Passport & Plate - Dinuguan - Pork Blood Stew
Philippines | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
2 lbs pork (butt, belly, roast) cut in small pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
1 onion, small dice
2 tomatoes, small dice
2-4 Tbsp oil
1.5 cups vinegar
2 tubs pork blood (375 ml)
2 long banana chili
How to prepare this recipe1. Saute the pork until golden in batches, using oil and remove to separate bowl for each batch.
2. In same pot, saute garlic, ginger, onion and tomato until soft and translucent.
3. Add pork back in and saute for about 2 minutes to combine all.
4. Add enough water until pork just covered and let simmer 15-20 minutes until pork in almost tender. (this time will vary depending on the cuts of pork used)
5. Add vinegar and bring to boil - do not stir until boiling. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until raw vinegar taste is no longer present and taste is pleasant/sweet.
6. Add banana chili - pierce or cut it if you want more spiciness, or replace with a spicer chili.
7. Add pork blood and stir continuously as it thickens and comes back to a boil (approx 10 minutes or so).
8. Serve with steamed white rice - or filipino rice cakes (puto).
The story behind this recipeDINUGUAN - this is one of those 'exotic' filipino dishes that North Americans dare each other to eat (if they even know about). Although not as infamous as 'Balut' (the fetal duck egg) it is one of filipino cuisines more daring offerings to the North American palate.
However, I grew up eating this quite regularly and was never turned off by the colour or even the thought of this pork blood stew. In fact it is probably my favourite filipino 'ulam'.
My early memories of it are of communal dining of this dish at home, it's mandatory appearance at any friend/family gathering and also of helping my grandmother cut up little pieces of meat for this dish.
It is that last memory that I have always clung to. As it was her duty to pass on tradition, she had me help in the kitchen often and tried to show me how to cook as I was growing up. Some I retained and some is lost in foggy memory of 'doing something like ....' As I grew up eating her food, training as a cook and eventually dining out - I lamented not remembering and learning more of our native cuisine at her hands. The offerings at local restaurants just never live up to my memories of Lola's versions. This was especially true of the dinuguan - which is found almost everywhere -but none quite as tasty or the same texture as my childhood memories.
Fast forward to my recent trip to the Philippines where we stayed with my relatives. The land is (of course) wonderful and the food delicious everywhere. So when my aunt decides to make dinuguan - I say "teach me." She does and I learn that is is Lola's teachings and recipe she learned oh so many years ago that she is showing me!
I have come full circle. I waited many years and travelled thousands of kilometers to learn this recipe from my Lola - piecing together the knowledge of the ingredients and cutting directly from her decades ago to the practical list of ingredients and techniques learned today from her via my aunt.
