Tantiyahin

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of learning the family recipe for one of my favorite Filipino dishes, Pork Blood Stew which I think sounds less unappetizing in Tagalog, Dinuguan. In trying the record my grandmother's directions and measurements, I learned a new word that almost prevented my written recipe, "tantiyahin" or estimate (more like winging it). So as a disclaimer for the dinuguan recipe, all quantities can be adjusted as you see fit.

Lola Dory's Dinuguan Recipe

Ingredients (serves 15-20):

9 lbs. pork bonesless butt, cut into 1/2 in. cubes

5 lbs. pork stomach

30 oz. pork blood, thawed

20 oz. beef blood, thawed

1 tbsp. cooking oil

1 c. vinegar

6 cloves minced garlic

2 diced yellow onion

6 yellow chili peppers

fish sauce

pepper

Instructions:

1. Refrigerate pork and beef blood until needed.

2. Boil pork stomach in large pot for 1 hour until tender.

3. Slice pork butt into 1/2 in. cubes, rinse, then boil in a separate pot for 1 hour.

4. Once pork stomach is tender, remove from heat and run under water to cool down. Slice pork stomach into 1/2 in. cubes.

5. Remove pork and beef blood from refrigerator and mash solid masses.

6. In another large pot, saute garlic and onions over high heat until crystalized. Add pork butt then enough water so that the pork is slightly submerged. Lower to medium heat then combine pork stomach, cover and simmer. Add blood last with yellow chili peppers then cover and simmer over medium heat. Add water to prevent meat from sticking.

7. Season with fish sauce, vinegar, and pepper.

Serve dinuguan hot with sweet rice cakes (puto) or steamed rice.