  

     

VALENCIA
COUNTY
News-Bulletin
O f f i c i a l P r o g r a m · J a n u a r y 2 2 , 2 0 1 1
2 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011
Hispano chamber celebrates 11th annual matanza
By Dana Bowley
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
dana@news-bulletin.com
Belen
The “world’s largest” event of its kind
is teaming up with one of the world’s
biggest names in entertainment for the
11th annual Valencia County Hispano
Chamber of Commerce Matanza on
Saturday, Jan. 29.
The biggest change for this year’s ver-
sion of the increasingly popular matanza
is that it has a new title sponsor — the
Hard Rock Casino and Resort Hotel-
Albuquerque — said event chairwoman
Arie Gallegos, president of the Hispano
chamber.
“We’re excited to have Hard Rock as a
sponsor,” Gallegos said.
She said the chamber approached
Hard Rock executives about the spon-
sorship and, after having to explain to
some of them what a matanza is, they
enthusiastically agreed.
Hard Rock will use the matanza to
promote its “Luche Libre USA: Masked
Warriors” wrestling program.
“We thought it would be a good col-
laboration between the two,” Gallegos
said. “We hope Hard Rock sees it as the
kind of audience they want to reach.”
She said at least one of the Luche
Libre stars is expected to be at the
event.
Gallegos also thanked the 34 other
sponsors of the event.
“We really appreciate the sponsors,”
she said. “We wouldn’t be where we are
today without them.”
Where the event is today is as the
largest matanza in the world as far as
anyone knows, drawing about 10,000
people a year to the Sheriff’s Posse
grounds in Belen and raising more than
$85,000 to provide about 180 college
scholarships to date.
“That’s what it’s all about, the scholar-
ships,” Gallegos said. “It’s amazing how
many scholarships we can give out from
schedule of events
Saturday, Jan. 29
Gates open: 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Valencia County Fairgrounds
Entrance fee: $10 at the door, chil-
dren age 10 and under are admitted free
Parking: $5 at the grounds; a shut-
tle ride will be provided from Calvary
Chapel Rio Grande Valley
Where to buy tickets: At any
MyBank location, Rio Grande
Financial Network in Los Lunas and
Carlos’ Cantina and Grille in Belen and
at the Matanza.
THIS YEAR’S VALENCIA COUNTY Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza will be
held on Saturday, Jan. 29.
this event. Hopefully we can give our
more this year than in the past.”
Something old will be new again this
year, she said: “We’re putting the music
back inside the Sheriff’s Posse Cafe and
bringing the (People’s Choice Awards)
judging back outside to the crowd.”
Gallegos said the change will get the
musicians out of the weather and hope-
fully get more of the crowd involved in
the People’s Choice voting, which fell
off when it was moved inside.
To facilitate the People’s Choice vot-
ing, organizers are trying to develop a
voting system using an iPad, but as of
Jan. 18, Gallegos said they had run into
technically difficulties and she wasn’t
sure whether it would be in place for
this matanza.
Liver contest
(teams only)
Due: 9 a.m.
Carne adovada contest
(teams only)
Due: 10 a.m.
Tortilla. biscochitos and chile
contest
(open to all)
Due: 11 a.m. in the judge’s tent
News-Bulletin file photo
Gallegos said the music schedule
hadn’t been confirmed yet, but will fea-
ture Mariachi Tradicional and at least a
couple of local bands.
She said 21 teams have signed up
to participate in the cooking contests,
which will involve the use of about 27
pigs. The contest areas are liver and
onions, carne adovada, chicharrones and
a cook’s choice specialty item that must
contain some part of the pig.
Also back this year is the popular Iron
Pig competition in which each contes-
tant is provided with an identical set
of ingredients, revealed only at contest
time, and must come up with a dish
using them all.
There are also contests for tortillas,
and chile and biscochitos.
Iron Pig competition
(teams only)
Due: 12 p.m.
Specialty items contest
(teams only)
Due: 1 p.m.
Chicharrones contest
(teams only)
Due: 2 p.m.
Awards ceremony
3 p.m.
A panel of judges will determine the
winners in each category, but attendees
get to have their say as well via the
People’s Choice Awards voting.
Gallegos said there are no changes
in the judging criteria from last year,
which include presentation, taste, tex-
ture and smell.
The teams’ campsites will also be the
subject of an award based on creative
presentation and compliance with health
standards.
The chamber will be selling copies of
the Edward Gonzales poster that pro-
moted one of the early matanzas, and
there will be an art show.
Gallegos said there will be about the
same number of vendors as last year
(24) “or maybe a few more,” and there
will be activities for youngsters at the
Kiddie Corral (see separate story).
“It’s just good family fun,” she said.
All of this takes “a tremendous num-
ber of volunteers,” and Gallegos gave a
special thank you to those who put in
a lot of time and effort on the project.
That includes Hispano chamber board
members and their families, students
from the high school bands and clubs
in the county, and previous scholarship
winners who come back and help.
“I cannot say enough about our volun-
teers,” she said.
Gallegos said she officially became
involved in helping with the matanza
two years ago when she began organiz-
ing the children’s activities, but has
actually been involved with her family
helping husband Marcus’ cooking team.
That became somewhat of a problem
this year with the Gallegos children
scheduled for a trip to their grand-
mother’s home at the same time as the
matanza.
Gallegos said her 9-year-old son
refused to go on the trip, opting instead
to stay and go to the matanza.
“He told me, ‘I’ve been to every one
and I don’t want to miss it,’” she said.
All containers will be delivered to
each team a half an hour prior to judg-
ing time. It is the team’s responsibility
to deliver each entry on time to the
judge’s tent, which is located inside the
center tent.
Judging will be based on presenta-
tion, taste, texture and smell. There
will be first, second and third place
awards given for each category. The
grand champion will be selected by
the total combined points from each
category.
The specialty item has to contain
some part of the pig to be eligible.
 January 22, 2011• Valencia County News-Bulletin • Matanza 2011 • 3

