Pig Stomach with Pineapple and Chillies - (MFF - Sarawak)

This month is Sarawak month for Malaysian Food Fest (MFF), and .it's the final week of the month now. This is my last minute submission.

Perut babi masak nenas dengan cili. Literally Pig stomach with pineapple and chillies.

I've had crazy busy schedule this month, that is due to the house moving. But still, I wanna make at least 1 Sarawak dish! I'm persistent yea? Hehe..

I don't know anything about Sarawak cuisine. I never been there before. All I know is that Sarawak is that, in Singapore, we have a shop selling the famous Sarawak Kolo Mee, which it is not possible for me to re-create it. Singapore don't sell the dry version of this noodle. Sarawak laksa is also impossible, making Sarawak Laksa paste at home is crazy, and we don't have ready-made Sarawak Laksa paste here in Singapore. Sarawak Lapis cake is also a crazy quest, if you google it, you will know the difficulty level, it is like an edible art to me. I have no choice but to strike off these impossible dish. And I come to a conclusion that I should re-create a dish that is within my ability.

This dish isn't difficult to cook, but the preparation process is time consuming. It looks rather messy. But I can assure you, this dish is really appetizing and worth my time!

Hunters food created this dish. And then, I saw Wendy re-created this dish on her blog too. I'm totally attracted by just looking at the photo alone! It looks really delicious to me. And when I read the ingredients, it is simple and easily available at my nearest market. No stress!

According to Hunters Food's writing, this is a Dayak dish that usually can be found during Gawai festival. It sounds like a festive dish to me yea. I love festive dish!

Ingredient  (Recipe Source : Hunter's Food)

• 1 Pig Stomach, boiled till soft, sliced. Mine weight about 550g.
• 500g Sarawak Pineapple flesh (Almost ripe), cut into small piece.
• 3 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 2 tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Salt 
• 3 Dried Chillies (For garnishing)
• Coriander (For garnishing)

Spices

• 7 Dried Chillies, seeds removed, soaked in water for 10mins
• 5 Shallots
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 1cm Ginger
• 2cm Belacan (Shrimp Paste) 

Sauce

• 3 tbsp Ketchup / Tomato Sauce
• 2 tbsp Chilli Sauce
• 30g Tamarind pulp + rubbed with 100ml water.

Wendy is right. By just cooking the pig stomach for 2 hours just to soften it, it's a waste. So, there's no reason for not brewing pig stomach soup! Her idea is indeed brilliant. So, same like her, I'm gonna have soup and I have the dish for dinner.

Refer to here on how to prepare and wash your pig stomach.

For my soup, this is what I've got : 500g Pig Stomach, Half free range chicken (Kampung Chicken) - mine weight about 700g, 2 thick slices of ginger, 3 shallots, 1 tbsp of cracked peppercorn and 1.7L Water. And of course, salt to taste before serving the soup later.

I don't wanna over-powered the flavour of the soup by adding too much ginger and shallots this time. My intention is to boil the pig stomach till soften, and at the same time, I have soup. And I've got a very good free range chicken this time. This is good enough.

If you are re-creating this dish, ee this Pig's Stomach Soup posting if you are looking for more specific detail for the soup.

Method 

1. Prepare all the soup ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce to medium low heat, simmer for 2 hours, and there, the pig stomach should have soften enough to use.

2. While the soup is boiling, start prepare all the spices and sauce :
     a) 10 dried chillies, seeds removed, soaked in water for 10mins
     b) 3 soaked Dried Chillies, tear into 2 part (for garnishing)
     c) Blend / pound shallot and garlic into fine paste.
     d) Blend 7 soaked dried chillies and ginger into fine paste.
     e) Rub tamarind into water, strained, discard seeds and pulp. Keep the water.
     f) Toast belacan (Shrimp paste) in a wok under low fire.

For those who haven't toast belacan at home before, here, this is what you will expect. Cut belacan into small pieces, heat up the wok, under low fire, use a spoon or spatula, stir and press on the belacan lightly, continue to stir fry, until you see the belacan turned sandy soil look, and you are there...

WARNING : If you decided to toast belacan at home, please be prepared that your whole kitchen, your whole house, your apron, your t-shirt, your body, your hair and everything will turned smelly belacan. Although toasting belacan could really bring up the flavour of the dish, but the effort of getting rid of the smell at your home is something that you may want to consider. So, the toasting part, i think this is really optional. I shall leave it to you to decide. You could just cut into small piece and cook it straightaway. No problem.

3. Once pig stomach is soft enough, fish out from the soup, leave it cool abit, and slice them.

4. Heat up wok, 3 tbsp cooking oil, saute garlic and shallot paste until fragrant.

5. Add in belacan, chilli and ginger paste, fry till fragrant.

6. Add in pig stomach, chilli and tomato sauce and fry for awhile.

7. Add in strained tamarind water and bring to a boil.

8. Add in pineapple pieces, torn dried chillies, sugar and salt to taste.

9. Once the pineapple starts to release moisture, you will then decide whether the gravy is good enough for you or not. If you wants more gravy (like I do), add more water. Like 70 to 100ml or something? Up to you. Remember to add more salt to adjust the saltiness if necessary.

10. Heat off, dish up, garnish with coriander and serve with rice. Not to forget, your soup too!

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How does it taste like? Sweet and chewy stomach, juicy tangy pineapple, cooked with spicy chilli paste, the sourish tamarind water. And the super flavour of belacan. Woohoo!!!

When you talk about pig stomach to a Singaporean, they will usually linked to pig stomach soup ONLY. No other dishes. Sounds boring yea? But for Malaysian, pig stomach is not only for soup. There are many more ways to cook this sweet and chewy intestine.

Look at this big serving of pig stomach dish! You want some? Hehe...

This dish could serve a family of 6 easily. But I'm only cooking for 4. So, I keep a small portion in the fridge for next day simple lunch. They are equally good!

If you are making this time consuming dish, even if you are only serving 2 to 3 adult, I'd encourage you to cook them based on this recipe's portion, eat half, and keep the other half portion in the fridge (or freezer if you want) for the next meal, or you could share this awesome dish with your neighbor too! With such preparation effort, you might as well cook more. Right? :)

I don't find any reason why you wouldn't wanna try this dish. My husband commented that he didn't knew pig stomach can be cooked in this appetizing way! He ate two bowls of rice! And he forgotten about the soup. My mother-in-law who can't take too hot and fiery food also loves it alot. I will definitely repeat this dish again :)

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I am submitting this to Malaysian Food Fest,
Sarawak Month hosted by Sharon of Feats of Feasts

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This dish is being featured in Asia Food Recipe