Pork Isaw
(Grilled Pork Intestines)

Pork Isaw
(Grilled Pork Intestines)

A very common sight at any street in the Philippines, especially at night, are food carts selling various street foods. The most popular would be grilled animal parts from pork and chicken. Not a single part is wasted because in our head-to-tail cuisine, each part is priceless and is put to good use. Collectively, they would comprise the pork and chicken innards which includes the Isaw Baboy (pork), Isaw Manok (chicken), Atay (liver), Tanga ng Baboy (ears), Balun-balunan (gizzard), Botsi (esophagus), Helmet and Adidas (intestines, head and feet).

The Isaw is made from barbecued chicken or pig’s large intestines. They are cleaned first, turned inside out, and then cleaned again. The next step is boiling them until tender then grilled, or grilled on the sticks right away. This is a very popular and affordable pulutan, an appetizer that goes well with alcoholic drinks. It is also best served dipped in red chili sauce or warm vinegar.

Remember to buy the intestines fresh from the market, and select the whitish parts instead of the yellow parts to make the cleaning easier. Clean them with running water, and then squeeze the water out. Do this several times until the water that runs out is clear.

This dish is very easy to prepare and truly mouth-watering, you won’t even know you are eating intestines.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb pig intestine, cleaned
6 bay leaves, dried
4 cups water
2 tbsp whole peppercorns
2 tbsp salt
½ cup vinegar
2 tbsp cooking oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp banana catsup
skewers

Cooking Directions:
1. In a large pot, heat the water and bring to a boil. Add bay leaves, salt and peppercorns.
2. Put in the pig intestines. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and continue simmering for another 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 20 minutes.
3. Take the pig intestines out. Cut them crosswise into small sizes, around 1” in length. Put 3 to 4 pieces in each skewer.
4. In a small bowl, combine the banana catsup, vegetable oil and soy sauce.
5. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook the intestines for about 10 minutes, and turn them every 2 minutes for even cooking, until they are done. Brush the mixture over the intestines each time they are turned.
6. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.
7. Enjoy!

Pork Isaw (Grilled Pork Intestines)