A beloved Filipino comfort dish simmered slowly with pork shoulder, tender offal, and fresh pork blood in a tangy vinegar base. The result is a thick, deeply savory stew with a glossy dark sauce and gentle chili heat. Best ladled over steaming white rice or paired with soft rice cakes.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time55 mins
Total Time75 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 420 kcalCalories
- 28 gFat
- 9 gSaturated Fat
- 6 gCarbs
- 1 gFiber
- 1 gSugar
- 32 gProtein
- 720 mgSodium
- 480 mgPotassium
- 50 mgCalcium
- 14 mgIron
- 8 mgVitamin C
- 25 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the stew
- 1 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 oz pork small intestines, cleaned and sliced into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh or thawed pork blood, whisked with 2 tbsp vinegar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup Filipino cane vinegar ( sukang maasim)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 long green chilies (siling haba), sliced on the diagonal
- 2 cups pork broth or water
Directions
- Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add the pork shoulder cubes and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.
- Stir in the cleaned intestines and cook for another 4 minutes to release their flavor.
- Pour in the vinegar and let it boil uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring to mellow the sharp edge, then scrape the bottom of the pot.
- Add the pork broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a low simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until the pork is fork-tender.
- Uncover and stir the whisked pork blood slowly into the stew in a thin stream to prevent clumping. Add the green chilies.
- Simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat with a glossy dark finish.
- Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bay leaves and serve hot over steamed jasmine rice or with puto rice cakes.
Cook’s Notes
- Clean the intestines by rubbing them with coarse salt and several rinses of vinegar until the water runs clear and any odor is gone.
- Always pre-mix the pork blood with a splash of vinegar before adding; this keeps it smooth and prevents large curds from forming.
- For a milder stew, swap siling haba for a single bird's eye chili, or omit chilies entirely for a kid-friendly version.
- Leftover stew tastes even better the next day once the vinegar has fully melded into the pork.
- Do not cover the pot once the blood is added or the sauce may darken unevenly; gentle uncovered simmering gives the best glossy color.
More Philippines Recipes You’ll Love
Craving more flavors from Philippines? Try these traditional recipes:
