Dinuguan (Blood Pudding Stew)

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Dinuguan (also called dinardaraan in Ilocano, tid-tad in Pampanga, sinunggaok or champene in Batangas, and sampayna orchampayna in Northern Mindanao. Possible English translations include pork blood stew, blood pudding stew, and chocolate meat) is a Filipino savory stew of meat and/or offal (typically stomach, intestines, ears, heart and snout) simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili (most often siling mahaba), and vinegar. The term dinuguan comes from the Filipino word dugo meaning "blood".

Dinuguan Photo by MVI

It is frequently considered an unusual or alarming dish to most people, though it is rather similar to European-style blood sausage, or British 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 and Molo soup by Cook Garcia.

Dinuguan can also be served without using any offal, using only choice cuts of pork. In Batangas, this version is known assinunggaok. 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.

Ingredients:

1 k. of pork belly, cut into small cubes

350 g. of pork liver

4 c. of pig’s blood

3 chili peppers

1 head of garlic, crushed and minced

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, minced

3 onions, halved and sliced thinly

1 pouch of sinigang mix good for 1 liter of broth

1 bay leaf

salt

pepper (optional)

1 tbsp. of cooking oil

Procedure:

1. Refrigerate the pig’s blood until needed.

2. Heat a heavy casserole.

3. Pour in the cooking oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the garlic and ginger.

4. Saute until fragrant. Add the pork pieces and cook over high heat until the edges of the pork start to brown.

5. Add the onions, chili peppers, bay leaf and sinigang mix and continue cooking until the onions are transparent.

6. Season with salt and pepper. 

7. Pour in just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the pork is very tender.

8. Add more water, a little at a time, if the liquid dries up before the pork is cooked.

9. Meanwhile, minced the liver.

10. Season more with a little salt.

11. When the pork is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, take the pig’s blood out of the refrigerator.

12. Transfer to a clean bowl and with clean hands, mash solid masses to a pulp. Pour the mashed blood and the liquid into the casserole. Bring to a boil.

13. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the minced liver and cook for another minute or two.

14. Add more salt if necessary.

Serve with puto. Enjoy!