Authentic Isaw Recipe Philippines, Asia
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Isaw, an inexpensive Filipino street food dish consists of boiled, then grilled pork or chicken intestines. The dish is made with intestines, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, peppercorn, dried bay leaves, onion, garlic, chilies, and more often than not, banana ketchup. The intestines are meticulously cleaned and boiled in seasoned water. After cooling, they are cut into smaller pieces, skewed, and grilled over hot charcoal, basted in a soy sauce mixture. Isaw is served hot, usually accompanied by some soy sauce or a spiced dip made with vinegar, onion, garlic, and chilies. Isaw is most commonly sold at street stalls named isawans, and is traditionally consumed as an afternoon snack.
Pair with
Serve With
Cooking tips
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cleaning
Make sure to buy only pre-cleaned chicken or pig intestines from a trusted seller, then clean them some more before cooking. Rinse the intestines under running water, turning them inside out, or slicing them open for easier cleaning. Some sources suggest inserting a small water hose inside the intestines. -
method
Boiling the intestines before grilling is an essential step in the preparation process. Cooking the intestines in boiling water for 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the recipe, eliminates the food-borne bacteria. Even though the traditional preparation method includes grilling isaw over hot charcoal, some recipes call for deep-frying the intestines in hot oil. Besides the traditional seasonings, some ... Read more -
serving
The dish is served hot, with some soy sauce or spicy vinegar dip on the side. The sour vinegar mixture goes well with the smoky flavor of the isaw.
Recipe variations
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Crispy Fried Isaw
Ready in 45minThe next recipe, adapted from the Sarap Pinoy Recipes website (www.sarappinoyrecipes.com), includes a crunchy version of the chicken dish, coated in flour, eggs, and cornstarch, then deep-fried in oil. Even though this recipe doesn't call for it, boiling the cleaned intestines before proceeding with the preparation process might be the safest option.
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Isaw and Balunbalunan
Ready in 1h 20minThis next recipe is adapted from the Ang Sarap website (www.angsarap.net) and features a barbecued mix of pork intestine and chicken gizzard. For the authentic isaw version, prepare only the pork intestine. Clean the intestine thoroughly under running water and soak in boiling water. If your kitchen doesn't have a good ventilation system, try cooking this dish outdoors. Soak the skewers in water overnight to prevent them from burning.
Crispy Fried Isaw
PREP 30min
COOK 15min
READY IN 45min
The next recipe, adapted from the Sarap Pinoy Recipes website (www.sarappinoyrecipes.com), includes a crunchy version of the chicken dish, coated in flour, eggs, and cornstarch, then deep-fried in oil. Even though this recipe doesn't call for it, boiling the cleaned intestines before proceeding with the preparation process might be the safest option.
Ingredients
Crispy Fried Isaw
½ kg (1.1 lb) chicken intestines, cleaned thoroughly
8 calamansi (Philippine lime)
2 packs Magic sarap (8g each)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 eggs
2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups (345g) cornstarch
Cooking oil, for deep-frying
Preparation
Crispy Fried Isaw
Squeeze the calamansi, making sure to remove all the seeds from the juice.
Mix the calamansi juice, ground black pepper, and 1 ½ pack of Magic sarap in a bowl. Add the intestines into the mixture and marinate for at least an hour, up to overnight.
Dip the marinated intestines into flour, eggs, and, finally, cornstarch, making sure the pieces are completely coated.
Heat some oil for frying in a big pan. Add the coated intestines and deep-fry until golden brown. When done, strain the excess fat using kitchen towels.
Serve hot with some vinegar dip.
Other Variations
-
Isaw and Balunbalunan
Ready in 1h 20minThis next recipe is adapted from the Ang Sarap website (www.angsarap.net) and features a barbecued mix of pork intestine and chicken gizzard. For the authentic isaw version, prepare only the pork intestine. Clean the intestine thoroughly under running water and soak in boiling water. If your kitchen doesn't have a good ventilation system, try cooking this dish outdoors. Soak the skewers in water overnight to prevent them from burning.
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