Sundae — Korean Blood Sausage (순대)

Ingredients

• For cleaning the casing
• 60 g plain flour
• 30 g coarse salt
• 60 ml white vinegar
• For the casing
• 60 cm pig's small intestine, fresh or thawed, one end tied
• For the filling
• 200 ml pork blood, warmed to just above body temperature
• 80 g glass noodles (당면), soaked in cold water until pliable, drained, cut into 3 cm lengths
• 100 g glutinous rice, soaked 4 hours, par-steamed until just tender
• 80 g firm tofu, pressed dry, crumbled
• 30 g green onion, finely chopped
• 5 g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 10 ml sesame oil
• 5 g sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• For the traditional dipping sauce
• 30 g doenjang (된장), raw, uncooked
• 5 g fine salt
• 10 ml sesame oil

Method

1. 1
   Rub the intestine inside and out with the flour, then rinse under cold running water — the flour acts as an abrasive and draws surface impurities away from the casing before the deeper treatments begin. Repeat with the coarse salt, then again with the vinegar, rinsing thoroughly after each rub so each agent can work on a clean surface. The casing is ready when it smells neutral and carries no trace of off-odour.
2. 2
   Combine the warmed pork blood, glass noodles, par-steamed glutinous rice, crumbled tofu, green onion, ginger, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a large bowl, using warmed blood rather than cold so it stays fluid long enough to coat every element evenly before the filling stiffens. Mix until the blood is evenly distributed and the filling coheres. The mixture should move slowly when the bowl is tilted — loose enough to flow into the casing, dense enough to hold its shape.
3. 3
   This is where the dish lives or dies: spoon or funnel the filling into the tied intestine casing, packing it no more than three-quarters full, because the blood-rice mixture swells during steaming and an overfilled casing will split, losing the filling into the steaming water. Tie the open end securely once filled. The casing should feel plump but yield slightly when pressed — not drum-tight.
4. 4
   Set the stuffed sundae on a rack over vigorously boiling water, cover, and steam over high heat for 25–30 minutes, keeping the heat high throughout so the steam never falters and the filling sets evenly from edge to centre. Insert a thin skewer into the thickest point of the sausage; it is done when the skewer meets no resistance and emerges clean with no trace of pink liquid.
5. 5
   Remove from the steamer and rest for 5 minutes before slicing, so the filling firms and draws back from the casing slightly, giving a clean cut rather than a smeared one. Cut into rounds 1.5–2 cm thick with a sharp knife. The filling should be firm and sliceable; if cut too soon it will be too soft to hold its shape.
6. 6
   Stir together the raw doenjang, fine salt, and sesame oil for the traditional dip, leaving the doenjang uncooked so its sharp, fermented edge stays present against the richness of the blood filling. Serve the sliced sundae warm alongside the dipping sauce. The filling should present a clean cross-section of dark blood-rice and pale noodle against the translucent casing.