Title Sponsor:

  
     

TEAM LIST 11 Ray’s Trenching & Excavating/Sunset Foods

1 Tillery Pontiac, Buick, GMC & Willard Cantina & Cafe 12 Frank’s New Mexico Products
2 Sisneros Bros. Mfg. 13 KG Construction/D&G Construction
3 Jeffs Pumps 14 Rio Grande Financial Network/John Kirkpatrick Design and Consulting
4 Becker Street Pub 15 Fat Sats Bar & Roadrunner Pit Stop
5 The Home Depot 16 RPM Lending Solutions
6 Los Lunas Schools 17 B Jar Construction / New Mexico Disposal
7 Los Lunas Parks & Rec. 18 Lucero Farms
8 Wal-Mart Distribution Center 19 Farmers Insurance - Marcus Gallegos Agency
9 PG Enterprises 20 ROC Construction
10 Judge Tina Gallegos 21 VCG & Divine Mortgage & Financial Services
4 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011
Hard Rock Casino and Resort puts name on matanza
By Jason W. Brooks
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
jbrooks@news-bulletin.com
Belen
The title sponsor for the 2011 Valencia
County Hispano Chamber of Commerce
Matanza couldn’t have taken on that role
five years ago.
Hard Rock Casino and Hotel Resort-
Albuquerque was called Isleta Casino
& Resort until last spring when the
Hard Rock brand came in. The 2011
Matanza, which serves as the chamber’s
college scholarship fundraiser, will now
have a name on it that’s associated with
a worldwide chain of restaurants and
resorts.
“Valencia County is in our backyard,”
said Cassie Rakoczy, the marketing
director for the casino. “It’s important
that we are good community partners.”
Rakoczy is part of a team that has
already reached out to get involved with
Valencia County events, she said, includ-
ing Summerfest, Rio Abajo Days, the
UNM-Valencia Campus’s golf tourna-
ment fundraiser and Ranchito De Los
Niños. Penny Griego has also worked
at the casino for about two years, and
her input was key to getting Hard Rock
involved as a title sponsor.
“We only got involved about a month
ago,” said Rakoczy, speaking in early
January. “It kind of sat around a little
longer than it should have.”
Hard Rock’s presence will be utilized
to promote upcoming casino events,
mainly a Lucha Libre wrestling show,
a program for MTV2 that is taping its
second season at Hard Rock. Rakoczy is
hoping to get Lucha Libre wrestlers to
the matanza for a demonstration to help
promote a Feb. 19 casino show.
The $10 matanza admission gets
attendees into the fairgrounds, where
all types of the area’s best homemade
food will be available. There will also
be a tent featuring Hard Rock swag and
promotions of upcoming events, so the
casino’s name will clearly be visible.
HUNING LTD.
P A R T N E R S H I P
Land Development
Residential • Commercial • Industrial
P.O. Box 178 • Los Lunas, NM
(505) 865-6251
HARD ROCK CASINO and Resort Hotel-Albuquerque is sponsoring the 11th Annual
Valencia County Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza, to be held Saturday,
Jan. 29, at the Valencia County Fairgrounds.
Griego said she and others are work-
ing hard on arranging in-kind dona-
tions, especially ones that help defray
expenses.
“For example, we use 1,800 dozen
tortillas at the matanza,” said Griego.
“That’s a huge expense. That’s why, in
the past, we always tried to get busi-
nesses like the Albuquerque Tortilla Co.
and Bueno Foods to donate the products
we use.”
Rakoczy is from the Midwest and,
like many newcomers to the Land
of Enchantment, has never been to a
matanza. That’s where Griego’s local
knowledge of culture comes in handy.
“I’ve gone to matanzas all my life,”
said Griego. “From the killing of the pig
to the dining, I’ve seen how it works,
and how much it’s a part of life here.”
Valencia County resident Shawn
Hogue designed the logo for the 2011
matanza. The masked pig featured on
it is intended to look like a Lucha Libre
star in all ways, from the mask to the
shoes to the hairy arms.
Since the matanza is an annual gather-
ing of county residents, some of whom
work at Hard Rock, there are several nat-
ural connections between the area and
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its closest nearby casino. The Valencia
County Hispano Chamber of Commerce
held its installation banquet at Hard
Rock.
The matanza didn’t have a title spon-
sor in 2010, but there were platinum,
gold, silver and bronze levels of sponsor-
ship.
Rakoczy said letting Valencia County
residents know Hard Rock is involved
with community events is a huge priority
for casino CEO Ron Olson and the rest
of the staff there. That’s why the name
will be highly visible at the matanza.
“Even the wristbands will have our
logo,” she said.
The Isleta Casino and Resort began
with a tent that opened in 1986, followed
by a permanent structure in March of
2001.
Expansion has been frequent over the
past 10 years. The main casino building
was completed in the early 2000s, and
that structure includes a steakhouse, buf-
fet, lounge and showroom. The arrival
of the Hard Rock brand meant a new
gift shop and other stores, along with the
trademark decor that includes pop cul-
ture memorabilia.
The showroom has featured musical
acts as diverse as Chicago and Tanya
Tucker, along with mixed martial arts
and sporting events such as professional
boxing.
The original 2001 building is now the
Isleta Fun Connection, an all-ages facil-
ity. A bowling alley, video game arcade,
snack bar and laser tag system are here,
and the facility can be rented out for spe-
cial occasions.
The Isleta Eagle Golf Course has been
around for more than 20 years as well.
Isleta Lakes Recreation Area includes
fishing and an RV campground.
A $100 million hotel and convention
center opened in June 2008. It includes
more than 200 rooms, a lobby that fea-
tures an eight-story glass wall, a glass
elevator, versatile ballroom space, an
on-site spa, indoor/outdoor pool, food
venues and a dance club.
Jazzercise Belen Center
250-2982
JazzerciseBelen@aol.com
For schedule & coupon
jazzercise.com • (800)FIT-IS-IT

