only a few survived by becoming small. Thus
> we see the start of cochinito a pibil, a delicacy to this day. Cochinito
> is
> little pig. It is a native of the tropics of Veracruz, Tabasco, Yucatan,
> Quntana Roo and neighboring states. These are small pigs. They act like
> any
> normal pig by using it's nose to dig through the earth in search of
> delightful roots, and tubers. They are, to a degree, omnivorous in that
> they
> will eat something with meat, but prefer roots.
>
> Deer, cochinito, armadillo, iguana, turtles, birds of all kind with turkey
> being the king of them all, monkey... fish, insects, worms ant-eggs...
> all,
> of these things were plentiful and easy to get even with primitive spears,
> rocks, bows and arrows, atlatls.
>
> About five thousand years ago a love-struck teenager tossed the grain of
> sand sized maiz seed into the garbage heap next to the campsite. The next
> year she was amazed to see a cornstock with a cob with a kernel of corn
> just
> a tad larger than the one she had tossed the year before. Thus began the
> American civilization where people learned to plant and harvest, and use
> their spare time in creating art and a religion, politics, warfare...
> civilization!
>
> The greatest delight among these Amerindians were the festive days in
> which
> a cochinito was killed, cooked in a green chile sauce, eaten by holding
> the
> meat in a tortilla, and adding the hot sauce to your taste. That sense of
> joy and good taste remains and when cochinito is not available, well a
> descendent of the Spanish imports of pig will do. It's the same animal
> only
> cochinito tastes just a bit better. A bit less fat, a little more gamy,
> but
> not much.
>
> Wayne
> www.pueblaprotocol.com
>
>

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 19:59:51 -0400, "Carolyn LeCrone"
> wrote:

>The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty far
>fetched.
>"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
>> Don't know if a bit of this and that will give readers of this newsgroup a
>> reason to participate... but what the heck, nothing ventured, nothing
>> gained.
>>
>> Why pork is so popular in Mexican food. Those of you who managed to stay
>> awake reading any of my stuff will know that I will take you back into the
>> centuries between nomads hunting the mammoth, to when Cortez conquered
>> Mexico. The Wisconsin ice age, which is still with us, and still receding,
>> as it has done thousands of times over the last few million years, receded
>> by leaving lush greenlands where herds of all kinds of grass eaters
>> thrived.
>> The Amerindian ancestors, some surely from Mongolia, hunted these herds.
>> They lived by hunting and gathering. As the ice age receded the deserts in
>> Chihuahua, New Mexico, Arizona and California became.. deserts. The meat
>> on
>> hoof went north, and some went south. As did the hunters.
>>
>> So they come to the high valley where Mexico city now thrives, and these
>> nomads and meat on hoof also went to the tropics. The meat on hoofs met
>> their match in the tropics and only a few survived by becoming small. Thus
>> we see the start of cochinito a pibil, a delicacy to this day. Cochinito
>> is
>> little pig. It is a native of the tropics of Veracruz, Tabasco, Yucatan,
>> Quntana Roo and neighboring states. These are small pigs. They act like
>> any
>> normal pig by using it's nose to dig through the earth in search of
>> delightful roots, and tubers. They are, to a degree, omnivorous in that
>> they
>> will eat something with meat, but prefer roots.
>>
>> Deer, cochinito, armadillo, iguana, turtles, birds of all kind with turkey
>> being the king of them all, monkey... fish, insects, worms ant-eggs...
>> all,
>> of these things were plentiful and easy to get even with primitive spears,
>> rocks, bows and arrows, atlatls.

I'm towards the end reading "Pig Perfect" by Peter Kaminsky. I great
history of pork and its influence on various cultures. He has
researched pork back centuries and discusses several theories on why
pork is taboo in several religions. If you have any interest in this
subject I highly recommend the book. Its interesting, has good
writing, thought provoking and not overly scholarly but does good
research.

I've been a long time lurker, and haven't posted. I enjoy the group,
Mexican food, and culture. I may even start taking Spanish lessons at
age 50 this year. <G>

Bruce

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 19:59:51 -0400, "Carolyn LeCrone"
> wrote:

>The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty far
>fetched.
>"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
>> Don't know if a bit of this and that will give readers of this newsgroup a
>> reason to participate... but what the heck, nothing ventured, nothing
>> gained.
>>

Wayne's more or less the food historian here. If he says something in
terms of that, you can bet it is not opinion, but fairly well
researched.


jim

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 19:59:51 -0400, "Carolyn LeCrone"
> wrote:

>The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty far
>fetched.

