Harold’s Atay And Chicharong Bulaklak Ala Kinilaw

Harold’s Atay And Chicharong Bulaklak Ala Kinilaw

By Taga Ibaan Ako

Ibaenos are kitchen wizards. Magic wand like that of Harry Potter's is not a prerequisite to satisfy one's glutenous cravings for one magical cuisine that is sure to hit the mark for great platter. And I bet not anyone in Hogwarts School of Magic and Wizardry never had a taste of Harold's hog's atay (liver) and chicharong bulaklak na murang bituka (young intestine) fashioned ala

kinilaw in sizzling way. Just a tongue-teasing slice of it and the Prisoner of Azkaban will surely try to break free and head to Yabyabin Street, corner I. Guerra Street at Poblacion, Ibaan, Batangas. Unfortunately, he won't find anything there. We've feasted on it down to the last cut last December 8, 2010 during the official lighting of Patena family's Christmas Tree, which has been a yearly tradition, made of garbage plastic bags from different malls and establishments. The prisoner will have to wait for another year for that. The same thing goes to all of you who failed to be there.

The regular kinilaw, similar to Japan's Sashimi and Ceviche of South America, popular in Visayan area, basically refers to cooking of fish meat such that of tambakol and tanigue. However, there is practically no cooking since no heat or fire partakes in the process. It only involves marinading and softening the meat with vinegar and dressed with onions, chili and other aphrodisiac agents. With passing of time, kinilaw has evolved from fish meat to pork meat. And through Filipino's creative taste buds and ingenuity, including those of Ibaenos, Harold Patena included, we now have this atay and chicharong bulaklak in the ivy league of main course and appetizer. Much more, this one claims the throne of being the star, a.k.a. pulutan, in every drinking sessions.

Oh, I'm not necessarily talking about kinilaw, to the extreme per se, here. Harold's creation only got a touch of real-deal kinilaw. The pork's atay and murang bituka are precooked so as to achieve a certain level of softness and tenderness for everyone's enjoyment. They are also soft fried in a consistent low-toned fire to avoid any shot of bitterness and to bring firmness on the meat themselves. All in one, they're totally soft, tender and firm. They won't melt in our mouth. Your teeth will still have to work to squeeze off the remaining juice on the meat. Anyway, that's the best part -grinding them down to one's throat with a bang.

Soft frying the bitukang mura (pork's young intestine) results to everyone's favorite chicharong bulaklak. This should not end up with tug-of-war with your mouth once youtake a bite of them. Harold perfectly did that and was able to give justice with his recipe. Coming out fresh off hot pan, both atay and bitukang mura find themselves on chopping board with sharp edged knife cutting through them. They were sliced for a bite size slowly showing signs of sweet juice which awaiting patrons can lavish all the way down from one's finger tips.

A medium sized plate suits them well where they're thoroughly mixed, combined and tossed upside down as if fruit cocktail is on the way. Tea cup of dreadful vinegar full of and blended with chili fingers' might was poured in for the purpose of leveling off the meat scent. Drops of soy sauce were alsoadded to put more color and to neutralize the vinegar's sourness. The result? A proud and perfect pulutan.

And yes, it's ala kinilaw since vinegar and some sizzlers bring them together along with drops of soy sauce. No, they're not drowning in a pool of vinegar in a bowl like the basic kinilaw. It's kinilaw in dry plate.

Just as when you think the people awaits the official lighting of the family's Christmas tree made of plastic bags, everyone is more excited to have a taste of Harold's atay and chicharong bulaklak ala kinilaw.

This is definitely and undeniably a finger-licking-good treat!

(Thanks to Tatay Mael Patena and to his family.)