Dinuguan or also known as chocolate meat is a savory dish made with diced pork, pork blood, and spices. Hearty and boldly-flavored, this classic Filipino pork stew is delicious as a main meal with steamed rice or as a midday snack with puto.
I usually make my dinuguan with pork along with other offal cuts, but since I was able to pique G’s curiosity enough to give the dish a try, I used only pork belly in this recipe to pare down the fear factor.
He already has to wrestle with the idea of eating pork blood and to add bits and pieces of ears and intestines into the mix might be too much for the poor guy to handle in one sitting.
What is Dinuguan
Dinuguan , which comes from the root word dugo (meaning “blood”), is a savory Filipino stew made of bite-sized pork cooked in pig’s blood, vinegar, and spices including garlic, onions, and chili peppers.
Along with choice pork cuts, it also traditionally includes a variety of offal such as ears, intestines, heart, lungs, and kidneys. While pork is the most popular, other versions also use chicken or beef.
Fondly referred to as “chocolate meat”, the pork blood stew is also called tid tad in Kapampangan region, sinugaok in Batangas, dinardaraan in the Ilocos area, dugo dugo in Cebuano, and tinumis in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija provinces.
It’s commonly served as a main meal with steamed rice or as a midday snack with a side of puto rice cakes to dip and soak up the delicious gravy.
Tips on How to Cook Pork Dinuguan
- I use vinegar in this recipe, but I’ve tried versions that use tamarind, kamias or tomato sauce instead. Regardless of what you choose to use, these acids serve the same purpose. Along with adding the necessary touch of sourness to the dish, they also keep the blood from curdling. Make sure to stir about one or two tablespoons of the vinegar in the pork’s blood before adding to the stew to ensure a smooth, deep brown sauce.
- Allow the vinegar to boil uncovered and without stirring for a few minutes to cook off the strong acid taste.
- No need to thicken the gravy! The protein albumin in the blood coagulates with heat application and will act as a natural thickener.
- The brown sugar added during the last few minutes of cooking might seem out of place in this rich, savory dish but it does help balance the flavors.
Enjoyed this recipe? You might also want to try Batchoy Tagalog which is made of coagulated blood, miswa noodles, and chili leaves. So hearty and delicious!
Dinuguan
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pork blood
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-size ginger (about 1 tablespoon), peeled and minced
- 2 pounds pork belly, cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 finger chilies (siling haba)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine pig's blood and about 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Stir well.
- In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and cook until softened.
- Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
- Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add vinegar and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered and without stirring, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly reduced.
- Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and continue to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is tender.
- Add pork blood, stirring to disperse and prevent lumps.
- Add brown sugar and stir to dissolve.
- Add chili peppers.
- Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with rice or puto.
Nutrition
Hi Lalaine,
Tanong ko lang pano gawing liquid uli yong pork blood bought from the asian store. Coagulated na kasi. I tried cooking dinuguan before using coagulated blood and it remained buo buo. Tinapon ko na lang kasi palpak.
Hello, Wowie,
Meron kasi coagualated blood at blood na liquid na nabibili sa mga Asian stores. Minsan nagkamali rin ako nang dampot at yung buo ang nabili ko. I just ran it through the food processor para magliquid 🙂
Hi! Anong remedy sa dinuguan kasi odor yung blood. Nailuto ko na kasi lahat ay..tas tikman ko may konting odor. Bay leaf nilagay ko same procedure sa recipe ng mother ko. Parang sa blood ata nabili ko sa market. 😥 need help po! Thank you!
Linagyan mo ba nang vinegar? Nakatulong kasi yun to para alisin ang lansa.
Hi. I am curious why you add fish sauce and vinegar while frying the pork. Normally yoj have to add water first then the sauce and vinegar. Is there any difference?
I like to add fish sauce to the meat para manuot ang flavor at medyo maluto yung strong fishy taste. Yung vinegar I let it boil off first to cook off the strong acid taste 🙂
Diniguan is one among my fave dish. I can try cooking this today by fallowing your simple and easy steps. My first time to cook dinuguan just right on Halloween 😁
Hi Doll! I’m hoping it turned out well. Did you have some Puto with it? 🙂
Your dinuguan recipe is superb…i did add a few leaf of dried laurel just like Goldilocks dinuguan..btw got the pig’s blood from the market and placed it in the freezer…can i still use that?…kudos to you!!! Thanks
Hi Joy!
I think it should be fine as I think the ones they sell at the Asian supermarket are also frozen.
Your dinuguan recipe is superb…i did add a few leaf of dried laurel just like Goldilocks dinuguan…kudos to you!!! Thanks
Thank you so much!
I am now rocking dinuguan, thanks to you Lalaine! I used to be intimidated by the dish but you showed us how easy and simple it is to cook.
I’ve been craving for dinuguan since I arrived here in US last year. There are filipino stores but they are only cooking pancit, lumpia and adobo most of the time. Finally, I decided to cook dinuguan for the first time and let my husband try it. He loves it! We both love it! Napaisip ako, akala ko aayaw husband ko kasi madaming americans na ayaw kumain ng local foods natin. Much to surprise, nasarapan sa dinuguan tapos rice and bagoong. Solved!
Thanks for your delicious recipe!
