Chicharon Bulaklak

Chicharon Bulaklak is a popular Filipino dish and is made by pork intestines, vinegar, garlic, peppercorn, bay leaves and salt. It really unique and can be found any where in Philippines. In this Chicharon Bulaklak recipe you can see that we are showing step by step instructions for making Chicharon Bulaklak. This crunchy Pinoy snack is one of the best ngutngutin next to chicharon baboy. Also best served as a pulutan with some ice cold beer. Putok batok sa sarap!

WHAT IS CHICHARON BULAKLAK?

Chicharon bulaklak is not your regular chicharon. Most of us are familiar with chicharon baboy but not with chicharon bulaklak. What really is chicharon bulaklak?

If you’re guessing that this chicharon is made from flowers.. engggk!! Sorry, you got it wrong. The reason why this chicharon is called “bulaklak” since its shape resembles flower petals. Unlike the chicharon baboy which is made using the pork skin, chicharon bulaklak is made from the ruffle part of the pig. More specifically, this part is located in the peritoneum area (or the pig mesentery) of the intestines which connects the intestines to the abdominal wall.

Since we do not look at the insides of the pig all the time, the best way to look for a ruffle part when you go shopping is looking for the intestines which are ruffle in shape. If you are not sure what to look for, imagine a ruffled dress. And then imagine the ruffle as a meat. That’s it! Hahaha. Or simply ask the butcher for the chicharon bulaklak. Not all groceries has ruffle part in stock. You might want to check special meat shops for them.

What makes chicharon bulaklak stand out is the mixture of texture it holds with every bite. The edges of the chicharon is a bit thin, while the center is a bit fatty. When fried, the thin edge is super crispy, much like a fried chicken skin, and then the center is fatty and oily but very chewy. For those who

CHICHARON BULAKLAK

Every food business starts with some food cooked at home which you want to share with others (but not for free! Haha). Chicharon bulaklak is one of my “subtle” businesses which I sell whenever I make a large batch.

I usually make some chicharon bulaklak when there is an upcoming celebration = inuman at home. I’m always bida during these inumans. I want to provide a variety of pulutan to the visitors. Chicharon bulaklak is definitely one of the best partner you can have with some ice cold beer.

Since making a small batch of chicharon bulaklak is a kind of “lugi sa pagod and sa mantika”, I usually make a large batch of it. I just pack some of them, either to serve as pabaon to the visitors or to sell them to some of my amigas. Through time, less and less of my amigas are buying my chicharon bulaklak because they have high cholesterol. So gentle warning, if you know that you have high cholesterol, it is best not to eat a lot of chicharon bulaklak since this food is high in cholesterol and fat.

If you wanna know how to make some chicharon bulaklak, read and follow the simple steps below. Happy cooking!

HOW TO MAKE CHICHARON BULAKLAK

Making chicharon bulaklak is very simple. But to warn you, this may take a long time. It is better to do them in large batches so that your time is valued.

Buy some pork intestines in the market. Make sure to get the ruffle part and not the one which is used in making longganisa. This part is usually found in the innards section near the liver, gizzard and hearts part. You can easily spot the ruffle part once you see the meat with curled up intestines, which is almost shape like a flower.

To start, clean and wash the pork intestines. Boil them first to fully cook them before we fry them. Add the seasonings like bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns. Boiling may take up to 40 minutes. The pork intestines is chewy but bite-able when cooked. If you have eaten isaw, our goal is to attain that chewiness. You can do a taste test to confirm.

Before frying them, transfer them first to a bowl and sprinkle a gorgeous amount of salt. A little science on the side, the salt attracts water. The salt added in the pork intestines make them drier, and will result to a crispier chicharon bulaklak.  Lessening the water/liquid also helps to avoid oil splashing for later.

Finally, deep fry the chicharon bulaklak. I usually do mine in a large talyasi in a homemade bonfire outside our house. The deep frying may take up to 30 minutes or longer if you are doing a large batch. Remember to keep the heat low to prevent them from burning. Once golden in color (just like the regular chicharon), you may now transfer them to a strainer to drain excess oil.

I usually rest them for a while before eating. Having some air pass through them dries the extra oil in them, making them extra crispier. Prepare your favorite special suka as you serve this chicharon bulaklak. Super yum!        

Chicharon Bulaklak Recipe (TAGALOG)

Mga Sangkap:

• 1 kilo bituka ng baboy (ruffle part)
• ¼ tasa ng asin
• Suka
• 3 pcs dahon ng laurel (tuyo)
• 2 kutsara ng buong paminta
• 1 buong bawang

Paano Gawin:

1. Ihanda at linisin ang mga bituka ng baboy. Ilagay ang mga ito sa isang bowl at budburan ng asin at suka. Hugasan ito gamit ang suka. Hugasan ito ulit ang mga ito gamit ang tubig at saka ilipat sa kawali.
2. Lagyan ang kawali ng paminta, bawang, dahon ng laurel at tubig. Hayaan itong maluto ng 40 minuto gamit ang mahinang apoy.
3. Kapag luto na, alisin ang mga bituka sa kawali at ilipat sa isang bowl. Budburan ito ng maraming asin at saka haluin. Isantabi.
4. Magpainit ng maraming mantika. Ideep fry ang mga bituka ng 30 minuto o mas mahaba pa gamit ang mahinang apoy. Kapag crispy na at golden ang kulay, ilipat na ang mga ito sa strainer o paper towel para tumulo ang sobrang mantika.
5. Ilipat ang chicharong bulaklak sa serving plate at isawsaw ito sa special spicy suka! Enjoy!