Dinakdakan is an Ilocano dish that is made of grilled and boiled pig parts—it works as a delicious and tasty appetizer, too! The pig’s head, ears, and brains are some of the ingredients incorporated so as not to waste any part of the animal. Cooking methods such as grilling and boiling are used in making this dish because it makes the preparation of the dish much simpler. Adding chili also gives it a bit of a bite, making it the perfect pork dish to eat with loads of rice.
Dinakdakan Ingredients
1 kilo pig ears
1 kilo pig face (maskara)
1/4 kilo pig’s brain
1 medium red onion, sliced
6 green chili pepper , sliced
4 tablespoons vinegar, use Sukang Iloko
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
How to Make Dinakdakan
Pour 6 to 8 cups water in a cooking pot. Let boil. Add salt and pepper. Add-in the pig ears and face. Set the heat to low and continue to boil for 50 to 60 minutes or until meat is fork tender. Strain and set aside.
Boil the pig’s brains using a strainer (or a plastic container to avoid brain from disintegrating) and cook for 10 minutes or until they turn white. Remove cooked brains from heat and set aside.
Heat the grill. Grill the ears and face for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until it turns a bit crisp, but not burnt.
Remove the grilled pig parts from the grill. Let it cool down and start chopping into bite-size pieces.
Combine pig’s brain and vinegar in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the ginger, chili, onion, and salt, if needed. Add the chopped pig’s face and ears. Tansfer to a serving plate.
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