2011 Valencia County
Hispano Chamber of
Commerce
Matanza Sponsors
Title Sponsorship
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Albuquerque
Platinum Sponsorship
Bueno Foods
Valencia County News-Bulletin
Gold Sponsorship
Belen Schools
My Bank
The Home Depot
Sisneros Bros. Mfg.
Silver Sponsorship
Calabaza Consultants
City of Belen
Fiesta Tents
General Mills
New Mexico Educators FCU
Solo Cup
UNM-VC
Valencia County Sheriff’s Office
San Bar Construction
2010 winners
Chile competition: 1. Elaine
Montoya; 2. Edward Chavez; 3.
Delilah Sanchez
Tortilla competition: 1. Nicole
Carillo; 2. Karen Valenzuela; 3. Luisa
Saenz
Biscochito competition: 1. Sara B.
Storey; 2. Arnold Montoya; 3. Shae
Lucero
Team Champion: 1. ROC
Construction; 2. Ray’s Trenching &
Excavating/Sunset Foods; 3. Walmart
Distribution Center
Iron Pig competition: 1. Fat Sats
Bar/Roadrunner Pit Stop
People’s Choice Award: 1. Joe’s
Mobile Express
Where to Park
There are several choices this year when it come to parking at the 11th
annual Valencia County Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza.
If you park at the Sheriff’s Posse grounds, a car load costs $5. The park-
and-ride shuttle service from Calvary Chapel Rio Grande costs $2 per person.
January 22, 2011• Valencia County News-Bulletin • Matanza 2011 • 5
Bronze Sponsorship
A&A Plumbing
El Paraiso
Gallegos Insurance Agency
Graphic Connection
Greetings Etc. Inc.
Kangaroo Jumpers
Los Lunas Schools
Magistrate Danny Hawkes
Matthews Custom Meat
Processing
National Children’s Study
New Mexico Bank and Trust
N.M. Water Service Co.
Safeco Insurance/Colorado
Casualty
Sandia Labs FCU
Shawn Hogue
Sheriff’s Posse Cafe
Stewart Title
Village of Bosque Farms
Village of Los Lunas
Liver: 1. ROC Construction; 2.
Fat Sats Bar/Road Runner Pit Stop;
3. Tillery Pontiac, Buick, GMC/
Willard Cantina and Cafe/ Los Lunas
Maintenance Dept. (tie) Good Luck, Team -
Carne adovada: 1. Arturo Saiz for
Mayor; 2. ROC Construction; 3. Joe’s Rio Grande Financial Network/
Mobile Express
Specialty Item: 1. Ray’s Trenching John Kirkpatrick Design & Consulting
& Excavating/Sunset Foods; 2.
Walmart Distribution Center; 3. 11th Year Participating
Valencia High School/Los Lunas High
School
Chicharrones: 1. PG Enterprises; 2. Grace K. Sanchez & Yvonne M. Sanchez
Tillery Pontiac, Buick, GMC/Willard
Cantina and Cafe; 3. Los Lunas Parks QR Code
and Recreation Department For Smartphones
1052 Main St. • Suite A • Los Lunas • 865-3624
www.riograndefinancial.com
6 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011
CLARENCE AND DARLENE LUCERO stand next to the oven that has served them
well during the many matanzas they have given or been a part of. The Lucero’s
grandchildren are now capable of performing all of the functions necessary for a
matanza.
The family that matanzas
together...
By Curt Gustafson
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
cgustafson@news-bulletin.com
The Clarence Lucero family has been
doing mantanzas for so long, it may well
have become a genetic trait.
“I’m 58-years old, so I’ve been doing
them all my life,” Clarence Lucero said.
“And my dad did them before that.
“Our grandkids can kill a pig. They
can do everything we can do. So it’s been
handed down from my father to me, from
me to my sons, and my sons’ kids are
learning it now. It’s been in our family
for a lot of years.”
This vast experience and acquired
skill make the Lucero Farms team a
formidable force during the competition
at the annual Valencia County Hispano
Chamber of Commerce Matanza.
Lucero and his four brothers, their
wives and children, and other relatives
and friends comprise the team of about
20, which normally walks away with
some hardware.
“Since we’ve been going, we’ve come
away with something every year, at least
one award, which is unusual because
there are so many teams,” said Darlene
Lucero, Clarence’s wife of almost 40
years.
In 2008, the team won the specialty
item, the chicharrones and carne adovada
competitions, and was also awarded the
Enjoy the 11th Annual Matanza!
Bobby’s
Automotive, Inc. “You name it,
we’ll fix it!”
Import & Domestic • Tune Ups
Brakes • Air Conditioning • Transmissions
Engine Repair • Computer Diagnostics
505-864-8626 • 19512 HWY 85
Belen, NM 87002 • Behind Hwy. 85 Auto Parts
Bobby Gutierrez • Voted “Best Mechanic” in Valencia County!
Votre
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• Licensed Substitute teacher from 2003 to present
Fo • Chief of Security, Belen Schools 2007 - 2008
• Masters Degree “Education
Curt Gustafson-News-Bulletin photo
Administration” University of Illinois
• Veteran, 21 years in US Army Reserve
• Deputy US Marshall Service
for 25 years
• Married, father of three
Paid for by Candidate.
grand champion award.
Valencia Propane
“Our team is one of the greatest there
is,” Darlene said.
Every year, the whole Lucero family
throws a mantanza at their family ranch
in Marquez, near Mt. Taylor, the weekend
after Thanksgiving.
“We kill anywhere from six to 10
has moved!!
pigs,” Clarence said. “We invite friends,
so there’s a lot of people. This year about
200 people showed up.”
He purchased several 4-H pigs that
didn’t make the county fair sale at the
normal market weight of between 230
and 250 pounds.
He then fattened them up to about 500
pounds to put on a two-inch layer of fat
to provide for the chicharrones.
“Back in the days when my father
raised a pig, they would feed the pig until
it wouldn’t move anymore,” Clarence
said. “They would have pigs that had four
inches of back fat.”
This would not only provide the fat for
the chicharrones, but enough lard to pro-
vide cooking oil for the year.
The pigs that are provided to each team
at the chamber matanza are about 300
Our new Location is:
pounds, but enough pigs are killed to
provide ample fat for each team to make
2060 Main St NE
chicharrones, he said.
The preparation of the chicharrones is
Los Lunas, NM
an example of Lucero teamwork.
Clarence’s brother, Elmer, is the team
505-865-0300
n See Luceros, Page 7
Visit our website www.ValenciaPropane.com

