Dinuguan a.k.a. Pork Blood Stew, by Elizabeth

In Asia it is sometimes better not to ask what you are eating. You never know what it will be or what it will taste like.

When we went to Cebu, Philippines, my mom tried Dinuguan. She did not know what it was until afterwards.  Dinuguan is pork blood stew. Most people actually like it. Click here to watch someone trying it. 

Interviewing Mom:

What did it taste like?

It tasted like a beef stew with no vegetables and a thicker sauce.

Did you like it?

I did before I knew what was in it.

If you didn't know what it was would you have it again?

Before I knew what it was I liked it so much I had seconds.  But now I would not have it!

How we found out about what this food was made of was when we went to a Philippines market a few days later with a guide who was taking us on a slum tour and she pointed out some bags of pork blood for sale in clear plastic bags and explained how it was an ingredient in a stew that was very dark in colour.  That started to 'ring some bells' in my mom's mind because the stew she had eaten was an unusually dark colour.  Later in the market my mom saw some of the same stew for sale that she had eaten a few days before and sure enough our guide said it was the kind made from pork's blood.

Recipe for Dinuguan:

1½ lbs. of pork belly (pork butt is fine)

10 oz. of edible pork blood (orientex)

2 cups of chicken stock (water is fine)

1 cup of vinegar (datu-puti)

3 Tbs. fish sauce (rufina)

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1 medium onion sliced thinly

1 bay leaf (laurel leaf)

4 pcs. finger peppers

½ Tbs. ground black pepper

1 tsp. msg 

½ Tbs. kosher salt

oil for sauteing

Directions:

Prepare pork blood by straining it and separating the blood that is in a jelly form in a separate bowl.

Next add ¼ cup of water and break up the jellied blood with your hands and set aside.

Slice pork into small bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Using a casserole dish, heat 1 Tbs. of corn oil, add the pork, and spread it evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish.

Cover and let it cook on medium low heat for three minutes without stirring it.

Remove cover, stir the pork, and drain the liquid accumulated.

Add garlic and saute for one minute, then add the onions, stir, and cover.

Let it cook for another minute.

Next add fish sauce and bay leaf and saute for 3 minutes.

Then add ½ cup of vinegar, cover, and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and let it simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and salt and let it simmer for five minutes.

Add the jelly formed pork blood first, stir for about a minute, then add the rest of the pork blood and the finger peppers.

Continue to stir for about two minutes, cover, and let simmer for another five minutes. Add another ½ cup of vinegar.

Again cover and let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Adjust the taste by adding salt & pepper if needed.

That’s it, you’re done. Serve with white rice. Enjoy!