Food: Meat - Pinuneg

Pinuneg is the Igorot sausage. It is similar to the longganisa and the common sausage available in the market. Their only differences are the contents and make up. Pinuneg uses the pig’s blood, large intestine and spices. This food must be a product of the culinary ingenuity of the Cordillerans, it is something like combining in one the two filipino foods which are the longganisa and the dinuguan, thus, this may not really be a traditional food. This food just came out recently from a Cordillera restaurant then the recipe had quickly spread all throughout the highland, and later on, in the lowlands.

Ingredients and Materials

# 2 ft intact and cleaned large intestine of pig, it can be obtained from the pig butcher or slaughter house.

# 400 to 500 ml of pig blood, it can be obtained from the pig butcher or slaughter house (note that the blood will be jellified and become dark red in color after a minute of exposure to the air but that’s just alright)

# 1 tablespoon of salt

# 1 cup of minced red onion

# 1/4 cup of minced ginger

# 1 teaspoon of powdered peppermint

# 1/2 cup of minced garlic

# 1 cup of chopped leeks (optional)

# 1 1/2 liter of water

# a cooking container

# 2 5-inch clean hard fiber threads, for tying the ends of the intestine

Procedures (in case the intestine still contains the stuff, you must to take it out. Remove the waste inside the intestine by putting water through the other opening and raise it to push down the contents out from the other end. After removal, wash it thoroughly and then invert or turn it inside out using a stick or through your own technique, treat it with salt, mash and then wash it. Do the salting-mashing-washing three times and be sure not to create cut on it)

MIX THE INGREDIENTS: Put the jellied blood into the bowl, soften it by mashing with your hand, then put all the ingredients (do not include the leeks and the intestine). Mix them thoroughly.

STUFF THE INTESTINE: Tie close one end of the intestine with one thread (do not use rubber, nylon or any material that melts on boiling water), then with your hands, fill in all the mixture inside the intestine tube. The intestine should inflate to its size. Close the mouth (open end) of the intestine by tying it with the other thread.

















COOK IT: Put the thing into the cooking container in a circular or spiral way and pour into the 1 1/2 liter of water and cook it. If you want to serve the broth then you can add 1 tablespoon of salt (amount of salt still depend upon your discretion). Boil the Pinuneg for 30 to 35 minutes. You will notice that some parts of it will swell due to the trapped gas, use a fork or a knife to bore a hole on the intestine in order to let the gas out.















SERVING: After cooking, take out your pinuneg from the container and put it on a big plate. Slice it crosswise making some sausages or just in 2-cms thickness. You may fill cups with the broth and add leeks. Pinuneg is best eaten with rice during meal time.