Dinuguan
(also called dinardaraan in Ilocano, tid-tad in Pampanga, dugo-dugo in Cebuano, rugodugo in Waray, sampaynaor champayna in Northern Mindanao and tinumis in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija) is a Filipino savory stew of pork offal (typically lungs, kidneys, intestines, ears, heart and snout) and/or meat simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili (most often siling mahaba), and vinegar The most popular term dinuguan and other regional naming variants come from their respective word for "blood" (e.g. "dugo" in Tagalog means "blood" hence "dinuguan" as "to be stewed with blood"). Possible English translations include pork blood stew or blood pudding stew. It is frequently considered an unusual or alarming dish to foreigners though it is rather similar to European-style blood sausage, or British and Irish black pudding in a saucy stew form. It is perhaps closer in appearance and preparation to the Polish soup Czernina or an even more ancient Spartan dish known as melas zomos (black soup) whose primary ingredients were pork, vinegar and blood. Dinuguan can also be served without using any offal, using only choice cuts of pork. In Batangas, this version is known as sinungaok. It can also be made from beef and chicken meat, the latter being known as dinuguang manok ('chicken dinuguan'). Dinuguan is usually served with white rice or a Philippine rice cake called puto. The Northern Luzon versions of the dish namely the Ilocano dinardaraan and the Ibanag zinagan are often drier with toppings of deep-fried pork intestine cracklings. The Itawes of Cagayan also have a pork-based version that has larger meat chunks and more fat, which they call twik. |
Dinuguan is a Filipino stew made of pork meat cooked in pig’s blood, vinegar and spices. Offal parts are traditionally used in this rich and spicy dish but since I was able to intrigue G enough to give it a try, I used pork belly to tame the fear factor. He already has to wrestle with the idea of eating pork blood and to add bits and pieces of ears, snouts, stomach and kidneys into the mix might be too much for the poor guy to handle in one sitting.
INGREDIENTS 10 ounces pig's blood 1 cup vinegar 1 tablespoon oil 1 onion, peeled and chopped 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 small knob ginger (about 1 teaspoon), peeled and minced 2 pounds pork belly, cut into ½-inch strips 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 cup water 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 finger chilies salt and pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS In a bowl, combine pig's blood and about 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Stir well. In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions, garlic and ginger and cook until limp. Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add vinegar and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered and without stirring, for about 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and continue to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is tender. Add pig's blood, stirring to disperse and prevent lumps. Add brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Add chili peppers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serve hot with rice or puto. |