Dinuguan is savory Filipino stew made of diced pork, vinegar, pork blood and chili peppers in a not so spicy dark gravy. Depending on the region, some like it sour and spicy.
Some people use pork offal like intestines and other pork body parts. Beef tripe can be added to.
When adding intestine and tripe, clean it thoroughly and boil it at least twice. Luckily, the Asian store where I go have the tripe already cleaned but I still boil it twice.
Dinuguan is made with basic ingredients but very delicious.
Another thing I learned from my Mom when making dinuguan is to use ½ pork and ½ beef. If adding beef, I use chuck eye steak or tri-tip steak.
My only problem with dinuguan, I eat a lot of rice with it. When I was new in the US, our friend invited us often to their gatherings and dinuguan was always in the menu.
He is a bubbly person and doesn't have a problem convincing non Filipinos to try it. He refers to it as Chocolate meat and they ate it to my surprise. It is a simple recipe but very flavorful.
Growing up, my Mom was very strict with us eating street food or other dishes not made from home. Dinuguan is one.
To this date, I only eat it if made by one of my family members. Sometimes, I might eat it at Red Ribbon.
Tips in Making Dinuguan
(1) Cut pork the same sizes so it cooks evenly. Use pork belly, pork shoulder or pork butt. This dish is delicious with pork fat. I never make dinuguan with lean meat.
(2) It is also flavorsome, if you combine pork and beef. I use tri-tip steak or chuck eye steak.
(3) When vinegar is added to the mixture, do not cover pot or stir until it has boiled for 4 minutes allowing the vinegar to cook.
(4) Stir the mixture while pouring blood until well mixed with all the ingredients. Stir it constantly so blood doesn't coagulate or curdle.
(5) Slow cook the ingredients until pork is tender with released oil floating on top of mixture.
(6) It is much tastier if you season with fish sauce.
(7) Make extra servings of dinuguan as it is much better after a day. All the ingredients has blended well.
How to Cook Dinuguan
If you've never made it, go watch my video "How to cook Dinuguan". Make it today and let me know how it turned out. Magluto na tayo!
Recipe
Dinuguan - Pork Blood Stew
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt cubed
- 1½ cups pig's blood
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- 3 pieces banana pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Saute onion for 3 minutes then add garlic & cook for 2 minutes or until golden.
- Stir-in fish sauce.
- Add pork & cook for 4 minutes until light brown.
- Pour vinegar. Don’t cover & don’t stir until it boils.
- Pour water and let it boil.
- Toss-in banana peppers.
- Adjust heat to medium-low. Slow cooking is best when cooking with vinegar.
- Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add pig’s blood. Stir constantly while pouring pig’s blood until blood is fully mixed in with all the ingredients.
- Continue cooking for 30-45 minutes until pork is tender and released oil floating on top of mixture.
- Season with salt or fish sauce.
- Serve while hot.
Notes
- When making dinuguan – don’t use lean meat. Dinuguan is delicious with fatty meat. Use pork belly, pork shoulder or pork butt.
- Dinuguan is more flavorful on the 2nd day.
- You can make extra servings and freeze it.
- When making dinuguan, when you see grease floating on top of mixture – that is a sign of deliciousness.
- When you add the vinegar, do not cover and stir until the mixture boils.
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