>"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...

>> About five thousand years ago a love-struck teenager tossed the grain of
>> sand sized maiz seed into the garbage heap next to the campsite. The next
>> year she was amazed to see a cornstock with a cob with a kernel of corn
>> just
>> a tad larger than the one she had tossed the year before. Thus began the
>> American civilization where people learned to plant and harvest, and use
>> their spare time in creating art and a religion, politics, warfare...
>> civilization!
>>

And, if you think that strange, you should hear about coffee's
discovery.


jim

"Bruce" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 19:59:51 -0400, "Carolyn LeCrone"
> > wrote:
>
=snip for brevity---
>
> I've been a long time lurker, and haven't posted. I enjoy the group,
> Mexican food, and culture. I may even start taking Spanish lessons at
> age 50 this year. <G>
>
> Bruce
>

Welcome Bruce!

There is the old story of how China invented roast pork. Something about a
house burning down and somebody dared to taste the roasted pig that went
down with the house. Then word spread and roast pig became a national
favorite until Kublai Kahn put a stop to it because burning so many homes
was becoming too expensive!

"Carolyn LeCrone" > wrote in message
...
> The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty far
> fetched.
---snip---

Oh, there's more magic to the corn story! Archeologists have found the
original maize cob and it measures less than half an inch in length and has
maybe one or two miniature kernels. It has pretty much been proven that
hybridization started in the high valley surrounding lake Texcoco, now on
the edge of Mexico City, and simultaneously along the coast of Veracruz and
Tabasco, the most famous site being La Venta heavily explored back in 1942
under auspices of National Geographic.

Before the maize became the cornerstone of a civilization, the tribes hunted
and gathered. There was ample game and stuff to pick so there was some time
to simply lay about and play with seeds and stuff. Somebody was smart enough
to recognize that the small grain left near the communal potty from last
year's venture into this campsite was larger than last year. Maybe they put
two and two together and figured that human manure had something to do with
it, but most likely not. In any case, Amerindians learned that maize was
great to eat on the cob, and if left to dry, would keep until needed when
food was scarce and learned to grind it into maza and then into tortillas,
atoles, tamales, etc. Now the hunters did not have to work so hard so they
turned to making beautiful figurines in clay, firing them, painting them and
then worshipping the better looking figurines and inventing all kinds of
other stuff including gazing into the night lights and inventing a calendar.

But that's not the end of the maize miracle. Maize, corn, does not have
enough nutrients in it's natural state to satisfy the human diet. In fact,
the grinding and cooking of corn may consume more energy that it can provide
unless the magical ingredient is added. Somewhere in time somebody noticed
that ash from the open fire drifting into a pot of boiling corn yielded a
more satisfying tummy feeling and must have experimented until discovering
that a pinch of lime in the pot made maza what it is today, a totally
wholesome and nutritional food. That pinch of lime is a catalyst that tricks
the body into fully digesting the maza. Much as a spoonful of lard will do
to beans; to make the body think the bean is meat. As you probably know, a
plate of rice and beans is equivalent in weight to a good steak as far as
nutrition is concerned.

Ancient American agriculture went something like this: Plant a seed of corn,
a bean, a squash seed close together. As the corn grows the bean root pulls
in nitrogen into the soil and climbs the cornstalk. The squash grows a bit
faster to start thus providing a bit of shade to the bean and corn, and then
provides a bit of food before the bean and corn are ready. Every four or
five yards put a couple of chile seeds of different varieties and now you
have the perfect combination which makes up the basis for most prehistoric
foods. The hunters never really quit, as now they would wander about for
deer, rabbit, dog, javelina, piglet, etc or would fish, or would bring down
the favorite of all - wild turkey. They domesticated dog, one breed for
eating and another for company and another to warn against intruders.
Eventually the wild turkey started hanging around for the free crushed corn
the lady of the house would give them (she) knowing the investment would
yield a wonderful festive meal in the near future. But of course the
turkey's couldn't see that far ahead.


Wayne

"Carolyn LeCrone" > wrote in message
...
> The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty far
> fetched.

The corn story is mild in comparison to the very strange pork "history".
There are no pigs native to the Americas. There are some distant relatives,
the peccaries, but they are not pigs. Also one would have to be very hungry
before trying to eat one IMHO.