Luceros: Family enjoys camaraderie
from PAGE 6
member who prepares the family-secret
mix that includes milk, salt and water.
Then another brother, Rueben, cooks
them.
“He stirs and stirs and stirs the pot for
about an hour,” Darlene said.
The chicharrones, cubes of pure pig fat,
cook out the rendered fat while absorbing
the mix.
All of the brothers will assemble to
determine when the chicharrones are
done. The finished product should be
golden brown and will rise up to the top
of the mix when ready.
As is true of all competition categories,
each team does it differently.
“Some people take them out with a
colander and let the fat flow out of them,”
Clarence said. “Other people squeeze
them and put them in gunny sacks. The
way we do them, we just let them be.
“There’s a lot of good ways of prepar-
ing different things. You get to meet a lot
of people and a lot of different matancer-
os.”
In addition to the chicharrones, the
Lucero team will cook chile, carne ado-
vada, beans, fried potatoes, fajitas, carne
asada, biscochitos and a specialty item.
The Lucero’s daughter-in-law, Melanie
Lucero, is in charge of the specialty item,
Have Fun at the
11th Annual Matanza
Baca
's
• Fast, Friendly
Drive Thru
• Drive Thru Car Wash
• Pay at the pump!
• Dine inside & try a
frosty mug of ice
cold root beer
off the tap!
1304 South Main
Belen, New Mexico
(505) 864-4723
January 22, 2011• Valencia County News-Bulletin • Matanza 2011 • 7
and her track record is good.
Her winning entries have included blue
corn tacos and pork won ton.
Competition is certainly a driving force
in the Lucero family’s participation in the
matanza.
“There is some good competition out
there,” Clarence said. “There are a lot of
neat people who put in a lot of work into
it who we’ve gotten to know. It’s a very
friendly competition. There’s a lot of
great matanceros out there.”
This would include Dave Valenzuela,
Clarence said. “He’s done a lot of matan-
zas and won a lot of awards.”
In addition to the competition and
camaraderie, the Luceros also enjoy con-
tributing to the purpose of the matanza,
providing college scholarships for
Valencia County residents.
“I think that it’s a fantastic job that
they’re doing to help the kids with schol-
arships,” Darlene said.
Finally, it’s a chance for the Lucero
family to be together.
“We all seem to enjoy it, and we all Submitted photo
have a good time,” Darlene said. “That’s CLARENCE LUCERO, right, flanks some family members who helped the Lucero
what you do it for is to keep the families Farms team win the specialty item, chicharrone and carne adovada awards as well
together, at least one time a year. It keeps as grand champion honors in 2008. From left, C. J. Lucero Jr., grandson, Clarence
the family united. That’s what it’s all
Jeremy Lucero Sr., son, Melanie Lucero, daughter-in-law, and Greg Lucero, son,
about.”
proudly display three of their four awards.
Don’t Miss The 11th
Annual Matanza!
What a Great Event!
The Valencia County
Hispano Chamber’s
annual matanza is now
going into its second
decade. The matanza
celebrates a tradition
rich in history and has
become the event that kicks off the new year and brings
in people from throughout the state!
UNM-Valencia Campus is proud to be a participant in
this great community event. Don’t miss it!
And don’t miss the opportunity to grow by
taking classes at UNM-Valencia.
Dreams Start Here!
Enroll at UNM-Valencia
925-8560
UNM-Valencia Campus • 280 La Entrada • Los Lunas, NM 87031
8 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011
VINCENT GALLEGOS and Joe Marquez get the callabacitas ready to serve at last
year’s Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza. Marquez has sponsored and
worked with the Joe’s Express Lube team since the matanza began 11 years ago.
Economy sidelines
long-time matanza team
By Julia M. Dendinger
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
jdendinger@news-bulletin.com
Belen
Over the last five years, Joe’s Express
Lube has battled it out for top honors
at the annual Valencia County Hispano
Chamber of Commerce Matanza. In
that time, the team has brought home
either the Grand Champion award or the
People’s Choice plaque.
But this year, Joe Marquez says his
team is out of the running for them or
any other awards. After 11 years of com-
peting, Marquez said this year is just too
expensive.
“It’s been a tough year for the shop and
we just can’t afford it,” Marquez said. “I
would highly recommend it if you can,
though. You can expose your company
to 10,000 people in one day. It’s a great
opportunity for a small business.”
Marquez said not competing this year
is disappointing.
“People ask me if I’m going to go. I
don’t think I am,” he said. “It makes me
sad and I’ll just want to be back there
working.”
Marquez said he has been doing the
matanza since day one, as one of the
founders.
“I’ve always sponsored a team and
started working and cooking for the team
over the last several years,” he said.
And it’s not just Marquez that got
involved. As with most teams, it is a fam-
ily affair.
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“My family always helps. It’s my dad,
me and my son, so three generations,” he
said. “Everyone knows what they need to
do. We don’t really sit down and make a
detailed plan. It all seems to come togeth-
er. It’s a well-oiled machine.”
Marquez said he’s very proud to have
his team named either Grand Champions
or People’s Choice for so many years
running, and it’s a goal to win them both
one year.
“But the People’s Choice is the main
one because the people get to choose,” he
said. “They will come to the booth and
talk to us, ask us what we’re doing, what
kinds of spices we add.”
And it isn’t just the spices Marquez
adds that makes his matanza booth spe-
cial. He said he always bought extra tick-
ets for customers and family and set up a
VIP table.
“We would always bring an extra hog
and things like cookies for people,” he
said. “It’s a wonderful event and I’m glad
to see it’s still going strong.”
There was some conflict in the begin-
ning as matanza organizers struggled to
align an old tradition with new health
laws.
“This was something people have done
all their lives and didn’t want to be told
how to do it. I remember when they told
us we had to wear hair nets. My dad said,
‘Hair net? Why do I need one?’” he said.
“We worked hard to combine the rules
with tradition.”
 January 22, 2011• Valencia County News-Bulletin • Matanza 2011 • 9

