Dinuguan is one of the Filipino favorites during special occasions. It comes from the Filipino word “dugo” which means blood. Yes. For all non-Filipino readers, this dish is made from meat (usually pork) and / or offal (usually intestines, stomach, ears, or snout) simmered in pork blood, with chili and vinegar. No worries, it’s actually really good, despite the thought that you are going to eat blood (think vampirism), and it goes very well with plain white rice or rice cake which we Filipinos call “puto”

Ingredients:
• 4 cups Pork blood
• 1 kilo Pork belly (cut into bite size pieces: usually around 1” x 2”)
• 250 g Pork intestines (cut into bite size pieces) – optional
• 250 g Pork liver (cut into bite size pieces) – optional
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1 bulb Onion (sliced)
• 2 pcs Laurel leaves
• 1 cup Soy sauce
• Black pepper (crushed)
• 1/2 cup Vinegar
• Long green peppers

(Quantity is lessened compared to that of the one in the pictures since the amount of ingredients used in the picture is good for 10 – 20 persons)

Procedures:
1. Strain pork blood through a sieve making sure there are no lumps. Set aside.
Note: It’s best to ask if the pork blood that you are buying has already been seasoned with salt, that way you don’t need to add in salt later.
2. Sauté garlic and onion.
3. Add in pork meat, intestines, and liver. Don’t forget the laurel leaves. Season with crushed black pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the meat turns a bit brown.
4. Pour in soy sauce and simmer until it boils and meat has absorbed almost all the liquid. Once cooked, transfer to a container then set aside.

5. Using the same pan, pour in the pork blood, while constantly stirring. You’ll notice that it would start to turn black, during that time, slowly add in the cooked meat (do not include the oil).
6. Add in vinegar, and simmer until it boils.
7. Serve hot.

I know this is quite a different way of cooking Dinuguan as it requires you to make “adobo” first, but I love how my mom makes it and it tastes really good!