Not actually fat, though it is fatty. This is the mesentery of the pig, a fold of the body cavity wall that serves to hold the small intestine in place, yet give it a lot of freedom to expand and contract. Some writers confuse it with the intestine itself, which has been removed. Preparing this as an appetizer, Chicharong Bulaklak is a Philippine specialty.
The photo specimen, purchased from a Philippine market in Los Angeles,
weighted 1 pound 12 ounces. Cooked it was 1 pound 1 ounce.
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Buying:: The only place you're likely to find this is in the meat section of a market serving a Philippine community. Here in Southern California these markets can be found near most large hospital complexes - our health care system runs almost entirely on Filipinos. The small intestine, which has been removed, is very hard to find here in Los Angeles, though also popular and used similarly in the Philippines. Prep: As sold around here, this cut is cleaned up and ready to cook. Just rinse. Cooking: Generally these are simmered for about 3/4 hour, then sliced up and deep fried. The resulting chicharróns are usually served with a vinegar dip containing garlic and salt. Yield: A 1 pound 12 ounce package yielded 1 pound 1 ounce after simmering simmering (61%). After deep frying to make bulaklak it was much lighter than that. |