2011 Matanza Teams

B-Jar Construction/New Mexico Disposal
Becker Street Pub
Farmers Insurance Marcus Gallegos Agency
Fat Sats Bar/Roadrunner Pit Stop
Frank’s New Mexico Products
Jeff’s Pumps
Magistrate Tina Gallegos
KG Construction/D&G Construction
Los Lunas Parks and Recreation
Los Lunas Schools
Lucero Farms
PG Enterprises
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10 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011

Biscochitos, tortillas and red chile winners

By Jason W. Brooks
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
jbrooks@news-bulletin.com
Belen
The 2011 Valencia County Hispano
Chamber of Commerce Matanza will
likely feature a ton of experienced chefs,
many of whom specialize well enough in
one of the categories to have won awards
in the past.
Here is a bit of information on a few of
the 2010 top-three place winners in the
biscochitos, tortillas and chile contests.

Sara Storey
First place, biscochitos
It took a bit of cajoling to get Sara
Storey to enter the biscochito category at
the matanza.
“My boys (Rod and Frank Storey) kept
telling me ‘If you enter, you will win,’
but I wasn’t sure,” said Storey. “They
kept encouraging me, and my family
always liked them, so I fixed up a plate,
and I won. I was shocked, but pleased.”
Storey learned to make biscochitos
from her mother, Inez Berner. She says
the texture is an important component.
“Really good biscochitos should dis-
solve in your mouth,” she said.
As of this writing, Storey still was uncer-
tain as to whether she’d enter the 2011
matanza contest.
“I might decide at the last minute,” she
said.
Karen Valenzuela
Second place, tortillas
Karen Valenzuela learned to make
tortillas from her mother, a skill she later
used at her family’s Carmela’s restaurant
as a teenager. She’d won an award for her
tortillas before her triumph at last year’s
matanza, but taking second place was
still gratifying.
Valenzuela said her team, ROC
Construction, was the only group to
make tortillas on-site, as opposed to
Submitted photo
SARA STOREY shows her first-place
biscochitos trophy from the 2010
Valencia County Hispano Chamber of
Commerce Matanza.
prepping them ahead of the single-day
competition.
“There really is only one way to make
tortillas,” said Valenzuela. “The ingre-
dients are pretty simple, but the exact
quantities are important. The key is in
the masa (dough).”
Valenzuela said texture is important
in making winning tortillas. She’s been
participating in the Valencia County
Hispano Chamber’s matanza for seven or
eight years, she said.
Beatrice Aguirre is someone who helps
Valenzuela a great deal with the tortillas,
and there are often children helping to
roll out the tortillas as well.
ROC Construction also was named the
Team Champion and won the liver cat-
egory in 2010.
News-Bulletin file photo
ELAINE MONTOYA was first in the red
chile competition at last year’s Valencia
County Hispano Chamber of Commerce
Matanza.
She said it’s really tough to gauge
how a team will do overall and how it
will fare in each category, and what that
year’s judges are looking for.
“We had no idea how we would do,”
said Valenzula.
Elaine Montoya
First place, red chile
Going for an extremely spicy, hot taste
is not necessarily the way of winning red
chile, according to Elaine Montoya.
“If it’s too hot, the judges can’t taste
the red chile and the ingredients,” said
Montoya.
Being a matanza, Montoya’s recipe
naturally includes pork, and she has used
red chile as well. However, like many
Submitted photo
KAREN VALENZUELA was second
last year in the tortilla contest at the
Valencia County Hispano Chamber of
Commerce Matanza.
competitive cooks, she’s guarded in
revealing some of her other ingredients.
“I don’t use very many spices,” she
said. “Only two or three.”
Montoya said she’s won about 12
awards for her red chile, which she has
been perfecting most of her life. She
learned to cook from her family, but
she says she came up with her red chile
recipe on her own.
“Cooking red chile is something I do
year-round,” she says.
The matanza is something Montoya
looks forward to, as much for the compe-
tition as for the camaraderie.
“I like going against others who have
been cooking red chile for years and
years.”

