Chitterlings

Encyclopedia : C : CH : CHI : Chitterlings

Chitterlings (often pronounced [ˈtʃɪt.lɪnz] and sometimes spelled chitlins in common vernacular) are the small intestines of a pig that have been prepared as food. They are considered a type of offal.

Preparation

Chitterlings are carefully cleaned before they are cooked by boiling or stewing, and are often battered and fried crispy after the stewing process.

As regional and ethnic cuisine

Grilled pork instestines are known as makchang in Korea

Chitterlings are eaten most frequently in the Deep South of the United States, and are usually part of a larger meal that includes collard greens, fried chicken, and other traditional Southern foods. Also, chitterlings are used for sausage casings.

As with other elements of soul food, "chitlins" are enjoyed by African Americans as well as whites in the deep south of the U.S.

Other cultures have fried intestine recipes, for example as part of the Latin American (and especially Argentinian) mixed grill dish parillada, where they are known as chinchulines and may be of lamb.

Filipino cuisine features a recipe of fried pork intestines called "silit", and another for deep-fried pork intestines, called "chicharon bulaklak".

In Korea, grilled pork intestines are called makchang (막창). Makchang is a Daegu regional delicacy.

Food safety caution

Care must be taken when preparing chitterlings, due to the high possibility of disease being spread with chitterlings which have not been cleaned or cooked properly. These diseases/bacteria include Yersinia enterocolitica as well as Salmonella. Chitterlings must be soaked and rinsed thoroughly in several different cycles of cool water, and repeatedly picked clean by hand, removing extra fat and specks of faecal matter. The chitterlings are then boiled and simmered until tender.

See also

• Chitlin' circuit

External links

• [History of Chitterlings] by Linda Stradley
• [Caution in Preparing Chitterlings] from the State of Georgia Division of Public Health
• [Loved and reviled, chitterlings are the ultimate in soul food] by LaMont Jones for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.