Blanched Pig Stomach and Intestines

Blanched Pig Stomach and Intestines

　　　The preparation of pig stomach and intestines is the ultimate test of a chef’s skill. If the rinsing isn’t done properly or the cooking technique is lacking, not only will the textures be too tough to eat, but the strong, unpleasant odor is also hard to eliminate. Back in the day, a local chef from Shaxi was quite troubled by this, so he often pondered how to make the pig stomach and intestines more tender and tastier.

　　One time, while he was cooking the kind of plain congee—where you can see the soup but barely the rice—that people in Shaxi often have, he got so lost in thought that he absentmindedly dropped the already-rinsed pig intestines into the boiling clear congee. By the time he realized what had happened, the intestines were already cooked. Annoyed, he set the cooked intestines aside. At lunchtime, when his family returned and saw the piece of intestine next to the congee, they assumed the chef had forgotten to chop it up. So they sliced it and mixed it with pepper, light soy sauce, and clear oil before eating. To everyone’s surprise, they loved it, exclaiming that they’d never tasted such delicious intestines before—they were smooth, crisp, refreshing, and completely free of any off-putting smell. When asked how he’d prepared it, the chef at first thought they were teasing him and stayed silent. But when he tried it himself and found it truly tasty, he quickly told his family that it was a newly invented secret recipe for blanched pig intestines. The chef then wondered, if intestines could be cooked this way with congee, could the same be done with pig stomach? He gave it a try using the same method—and sure enough, it turned out just as delicious. And so, this dish of blanched pig stomach and intestines was born.

　　Nowadays, when locals in Shaxi prepare this dish, they first thoroughly clean the pig stomach, then coat it with cornstarch, parboil it in broth, and rinse it clean before setting it aside. The pig intestines are cleaned and then simmered in congee until they’re no longer tough. This method ensures the intestines are free of any unpleasant smell, won’t turn black even if left for a while, and have a subtle rice aroma.