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LOS LUNAS ARTIST and author Noé Lara is one of the many artists who will display
their work at this year’s matanza in an area Lara refers to as “Artists Alley.”
Artists Alley provides cultural view
By Tiffini Porter
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
tporter@news-bulletin.com
Belen
A matanza is as much a celebration of
food and music as it is a preservation of
Hispanic culture, according to Noé Lara,
a Los Lunas artist and author.
Lara, a sociology teacher at the
University of New Mexico-Valencia
Campus, is in charge of what he calls
“Artist Alley” at the Valencia County
Hispano Chamber of Commerce
Matanza.
“It’s a lot of fun and part of our cul-
ture,” Lara said. “It’s never going to go
away.”
Lara believes the inclusion of art is an
important part of the annual matanza,
explaining that there are many facets to
any particular culture and they should
all be included in a celebration like the
matanza.
“The matanza itself is the preservation
of our culture,” Lara said. “The music is
part of our culture too, but art and poetry
are just part of who we are down here.”
The list of artists for this year’s event
is still coming together, but Lara is con-
fident there will be a good turnout and
matanza visitors will have plenty of art
to enjoy.
“People are obviously going to eat
there, but they may want to see other
things while they are there too,” he said.
“That’s one of the benefits of people
walking through, it doesn’t cost them
anything, they can enjoy art without hav-
ing to but it. (The artists) are there the
sharing of our culture.”
This is the second year Lara has been
involved in getting Artist Alley orga-
nized and he said a lot of the success
depends on the weather.
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One such artist, Ricardo Chávez-
Méndez, who specializes in the art of
“curvismo,” a drawing technique, is
planning to send several of his students
to do demonstrations for visitors to the
matanza.
There are several other artists sched-
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Lara will have copies of his book,
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Success” available again this year. The
book is his view of success.
“It’s not about making a lot of money,”
Lara said. “It’s about trying a lot of
things.”
Which translates into the way Lara
feels about art.
“It’s not so much the product, it’s the
process when you’re working with it, it’s
just so beautiful,” he said.
Anyone interested in displaying their
work can contact Noé Lara at 865-0786
to sign up for a free display space.
Other artists scheduled to appear
at the matanza include Randy Simma
from R&N Southwest Pottery, Richard
Melzner, a local writer and historian,
poet Rebecca Hudson, Patrick Pugh, and
Waybon Smith, knifemaker and owner of
Smitty’s Knives.
12 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011
Kiddie Corral offers special
activities at annual matanza
By Dana Bowley
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
dana@news-bulletin.com
Belen
While the annual Valencia County
Hispano Chamber of Commerce
Matanza is mostly about pork, it does
have other facets.
One of those is events to keep the
youngsters occupied in fun activities,
and not only does the matanza have
special activities for children, the youth
even have their own area — the Kiddie
Corral.
Hispano chamber President Arie
Gallegos, who is chairwoman of this
year’s Matanza, has a special fondness
for the Kiddie Corral. When she started
volunteering to help with the event, she
was in charge of the children’s events.
“I started off organizing the kids’
activities,” she said.
While there is nothing exactly new
planned this year, a sponsor’s event from
last year that proved very popular until
the supplies ran out has been expanded
to make sure every child can participate.
The sponsor is Home Depot, and,
Here’s To Another
Successful
Matanza!
Village of
Los Lunas 660 Main Street NW P.O. Box 1209
Phone (505) 839-3840 FAX (505) 352-3580
Mayor
Robert
Vialpando
MATANZA SPECIALISTS
Gallegos said, last year store officials
at the last minute brought some kids’
building kits to their booth at the matan-
za.
“They did it kind of spur of the
moment,” she said, “and it was very
popular. Unfortunately, they didn’t real-
ize how many people, how many kids,
would be there, and they quickly ran out
of kits. This year they’re bringing a lot
of them.”
The kits allow the children to con-
struct a project themselves, which
brings them a lot of fun and personal
fulfillment, Gallegos said.
“The kids will build their projects
on-site, then take them home,” she said.
“We really appreciated Home Depot
doing this.”
There will be plenty of other youth
activities, Gallegos said. They include
pony rides, jumpers and face-painting.
Other events, especially games,
might break out spontaneously, she said,
depending on the availability of volun-
teers to conduct them. News-Bulletin file photo
There is no charge at the Kiddie WHILE THE WEATHER might be a little chilly, the food at the annual
Corral, and children 10 and under get
Valencia County Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza is sure to be hot.
into the matanza free.
Councilors
Cecilia CC Castillo Charles Griego
Richard Lovato Gerard Saiz
 January 22, 2011• Valencia County News-Bulletin • Matanza 2011 • 13

Mariachi Tradicional, of course at annual Hispano Matanza

By Tiffini Porter
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
tporter@news-bulletin.com
Belen
The word mariachi has two possible origins.
The first theory is that it derives from the French
word for marriage, “mariage,” because music similar
to modern mariachi music was played at the French
weddings that took place in Mexico.
The second and more probable theory, according
to Pete Rael, the Valencia County Hispano Chamber
of Commerce Matanza music organizer, is that the
name came from the word used by the Coca Indians
of Mexico when referring to the wooden platform
where the musicians often performed, which was
made of the wood of the Pilla or Cirimo tree.
Either way, the music is an integral part of the
Hispanic culture in the American Southwest and
has been an important part of the annual Valencia
County Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza.
This year will be no exception as the matanza
will feature Mariachi Tradicional, a group led by
Albuquerque native Jose Carrillo, whose music was
described by Rael as “dynamite, fine symphonic
music.” Submitted photo
Carrillo has performed at the matanza in previous
years and is known for his talent behind the micro- THIS YEAR’S VALENCIA County Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza will feature Mariachi Tradicional, a tra-
phone. ditional mariachi group that will perform alone as well as with several soloists.
“He is absolutely fabulous as a singer,” Rael said.
“He is outstanding.” “Mariachi is so much a part of the culture here Rael said the lineup for this year’s matanza will
This year marks the eighth year that the matanza that we would be remiss if we had a vicarious sub-
has featured live music, as opposed to a disc jockey. stitute there instead of the real deal,” Rael said. n See Entertainment, Page 14

