Communion
It’s southern food ways & traditions like these that my family and many other black families alike have kept sacred over the years. Our elders all have their own different food rituals & preparation. Some use pecan wood; others prefer oak. Some make their own dry rubs and others keep their seasoning simple; salt and pepper. Whichever you choose, the story remains deeply engrained in the process.
As a descendant of growers & cultivators , this moment transported me back to my childhood, bringing back memories of the hog roastings on my family farm in South Georgia. We would always do our hog roast during the winter, usually right before the New Year. My elders would wake us up in the witching hour to begin. A type of cold that make your bones hurt. We’d head out to kill the hog, which was somehow gruesome yet intriguing to a lil 8 year old me. I think it was all the squealing that got to me the most, not at all the blood and guts. From there, we would hang it, drain it out, and dip it in a hot water bath to make the hair easy to remove. My uncles would say “ you not cooking the hog, just let it soak long enough so his hair will get lazy.” & from there, we would gut it. In that moment, my elders became the most skilled surgeons, as it took precision to ensure that the cut was just right; make the wrong turn and the meat could all be ruined. Once the hog was all clean, gutted, and cut, the elders would make their claim of what part of the hog was theirs and then took turns during the night tending to the hog until the crack of dawn. These are moments that will stick with me forever. Communion.
Hats off to Marvin Ross of Peculiar Pig Farm for continuing to preserve our traditions & honoring the old ways. Your culinary offering was nothing short of amazing; you know it’s damn good when no sauce was needed! Gratitude to the good folks over at Morning Glory Homestead for this invitation, opportunity and sharing space for remembrance. Thank you for the work you do in continuing to highlight the stories and traditions of the people of St. Helena Island.