Charlie

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> "Carolyn LeCrone" > wrote in message
> ...
> > The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty
far
> > fetched.
>
> The corn story is mild in comparison to the very strange pork "history".
> There are no pigs native to the Americas. There are some distant
relatives,
> the peccaries, but they are not pigs. Also one would have to be very
hungry
> before trying to eat one IMHO.
>
> Charlie
>
Javelina and peccaries are so much like pigs that I wonder what prompted you
to write this note?

"There are three species of peccaries (family Tayassuidae) in the New World.
....
Peccaries are omnivorous but generally prefer roots, seeds, and fruit. ..."

Which I believe describes the animal I am talking about. See them
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...005-33,GGLG:en

or a better looking single waiting to be slaughtered and converted into
taquitos:
http://users.tamuk.edu/kfjab02/Biolo...es/pecari2.jpg

Wayne

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:47:52 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> wrote:

>
>"Carolyn LeCrone" > wrote in message
...
>> The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty far
>> fetched.
>
>The corn story is mild in comparison to the very strange pork "history".
>There are no pigs native to the Americas. There are some distant relatives,
>the peccaries, but they are not pigs. Also one would have to be very hungry
>before trying to eat one IMHO.
>
>Charlie
>

I've had sausage made from javalna/peccary cut with venison that was
outstanding. Unfortunately, the man who made this died and no one has
his recipe.


jim

> wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:47:52 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >"Carolyn LeCrone" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty
far
> >> fetched.
> >
> >The corn story is mild in comparison to the very strange pork "history".
> >There are no pigs native to the Americas. There are some distant
relatives,
> >the peccaries, but they are not pigs. Also one would have to be very
hungry
> >before trying to eat one IMHO.
> >
> >Charlie
> >
>
> I've had sausage made from javalna/peccary cut with venison that was
> outstanding. Unfortunately, the man who made this died and no one has
> his recipe.
>
>
> jim
>
Probably very difficult to make due to the scarcity of all the ingredients.
I know cochinito (peccary) is almost as scarce as deer and armadillo in the
Yucactan, Tabasco, Veracruz region where they once flourished. I hunted with
a team for deer and armadillo and only took a couple of hours and just a few
hundred yards from the hacienda to get the job done.

There is one specialty restaurant some 10 miles from Coatzalcoacos that
specializes in wild animals, some game, some not game... such as turtle
which is illegal and must be 'negotiated'... as are some other dishes. It's
almost like drug dealing. Last time I was there, 1997, I had armadillo and
venison tacos. A bit overcooked but otherwise ok. Nothing like home cooked
wild animals.

Because pork is so readily available since the days of the conquest, pretty
much all cochinito cooking is done with imported European breeds of pig.
After all, a couple of pigs in the back yard to consume the leftovers become
free meat once they fatten. I remember feeding our pigs the overripe
avocados, mangos and the like that fell from our trees. Many times the fruit
would ferment before the pigs had a chance to eat. And when they did, they
would get drunk! You'd laugh your head off watching a bunch of drunken pigs
rolling off the walls of the pen and laughing their silly heads off.

Some people say that pig is the first freezer. Feed it when times are ripe,
eat it when times are lean.

Wayne

> wrote in message
...
>
> I've had sausage made from javalna/peccary cut with venison that was
> outstanding. Unfortunately, the man who made this died and no one has
> his recipe.
>
>
> jim

That would be a way to cut the heavy "musk" odor of peccary flesh. He almost
certainly used female flesh and not male as the male is much more strongly
flavored.

Charlie

"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
> ink.net...
> > The corn story is mild in comparison to the very strange pork "history".
> > There are no pigs native to the Americas. There are some distant
> relatives,
> > the peccaries, but they are not pigs. Also one would have to be very
> hungry
> > before trying to eat one IMHO.
> >
> > Charlie
> >
> Javelina and peccaries are so much like pigs that I wonder what prompted
you
> to write this note?

Er, education and knowledge perhaps?

> "There are three species of peccaries (family Tayassuidae) in the New
World.

Well there you have it. They are in different family. Pigs are in the family
of Suidae. peccaries are, as you note, in the family of Tayassuidae,
hippopotamus are in the family of Hippopotamidae, camels are in the family
of Camelidae.

All of these are in the order of Artiodactyla along with others. Putting it
another way, pigs and peccaries are not only different SPECIES, and further,
in a different GENUS, but even, to separate them further, they are in a
different FAMILY. Taxinomically, peccaries are no more closely related to
pigs than are camels.

