Dinakdakan Recipe – Several recipes in Filipino cuisine makes sure that all parts of the animal is used. Yes, that includes parts like the innards and parts of the head. From the intestines alone there are three dishes you can make. There is the street barbeque Isaw, and then there are the variations of it, which are Adobong Isaw and Crispy Bagbagis.
Among the list of recipes that incorporate different part of the animal, there is one cooks the part of a pig’s face, and that is Dinakdakan. Dinakdakan or warek-warek is an Ilocano delicacy made with grilled pork parts such as the face, ears, liver, and tongue.
Traditionally, it’s a bar dish enjoyed with dish, but it has evolved into a hearty main dish you can dig into with rice. The idea of eating pig ears and tongue is not new. But with dinakdakan, you get a creamy and flavor packed dish that includes a mix of red onions, siling haba or siling labuyo chilis, ginger, black peppercorns, calamansi juice, and bay leaves. If you are interested in trying something new, here is a Dinakdak Recipe you can try:
Dinakdakan Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork face snout ears
- water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper corns
- 1/2 pound pork liver
- 8 ounces pig brain
- 1/4 cup cup calamansi juice
- 1 red onion peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 thumb-size ginger peeled and minced
- 3 Thai chili peppers stemmed and minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, we’re combining some delicious ingredients – pork face, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and enough water to cover everything. Bring it to a boil, skimming any scum that accumulates on top. Then, lower the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the meat is tender but not falling apart.
- Once the meat is ready, remove it from the pot and drain well. But don’t stop there! We’re adding some liver to the pot and cooking it for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until it’s half-done. After it’s cooked, remove it from the pan and drain well.
- But that’s not all – we’re adding pig brain to the pot and cooking it for about 8 to 10 minutes. Once it’s done, remove the brain with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a bowl. Mash it until it’s smooth and set it aside.
- Now, it’s time to fire up the grill! Grill the pork for about 4 to 6 minutes on each side until it’s crisp and slightly charred. Once it’s cooled down, slice it thinly. Next up, grill the liver for about 3 to 5 minutes until it’s nicely charred and fully cooked.
- In a large bowl, combine the pork meat, onions, ginger, and chili peppers. Add calamansi juice and toss everything together. Then, add the mashed pig brain and stir until it’s well-distributed. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste. This dish is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
Additional Notes for a Dinakdakan Recipe
If you are still unsure about all the ingredients in the recipe, you can replace the pig brain with mayonnaise to add the characteristic creaminess of the dish. The important thing is that you maintain the inclusion of the pig face parts.
This is just one of many ways you can explore trying parts of an animal outside of the usual belly and such. You also have the option to explore other unique parts like ox trip in “Callos” or build you way up by trying other pork dishes like Pata Tim, a sweet and savory pork leg stew you can enjoy with rice. If you want to try other meat dishes, you can check out Chicken Inasal.
There is no shortage of dishes you can try to explore in Filipino cuisine that uses lesser known parts of the animal in different ways. For anyone that’s an adventurous eater, this Dinakdakan Recipe is one of many unique options to try.
