Pinuneg is the blood sausage of the Cordillera, made from fresh pig's blood mixed with chopped pork fat and stuffed into the pig's intestines. It is made when a pig is butchered for a feast and eaten sliced with rice.
1 hour 30 minutes · Serves 6
Ingredients for Pinuneg
2 meters cleaned pork small intestine, for casing
4 cups fresh pig's blood, with 1 teaspoon salt stirred in when collected
300 g pork back fat or fatty pork belly, finely chopped
200 g pork kasim or lean trimmings, finely chopped
1 thumb-sized ginger, minced
1 onion, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Kitchen string
How to cook Pinuneg
1.Turn the intestine inside out, scrub it with salt and rinse well. Turn it right side out and run water through it until it comes out clean.
2.In a large bowl, mix the blood, fat, chopped pork, ginger, onion, salt and pepper until the fat is evenly spread.
3.Tie one end of the casing. Using a funnel, pour in the blood mixture, filling it only about three-quarters full so it has room to swell. Twist and tie into links every 15 cm.
4.Bring a large pot of water to a bare simmer. Do not let it boil hard or the casing will burst. Lower in the sausage.
5.Cook at a low simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. When the links float, prick them with a needle to let air out. They are done when firm and a pricked spot gives out brown juice instead of red.
6.Lift out and cool for a few minutes, then slice into thick rounds. Serve with rice and salt or sukang Iloko. Leftovers can be pan-fried the next day.
