Lasang Pinoy 9: Lamang-Loob, Odd Cuts & Guts

pabulum.ext212 is sponsoring April’s Lasang Pinoy, which I’ve given the title of Lamang-loob: Odd Cuts and Guts.

In Tagalog, laman [la’man] translates to “contents,” and loob [lo’ob] means inside–I want to feature the contents inside of an animal, or what is commonly referred to as offal. Using the “waste” parts of a butchered animal has always been part of the human diet. Growing up in the Philippines, our parents told us that offal protected us from being ill and whenever my non-Filipino friends travel back home with me, my relatives tell them that offal’s good for “many children.”

Offal doesn’t have to taste or smell funny. When cooked right–and I mean cooked right, not cooked through–offal can be delicate and savory. One challenge I am posing to participants is to break out from the norm; feel free to use different ingredients with your offal, but try to keep the Filipino essence intact by using traditional cooking techniques you’ve learned from childhood memories and family recipes.

So go ahead and visit your favorite butcher, ask for the odd cuts and guts and create your own kitchen adventure!