How to cook Dinakdakan?

Picture from Yummy.ph

Dinakdakan began in the Ilocos region and I think, it is an Ilocano version of sisig which is a pork dish that began in Pampanga. But the difference is the extra ingredient which it utilizes the pork brain, however, there are other versions that utilize mayonnaise so it became creamy. The pork areas that use in Dinakdakan is often pork intestines, nape, liver, mask, and ears. But the recipe that I will present to you only need to use pork ears and mask because it is difficult to clean the pig's intestines. This is only the way to make the dish simple yet delicious and nearly the same as the real Ilokano Dinakdakan dish.

Cooking Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of pork mask with ears, wash and remove hairs
• ¼ kilo of pork brain
• 1 piece of white onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon of ginger, minced
• 3 pieces of bird's eye chili peppers, chopped
• 1 piece of green pepper (siling Haba), sliced diagonally
• ¼ cup of cane vinegar, preferably Sukang Iloko
• salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup of mayonnaise
• 4 pieces of Calamansi, extract the juice
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

Cooking Instructions:

1. Add the ear and face mask in a pot and add water just adequate to coat the pork, around 7 cups. Sprinkle with pepper and salt and let it boil. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until the pork is already tender.

2. Cut the pork ears and mask and grill it in a non-stick pan or stovetop grill until the fat already turns to brown crispy and already rendered. Cut into pieces and add them in the bowl. Keep aside.

3. Combine Calamansi juice, onion, bird's eye chili peppers, vinegar, ginger, onion, mayonnaise, green pepper, pepper, salt, and sugar in a separate bowl. Blend well and keep aside.

4. Saute the pork brain in the heated empty non-stick pan. Sprinkle with pepper and salt and mix until it already became a paste in texture and until it was already cooked. Took it out from the pan and transfer on the bowl on the top of the cut pork mask.

5. Add in the mixture of spices and vinegar on the cut pork mask and stir until the mixture is already fairly spread on the pork.

6. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. Garnish with spring onions. Serve and enjoy!