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14 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011
Entertainment: Folklorico dancers
from PAGE 13
be the best yet and for the first time,
the music will be piped outside via an
elaborate sound system that Rael is
providing.
“There will be standing room only
by 10 in the morning,” Rael said.
“This music captivates people, it really
does. And now, everyone can hear it
even if they are outside.”
Mariachi Tradicional will open their
part of the show at 11 a.m. with “La
Negra,” and will feature some folk-
lorico dancers that will showcase the
full power of the music.
“The power of the song comes to the
forefront right away,” Rael explained.
“And the dancers will enhance that.”
The folklorico dancers Rael is
referring to are members of the S&A
Dance Academy led by Sandy Telles
of Belen. This is the first year the
dancers will perform at the matanza
and most of the group are natives of
Valencia County.
Other individuals will perform
with Mariachi Tradicional, including
Sandra Montoya, a Peralta resident
who many may recognize from the
Mariachi Holiday concert held annu-
ally at Los Lunas High School, and
Arnoldo Arrieta from Mexico, who
Celebrate!
Rael referred to as “absolutely excel-
lent.”
Another highlight this year will
be eight-year-old Kylie Tafoya from
Albuquerque, who will sing with
Mariachi Tradicional and delight the
crowd other, more contemporary,
songs including Tina Turner’s “Proud
Mary.”
As in years past, the day’s enter-
tainment will begin early with Los
Garrapatas, who will sing rancheritas
to liven up the early-morning crowd.
“These kinds of songs originated out
on the ranches,” Rael said. “They are
dance songs, like polkas or fox trots.”
Garrapatas is not new to the matan-
za, and many people are looking for-
ward to the return of a favorite, and
fitting, song “La Matanza.”
There will be posters at the event
outlining the specific time that each
performer will be on stage, but the
show will run continuously from 8:30
a.m. until 2 p.m., with a short break
around 10:30 a.m. to allow for some Submitted photo
equipment to be taken down.
JOSE CARRILLO, leader of Mariachi Tradicional and an Albuquerque resident, will
“This is a preservation of culture,”
Rael said. “And the entertainment will perform at the matanza and was described by matanza music organizer Pete Rael
be outstanding.” as “outstanding.”
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RAY BACA’S TRENCHING and Excavating Matanza team include Matt Allejos, Niko
Ayala, Dennis Sanchez, Jess Ayala, Ray Baca, Eric Baca and Alyssa Baca.
Right cooking equipment is
vital to matanza competitors
By Deborah Fox
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
dfox@news-bulletin.com
Wood smoke drifting on the air of
a crisp winter morning before the sun
crests the mountain range is how a
matanza starts in the Rio Grande Valley.
Later, the scent of roasting pork will
make your stomach growl and your
mouth water, but matanzas are not pos-
sible without the proper cooking vessels.
If you have the right tool, no job is too
difficult it is said, and cooking an entire
hog is no different. The Rio Grande
Valley tradition of La Matanza, butcher-
ing time, has inspired local residents to
create some very specialized equipment.
Jose Lorenzo “Country” Contreras
bought a 22 gallon Schmidt & Co. wood
stove from Ohio from a friend of his,
Gilford Chavez, who worked for the rail-
road.
“He found it many years ago,” said
Contreras. “It’s an antique. I don’t even
know how old it is. I found out online
that it was used to make soap.”
The stove is squat with a large, 2-foot
by 2-foot cast iron vat that hangs low in
the stove over the wood coals.
It’s the perfect jarrilla for cooking the
chicharrones, Contreras says.
“Most of the jarrillas come from
Mexico,” says Dennis Sanchez of Ray
Baca’s Trenching and Excavating team.
“This one (he points to the team’s jarrilla)
has been in the family for more than 100
years — for many generations.”
Sanchez has been helping the team
January 22, 2011• Valencia County News-Bulletin • Matanza 2011 • 15
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build its cooking equipment for years.
The team is all family members.
“Every year they (Sanchez and others)
add something,” said team member Tiny
Ayala.
Their wood stove is a modified Ben
Franklin stove. They cut out a central
hole for the jarrilla in the middle of the
stove over the wood fire.
“The disco was made from the bot-
tom part of a brush hog,” Sanchez says
of the large Chinese wok-looking platter.
“We plugged the three holes for the blade
attachments and welded on the handles.”
Discos are used for cooking vegetables,
fajita meat and other fried items.
The large disco, about 2 1/2-feet in
diameter, is mounted on an old barbecue
grill stand. Smaller discos are mounted
on stands Sanchez has made by welding
pipes together. Beneath the stand is the
gas fuel fire that heats the discos.
The smaller discos are made from the Daily
discs off a disc plow. Most of the cooking Sun -Thurs Specia
vessels were made from farm equipment,
6am-12am ls
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tractor parts, old stove burners, scrap
metal and truck parts.
“Last year, we won first place on our Fri & Sat o Dail
specialty pork burgers,” said Baca. ““And
second place overall.” 6am-2am Free S y
“Jess (Ayala) is the mastermind behind alsa B
all the meals that we cook,” says Tiny.
The Walmart Distribution Center team
ar
has always won something in the five
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16 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011

Equipment
from PAGE 15

Daniel Lucero, Benny Lee Jaramillo and

Thomas Chavez, all Walmart employees.
Chavez is the welder who has helped
make their grill.
“Everything was made from scratch,”
Chavez said. “We bought a lot of metal
from Speedy’s Welding Supply, and
designed it as a team. The trailer axle is
from Accutrack Manufacturing Corp., all
companies in Valencia County.”
They built the smoker, the grill and the
hot plate on the other side of the grill for
cooking potatoes and other vegetables.
“We have nine total awards,” says
Griego. “Last year we were runner-up for
overall champs.”
They pick up their butchered hog and
are cooking by 7 a.m. About 200 but-
terfly pork chops are ready at 8 a.m. and
liver by 9 a.m.
“The chicharrones are the last to cook,”
Griego says.
The 11th Annual Valencia County
Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza
will be held from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
the Sheriff’s Posse grounds in Belen on
Saturday, Jan. 29.
The all-you-can-eat $10 entrance fee
raises funds to benefit the Valencia Deborah Fox-News-Bulletin photos
County Hispano Chamber of Commerce THOMAS CHAVEZ, front left, Randy Griego, Benny Lee Jaramillo, top left, and Daniel Lucero are the Walmart Distribution
and scholarships for local students. Center team cooking at the Valencia County Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza on Saturday, Jan. 29.
Children 10 and under get in free.