Hi Queenie! I’m glad your husband liked it. We have so much recipes that are amazing. I’m sure you’ll find more that your husband will love!
Delicious! I am not Filipino so I don’t really know how it should taste, but it tastes just like the one the little old ladies make at the restaurant near where I used to work.
Dinuguan is an acquired taste so I am glad you liked it 🙂
THANK YOU again, Lalaine for making my life easier! 🙂 I have been avoiding cooking dinuguan, thinking that it is for seasoned cooks only but your recipe and tips made my first dinuguan delicious and a success! Salamat! According to my suki for meat products sa palengke, it is OK na may konting palpak sa first try pero with your help, my first try has no hint of kapalpakan. Hehe. Salamat uli!
Hello, Suzanne!
I am glad the recipe was helpful 🙂 Kung minsan practice practice rin ang pagluluto. Hindi rin panay pulido ang first tries ko sa mga recipes; sometimes I have to test the recipe a few times bago ko post to make sure it works. And dami rin pumapalpak na hindi napo-post sa blog 🙂 At kung minsan, akala ko perfect na bigla ako may natutunan better method kaya inulit-ulit ko at update ang mga recipes sa blog 🙂
Can I use beef blood instead of pork?
Yes, you can 🙂
Could I still use a one week old refrigerated pork blood for my dinuguan?
I probably wouldn’t. Did you check the use by date on the package?
Hi~ I’ll be using your recipe. This will be my first time cooking dinuguan. I hope everything goes well.
Happy cooking!
I am Tagalog. From Cavite. We don’t use ginger in Dinuguan. Does it taste a bit like Tinola? Most people use it online. Just wondering how it affects the taste,and also sugar is added in your recipe? Am intrigued. Thank you!
I use ginger to offset the strong taste of the blood; yung lansa niya. The sugar actually helps balance the flavors, hindi naman marami kaya hindi nagiging sweet ang dish.
Delicious! Is it possible to share a photo in your website?
What photo, please?
Hi! I tried it and we loved it. Thank you for sharing your Dinuguan recipe! My first attempt to cook dinuguan was a success.
You’re welcome 🙂
Used your recipe but used 2 lbs of ground pork instead. And the available 16oz frozen Pamana brand pork blood. Sarap pa din.
Other brands of pork blood are already coagulated, how do you go about it?
I am glad you enjoyed it. I’ve never tried ground pork, I am very intrigued 🙂
I’ll run the coagulated blood in the blender until it turns to liquid 🙂
Delicious
Hi, ako uli. May I make a suggestion? Do you think you could use a different font? Say, Times New Roman? Because I have a hard time reading them without wearing my glasses. The letter size are too small and the color is a little faint.
The Instruction part of the recipe is much better and clearer to the eyes. Thank you.
Hi Rosita
Thank you so much for your feedback. Yes, changing or enlarging the font is one of the things I am working on. I am actually in the process of modifying a few things on the site in terms of design and the font is definitely on the list. Thank you for your patience, I will get the font larger and easier to read soon. Thanks again.
Hello .
Have you tried coconut milk with dinuguan?
Originally from Bikol so we use a lot of coconut milk. You should try it.
Thanks so much lalaine.
Pine
I really love Filipino food especially dinuguan. It’s always like a fiesta every time we have a vacation in the Philippines.
Ms. Lalaine, kapag po nag-lagay ako ng pineapple anong ingredients po ang mga dapat i-adjust? Thank u po sa mga recipes nyo. 🙂
Hello Ajoy
I am sorry but i wouldn’t know how to adjust the recipe using pineapple as I’ve never tried adding fruit to dinuguan. Although it sounds intriguing, I really don’t think pineapple would work well with blood?
my nagserved po kasi nun sa isang gathering dito sa bikol, kaso nahiya lang ako magtanong. :/ anyways, thank u so much po for sharing this recipe, paborito po kasi to ng cranky father ko. hihihi! God Bless u po, Ms Lalaine. Happy Easter!
Hello Ajoy
I hope i-try mo, para sumaya ang “cranky” father 🙂
Why the blood got curdled. What’s the cause of curdling.
Did you add vinegar to the blood? A teaspoon or so will keep the blood from curdling.
I just want to share my experience while cooking this dinuguan yesterday. While browning the pork, my father came in the kitchen. Part of the conversation was,
Father: Ano yang niluluto mo, new experiment?
Me: Yup, dinuguan.
Father: Parang malalaki yata yung hiwa, pang adobo. Dapat kagaya nung sa kilawin.
Me: Ganyan talaga yan, Pa, yan yung nasa listahan (referring to the printout guide).
Doubtful, I double checked the instruction. True enough, what was written is “cut into 1/2-inch strips”. Nyaah! My husband overheard the conversation, joined us and offered he be the one to slice the pork into strips while teasing “strips not cubes”.
Insights:
#1 Father knows best.
#2 Three heads are better than one.
Well, everyone enjoyed the dinuguan over merienda with cheese puto on the side.
Hahaha, Thank you, Joyce. I really enjoy reading your adventures (in the case, misadventure) in the kitchen. Lucky to have two good men around you 🙂
Sarap! With Puto on the side.. 😉
Yes, perfect with puto 🙂