Embutido

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Embutido is one of my favorite things to eat growing up. Not that it was a staple in our kitchen but rather at my Aunt's house during the fiesta in honor of their city's patron saint. The whole family will travel north to where my Aunts and Uncles live and we usually congregate in my Auntie Badat's house. Embutido is a staple in their celebration and as far as I know, they order it from a neighbor for the feast although my cousin Erna claims it was made by my other Aunt, Antie Gonyang. They come wrapped in goat intestine and resembles a sausage but it is really more of a meatloaf. My Aunt usually fried them until golden brown and then sliced into wedges. I remember as a child just eating them non-stop. It was that good.

This dish is definitely a family favorite but we never really made this in our own kitchen. Cookbooks were not a big thing back then and recipes were obtained by writing down a recipe or just by hanging around the kitchen if you are lucky enough to come across somebody who is not secretive of their specialty dish. It was only later when I came to visit my family in 2003 that I made this for the first time at home. I bought a cookbook similar to my friend Mara's and one of the recipes is Embutido. It was actually simple enough to make as long as you have all the ingredients laid out and it actually became a favorite of the family especially my nephews.

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

I like to make my version with Chinese sausages which is a sweet red-colored dried sausage but given their limited availability, I decided to use smoked pork and beef sausages. I could also opt for Chorizo but it might be too intense in terms of the spiciness so these sweet sausages are my best bet. I also switched to baking them as opposed to steaming them for hours. It is just less work and you can bake them all in one go. Traditionally served similar to a cold cut, it can be fried as well. One thing to remember though is to make sure that it has cooled down in the fridge for a couple of hours to ensure that it holds its shape and does not fall apart. Ketchup is the choice of condiment for this wonderful treat.

Embutido

3 lbs ground pork
1 lb pork sausage
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup pickle relish
1/2 cup raisins
4 large eggs
salt and pepper
6 eggs, cooked hard boiled, sliced in eighths
2-3 smoked pork sausages in casings, quarter-sliced lengthwise

1. In a food processor, pulse the red pepper, onion, and garlic until finely
    chopped. Combine with the rest of the ingredients except for the last
    three.

2. Season with salt and pepper. To taste, take a teaspoon of the mixture
    and microwave for 30 seconds. Adjust accordingly.

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

3. To assemble the
    embutido, take about
    1 cup of the meat
    mixture and spread on
    a foil. Lay one slice of
    sausage with 3 egg
    slices arranged next to
    it. Top with more meat
    mixture and seal using
    the foil to secure the
    loaf. Crimp both ends.

4. Do the same for the
    rest of the meat
    mixture and fillings. You should end up with about 8 - 10 loaves.

5. Bake the loaves in a preheated oven at 350°F for about an hour. Make sure
    that you arrange the loaves on a baking rack. Also, add 1 cup of water
    into the baking rack. This prevents the drippings from burning in the oven.  
6. Check if the loaf is cooked by piercing it with a knife. Bake longer if
    necessary. Let cool completely and serve cold in wedges with a side of
    ketchup.