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Sisneros’ son steps to forefront
By Brent Ruffner
News-Bulletin Staff Writer
bruffner@news-bulletin.com
Belen
Martin Sisneros is passing the torch.
Sisneros, of Sisneros Manufacturing
in Belen, is handing the reins over to his
son, Fernando, who will have a bigger
role as a new board member with the
Valencia County Hispano Chamber of
Commerce.
Fernando, 28, will be a team captain
for the company’s team at this year’s
matanza and wants to eventually grow
the event to include additional events to
draw more people.
But the younger Sisneros has big shoes
to fill with his father, Martin, being with
the group since its inception.
Martin was recently awarded the
Lifetime Achievement Award for his
work with the chamber over the years
and a fellow board member said Sisneros
“has big visions” and that “nothing is too
far to achieve with Martin.”
But Fernando brings experience to the
board with helping organize the Carrie
Tingley Hospital Foundation Mudd
Volleyball Tournament, an event that
draws thousands each year.
“As a board, we felt we weren’t ready
January 22, 2011• Valencia County News-Bulletin • Matanza 2011 • 17
to push it to next level,” said Martin
Sisneros. “But as we get more people like
Fernando who has experience with larger
events, we can look at expanding.”
Fernando’s father nominated the man
who once tagged along with Martin when
he was at Belen High School for a spot
on the board.
“I would go every once in awhile,”
Fernando said. “He would pick me up
from track or football practice and kind
of tag along. It was either stay there at
the school and do nothing or go with my
dad.”
But the time spent with the elder
Sisneros was productive.
Fernando said he learned leadership
skills from his father, who was a ranch
hand near the Abo Ruins and the Salinas
Pueblo Missions National Monument
that was once home to area Indian tribes.
The family still owns property near the
monument.
“Sometimes, I would go with him and
ride around and look for cattle to put into
corrals,” Fernando said. “It taught me
how to work hard and do what you have
to do to make sure cattle survive.”
Now, those leadership skills will be Brent Ruffner-News-Bulletin photo
on display at this year’s matanza with
MARTIN SISNEROS, left, has passed the torch to his son, Fernando, who will be the
n See Sisneros, Page 18 team captain for this year’s matanza.
Congratulations
Valencia County Hispano Chamber
of Commerce on Matanza #11
and your continued support of
Valencia County youth through the
money raised at your matanza!
Senator Michael S. Sanchez
505 Main St. SW
Los Lunas, NM 87031
SenatorMSSanchez@aol.com
865-0688
18 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011
Sisneros: New team captain
from PAGE 17
Fernando as captain of a team that he
says cooks up some tasty carne adovada
each year.
He said his family members normally
cook pig or lamb underground to get a
tender, juicy taste out of the meat. He and
his father want to eventually introduce
the cooking of lambs and sheep at the
event.
The group doesn’t just cook.
The Sisneros team makes all the
awards for the event, which typically
winds up being 30-some stainless steel
awards that are donated to help raise
money for scholarships for students.
“We thought it was good for people to
have something unique that no one else
has,” said Martin Sisneros.
Sisneros will take a lesser role with the
Hispano chamber and instead concen-
trate more on helping out causes such as
Los Ranchos de los Ninos, a charity that
helps children in need. Sisneros said he
will remain a part-time board member
with the Valencia County organization.
“He felt it was time for me as the third
generation to take on some of these other
roles in the community that he was once
doing,” Fernando said. “ He thought it
would be good to bring new ideas into
the community.”
Martin said he was proud that his
son was chosen to represent the board
because of his own merits rather than
being picked because Fernando was
related to the business owner.
He said he is proud of his own accom-
PLEASING PORK
DOZENS OF PIGS will be butchered on Saturday, Jan. 29, at the annual
Valencia County Hispano Chamber of Commerce Matanza.
62 YEARS
OF
plishments such as creating a network
QUALITY
among residents to help local businesses
succeed. He said people are more likely
to do business with someone they have a Hub Furniture & Carpet Co.
relationship with.
“I explained to a new member that Serta • Sealy
our organization isn’t big on parties and Financing Available
things like that,” Sisneros said. “I’m FREE BUDGET
proud of the number of connections and DELIVERY!
ASHLEY TERMS!
the networking done within the chamber.
“But our social events are informal and
people have a chance to mingle with each 204 N. Main St. • Belen, NM • 864-4536
other. Our goal is to keep business in
Valencia County.”
For the matanza, the duo said it takes • Engine Repair
a lot of work to organize a team that
home of the GEAR DOCTORS
could have 20 to 30 people helping out • Tune ups
Monday-Thursday
on the big day at the Valencia County • Vehicle Maintenance 7:45am-5:30pm
Fairgrounds.
“It requires a lot of skill,” Martin All Makes and Models Friday
Sisneros said. “Not just anybody can 7:45am-4:00pm
go in and do a matanza. It takes a lot of Domestic and Imports
Saturday & Sunday
teamwork.”
But Fernando said the event can gradu- We Accept Call for Appointment
ally grow as the board figures out how Most Insurance
the event can evolve in years to come.
He said a motorcycle rally has been 1-3 Year Warranty
discussed to attract more people to the
event.
ATRA Certified
A few board members have said Dealer Certified
the event could grow as large as the
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
He said the gradual progression will
BCS appreciates
allow the board to perfect the pig roast.
“We want to grow slowly to keep it
under our control,” Fernando said. But
everyone is learning.”
the VCHCC’s scholarship
program that supports
Belen Schools’ students
BELEN
CONSOLIDATED
SCHOOLS
“Educating, building character,
and preparing our students to
News-Bulletin file photo
meet the challenges of the future”
 January 22, 2011• Valencia County News-Bulletin • Matanza 2011 • 19

Traditions Run Deep

Welcome to the
11th Annual Matanza!
Come celebrate a rich, cultural and tasty tradition,
right here in Valencia County!
VALENCIA
COUNTY
News-Bulletin
Proud Sponsor • www.News-Bulletin.com
20 • Matanza 2011 • Valencia County News-Bulletin • January 22, 2011