They do look somewhat similar and have many similar behaviors, but pigs and
peccaries also have many biological differences, some of them substantial.


> Which I believe describes the animal I am talking about. See them
>
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...005-33,GGLG:en

The animal your are talking about is a peccary. So............? I have never
heard of the name you gave them "cochinito". It must be a local nick-name.

Charlie

> wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:47:52 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >"Carolyn LeCrone" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty
far
> >> fetched.
> >
> >The corn story is mild in comparison to the very strange pork "history".
> >There are no pigs native to the Americas. There are some distant
relatives,
> >the peccaries, but they are not pigs. Also one would have to be very
hungry
> >before trying to eat one IMHO.
> >
> >Charlie
> >
>
> I've had sausage made from javalna/peccary cut with venison that was
> outstanding. Unfortunately, the man who made this died and no one has
> his recipe.
>
>
> jim

Oops! Jim, I forgot to add that the man who made them was probably
knowledgeable about preparing peccary. The meat is much more palatable if
the musk glands are carefully removed before the meat is butchered. Sorry.

Charlie

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:04:38 GMT, "Wayne Lundberg"
> wrote:

>
> wrote in message
.. .
>> On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:47:52 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >"Carolyn LeCrone" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >> The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty
>far
>> >> fetched.
>> >
>> >The corn story is mild in comparison to the very strange pork "history".
>> >There are no pigs native to the Americas. There are some distant
>relatives,
>> >the peccaries, but they are not pigs. Also one would have to be very
>hungry
>> >before trying to eat one IMHO.
>> >
>> >Charlie
>> >
>>
>> I've had sausage made from javalna/peccary cut with venison that was
>> outstanding. Unfortunately, the man who made this died and no one has
>> his recipe.
>>
>>
>> jim
>>
>Probably very difficult to make due to the scarcity of all the ingredients.
>I know cochinito (peccary) is almost as scarce as deer and armadillo in the
>Yucactan, Tabasco, Veracruz region where they once flourished. I hunted with
>a team for deer and armadillo and only took a couple of hours and just a few
>hundred yards from the hacienda to get the job done.
>


This was a Texan and the game was from nearby his home (not on the
border). Best sausage I've ever eaten. What passes in Mexico was not
relevant at the time (early 80s) and may not be now.


jim

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:33:59 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> wrote:

>
> wrote in message
.. .
>> On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:47:52 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >"Carolyn LeCrone" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >> The pork "history" was interesting. I think the corn story is pretty
>far
>> >> fetched.
>> >
>> >The corn story is mild in comparison to the very strange pork "history".
>> >There are no pigs native to the Americas. There are some distant
>relatives,
>> >the peccaries, but they are not pigs. Also one would have to be very
>hungry
>> >before trying to eat one IMHO.
>> >
>> >Charlie
>> >
>>
>> I've had sausage made from javalna/peccary cut with venison that was
>> outstanding. Unfortunately, the man who made this died and no one has
>> his recipe.
>>
>>
>> jim
>
>Oops! Jim, I forgot to add that the man who made them was probably
>knowledgeable about preparing peccary. The meat is much more palatable if
>the musk glands are carefully removed before the meat is butchered. Sorry.
>
>Charlie
>

He was a well-educated hunter. All the game came from near his ranch.


jim

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
---snip---

> The animal your are talking about is a peccary. So............? I have
never
> heard of the name you gave them "cochinito". It must be a local nick-name.
>
> Charlie

By whatever name, whatever specis, whatever world, they taste really good
cooked cochinito a pibil and as I mentioned, the same great flavor can be
had from standard pigs, which is now the norm in that the little native
piglet-lookalikes are almost extinct. (Or hard to hunt perhaps because there
are few hunters anymore what with the government bribing the natives to vote
them into office and thus the natives having nothing to do but watch TV and
screw their ladies to make more babies).

Thank you for your insight and sharing of knowledge.

Wayne

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
---snip--->
> Oops! Jim, I forgot to add that the man who made them was probably
> knowledgeable about preparing peccary. The meat is much more palatable if
> the musk glands are carefully removed before the meat is butchered. Sorry.
>
> Charlie

Right on! Growing up on that ranch in Veracruz taught me the critical need
to remove musk glands from anything we butchered, from game to domestic
animals. And I'm still lerning.

Wayne

>
>