The intestine of the pig, or intestine, is used to stuff sausages and salami, but not only. Offal or entrails are the protagonists of many traditional recipes in Italy and around the world. The small intestine of the pig can be boiled or fried after preparing it properly. Since it can contain bacteria, it is important to clean it thoroughly before cooking and serving. You will also need to spend some time cleaning the kitchen to prevent bacteria from spreading.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Pork Intestine Properly
Step 1. Buy it in a butcher or supermarket
Although not a very popular ingredient, it is quite easy to find pig intestines in butchers and even in some supermarkets. Keep in mind that you need to purchase twice as much as you intend to serve, as it will shrink by about half as it cooks in boiling water or oil.
Note that it is important to wash the pig intestine even if the package indicates that it has already been cleaned
Step 2. Do not clean the intestines in the presence of children
If you have young children, ask someone to check that they don't come into the kitchen. At a young age the risk of bacterial contamination increases, so make sure they stay away from the workspace to prevent them from getting sick.
- Don't touch your kids in the amount of time you handle raw pork intestines to avoid contaminating them with bacteria.
- Be careful to protect baby bottles, cutlery and any objects that normally come into contact with your baby's food. When you are done treating the intestines, disinfect them thoroughly if necessary.
Step 3. Read the intestines
The first step in cleaning is to immerse the pig intestines in a large pot filled with water that you will quickly bring to a boil using a high heat. Boil the intestines for 5 minutes: the boiling water will kill the bacteria present. Wash your hands immediately after handling raw meat.
If the intestine was frozen, let it thaw before putting it in the pot
Step 4. Disinfect kitchen surfaces that have come in contact with raw gut
As it boils, make a sanitizing solution. Take a bowl and dilute a tablespoon of bleach in 4 liters of water. Use the disinfectant solution and a clean rag to sanitize surfaces that have come into contact with raw meat.
You can transfer part of the mixture into a spray bottle to spray it directly on the surfaces to be cleaned. Use a clean cloth to scrub them properly
Step 5. Examine the bowel pieces
Drain them from the boiling water by pouring the entire contents of the pot into a large colander placed in the sink. Wait for the intestine to cool down so you can touch it without burning yourself, then watch the individual pieces closely for foreign bodies (such as rind or hair), undigested food, and feces. Throw away everything you find.
Put on your oven mitts and handle the pot filled with boiling water very carefully
Step 6. Wash and cut the intestines
Rinse it under an abundant stream of cold water to remove any unwanted residue. You need to keep it under water for several minutes or until you are sure it is perfectly clean. Cut the intestines into large chunks using your knife or kitchen scissors.
- Pork intestines are usually cut into pieces that are a couple of centimeters long, but you can decide what size to give them according to your needs.
- Remember to disinfect the sink, countertop and any kitchen surfaces that have come into contact with raw meat, including the colander.
Part 2 of 3: Cook the Pork Intestine in Boiling Water
Step 1. Prepare the recipe ingredients
Most cooks choose to boil the pig's intestines for several hours in water and vinegar, sometimes with the addition of an onion. If this is your first time cooking this offal, you can use this basic recipe to make it tastier. The required ingredients are:
- 4 kg of clean pork intestine.
- 1 medium or large onion, sliced or wedged.
- 250-350 ml of white wine vinegar.
- 2-3 tablespoons of pepper.
- 60 ml of lemon juice (you can add chopped lemon zest).
- 2 cloves of garlic or a couple of pinches of garlic powder.
- Salt.
- A little soy sauce.
Step 2. Boil the ingredients
Place them all in a large pot with a lid, then add enough water to submerge the pieces of intestine. Put the lid on the pot and let the entrails cook for 3 hours. Once ready, you can serve the intestines immediately or you can transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat.
Lift the lid off the pot from time to time to check if more water needs to be added to keep the intestines submerged
Step 3. Give the pig intestines more flavor
Most recipes only list water, vinegar, and offal, but you can make the dish tastier if you like by customizing it to your taste. The ingredients and flavorings you can add to the water and vinegar to add flavor to the pork intestine include:
- Chilli powder.
- Fresh chillies.
- Celery.
- Peppers.
- Laurel.
- A blend of spices for meats.
- A whole or chopped potato.
Part 3 of 3: Fry the Pork Intestine
Step 1. Wash and boil the pig intestine
Clean it and then cook it in boiling water with an onion and some flavoring. Cook it until it softens (this will take about 2 hours), then rinse it under cold running water.
The intestine must be cooked before it can be fried, to kill potential bacteria and avoid any health risks
Step 2. Bread the pork intestine
Beat an egg with a tablespoon of water in a bowl. Coarsely chop some old bread and place it in another bowl. At this point, dip the pieces of intestine first in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs.
For convenience, place the two bowls next to the stove so you can easily bread the bowel pieces before dipping them into the hot oil
Step 3. Fry the pork intestines
Heat a generous amount of oil in a large saucepan. When the temperature reaches 190 ° C, it begins to fry several pieces of intestine at the same time. Let them cook until the breading becomes golden and crunchy. Drain the pieces of intestine from the oil and start frying the next ones. Serve them immediately as soon as they are all ready.
