A Philippine Party Must: Embutido

Embutido

This is something that I have been longing to taste again. The last time I enjoyed this traditional Philippine dish was more than three years ago. It was not cooked at home, I just saw it in a local market and decided to grab a few pieces.

It satisfied my cravings, but I wanted to learn how to cook it myself. 

I really thought it would be challenging. So I skipped this recipe over and over again. 

And, I really thought my inexperience with using the steaming method in cooking would mean a sure failure. So I craved and craved. Until one day last week.

First I googled for the easiest recipe. And, I saw this.

It's simple, I told myself. I can do it. The next time I went food shopping, I bought all the ingredients. 

The very next day, I woke up early. I was ready for the Embutido challenge. As usual, I had to twist the recipe according to my family's taste. They don't like raisins and I don't think the tomato sauce would be for them, too. I lessened the raisins and substituted sweet paprika for tomato sauce. Then instead of mincing the carrots and bell pepper, I chopped them.


Embutido Recipe
Ingredients

500 g ground pork
6 pcs frankfurter sausage, cut in half lengthwise
3 pcs hard boiled eggs, sliced
1/4 cup pickle relish, diced
2 pcs raw eggs
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup red bell pepper, minced
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, minced
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup carrots, minced or cubed
1/4 cup onion, minced or cubed
1 tsp sweet paprika powder
salt and pepper
2 cups bread crumbs 

aluminum foil

How to cook:
1. Mix ground pork and bread crumbs using a large bowl, then the raw eggs, mix well.
2. Add the carrots, bell pepper, onion, pickle, grated cheese and mix.
3. Then add the raisins, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Spread the mixture in a piece of aluminuim foil and flatten it.

Flatten the meat mixture and add the sausage and egg

5. Put in the sliced sausage and sliced boiled egg alternately in the middle of the flattened mixture.
6. Roll the foil to form a cylinder, locking the sausage and egg in the middle of the mixture, then lock the foil's edges.

The rolled Embutido pieces

7. In the prepared steamer, place the form and let steam for one hour.
8. Refrigerate for an hour (since it's cold outside, I left my embutido outdoors for an hour).
9. Slice and serve.

(Yes, it is supposed to be served cold.)

Embutido

I served our Embutido with a simple lamb's lettuce salad and rice.

My family's verdict: My husband loved it but he wanted it warm, no problem, there's the microwave. The girls' saw the raisins and decided to hate it at first glance. But after telling them to pick the raisins, they enjoyed it, especially the area where the eggs and the sausages are.

Oh, my husband said we should cook more using the steamer, it's healthier :-)