Chitlins

Ingredients

• 5 kg pig small intestines (chitlins/chitterlings), raw, sourced fresh or thawed; uncleaned weight
• For the simmer
• 1 large onion, halved
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 120 ml cider vinegar, added from the start
• 2 tsp fine salt
• To serve
• to taste hot sauce, at the table
• to taste cider vinegar, additional, at the table

Method

1. 1
   Working at a clean sink under a steady flow of cold running water, turn each section of intestine inside out. Remove all visible fat, membrane, and any residual matter with the fingers. Scrub the surface, turn the section right-side out, and repeat. Continue until the water running through and off each section is fully clear and the intestines are pale, nearly odourless, and uniformly clean. This cleaning takes 1–2 hours for a 5 kg batch and must not be shortened. The test is the water: when it runs clear and the intestines carry no discernible odour beyond mild fresh pork, the cleaning is done.
2. 2
   Place the cleaned chitlins in a large, heavy pot. Cover with cold water by at least 5 cm. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, cayenne, cider vinegar, and salt. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat — not a boil. Adjust heat immediately so the surface trembles gently but does not roll. Boiling at any point will break the intestines apart rather than tenderise them. The surface should show only intermittent, lazy bubbles.
3. 3
   Maintain the gentle simmer, uncovered or partially covered, for 3–5 hours. Skim the surface as needed in the first hour. The cook is finished when the chitlins are tender enough to cut cleanly with the side of a fork — yielding without resistance, slightly chewy in texture but not tough, and mild in flavour. The broth around them will have thickened and will set to a soft gel when a spoonful is chilled on a plate.
4. 4
   Remove the chitlins from the broth. Cut into manageable pieces. Taste and adjust salt. Serve immediately, hot, with hot sauce and additional cider vinegar alongside. The aroma of the finished chitlins, at the table, should be mild — distinctively porky but not aggressive. Strong residual odour at the serving stage indicates insufficient cleaning at step one.