This Ilocano dish is called “dinakdakan” and I first tried it in Baguio and I can’t get enough of it! It is similar to sisig but it is more creamy because of the pig’s brain puree and sisig chopped more finely than dinakdakan. I personally like the taste of dinakdakan more than sisig.
Basically the ingredients used to cook dinakdakan is:
- 1/4 kilo of pig’s brain
- 4-5 table spoons of vinegar
- as much salt as you want
- as much pepper as you want
- as much green chili peppers sliced as you want
- 1 medium sized onion sliced
Annndddd here is how to cook it:
1.) Add 7-8 cups of water to a pot and boil it. Then add as much salt and pepper you desire. Next add the pig ears/face and set the heat to low and allow it to boil for about an hour or until the meat is tender. Strain the water and set the food aside.
2.) Step 2 is to boil the pig’s brains with a strainer in order to prevent the pigs brain from disintegrating. Just cook it for about 10 minutes or so until you see the brain turn white and remove the cook brains and set it aside.
3.) The next Step is to heat a grill and cook the ears and face on each side until it turns crispy. Be careful not to burn it.
4.) Remove the grilled meat from the grill to let it cool. Chop it into small pieces.
5.) Mix the pig brain and vinegar in a bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Add onion, chill, pepper, and the chopped meat.
6.) Transfer the finished product to a serving plate and enjoy!
