Pork Bung: A Tasty Delight or a Culinary Disaster?
Marinated pork bung is used in many dishes and culinary creations, including pseudo-calamari, sausage, and soup.
Pork bung is derived from the pig’s rectum and includes part of the large intestines (whereas the chitlins are the small intestines).
Some agree that the thought of eating pork bung is disgusting, but others have claimed it has a fantastic taste and is a delicacy (ditto neck, jowl, or skins).
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What is marinated pork bung?
Pork bung is the large intestine and rectum of the pig that is used for many meals and food items. Marinating is a method of preparing food using a seasoned liquid. Ultimately, marinated pork bung is seasoned pork rectum in preparation for cooking it.
What is pork bung used for?
Believe it or not, pork bung has many culinary purposes and uses. One example is the use of pork bung to create imitation calamari. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, many restaurants serve pig rectum in place of calamari.
Additionally, sausages are typically made from a meat mixture often containing various animal parts, including pork bung.
Pork sausages packaged with natural casings are usually held together with the pig’s large or small intestines.
Do people really eat pork bung?
Though it may not sound appealing to most, many people enjoy eating pork bung and using it to prepare meals.
Pork bung is commonly used for imitation calamari and large sausage casing in the West. In Mexico and Southeast Asia, pork bung is sought-after street food.
How do you prepare pork bung?
Before using pork bung, it is vital to prepare it properly and clean the inside and outside of the pig’s rectum and large intestine. The best way to prepare pork bung is to soak it in a solution of water and vinegar, then parboil them, simmering in water.
Then, if you purchased the pork bung from a butcher at a North American meat market, it is cleaned and ready to use.
How do you simmer pork bung?
Typically, the preferred method to cook pork bung is to simmer it in water for an hour. Once simmering is complete, slice the pork bung diagonally into one-inch wide pieces.
These pieces can then be deep-fried or stir-fried and served with a dip. The pork bung can also be served with beans and tortillas, as they are served from street vendors in Mexico.
What does pork bung pair well with?
To make pork bung seem more appealing, there are several items it can be paired with. For example, it is common to use pork bung on top of noodles or as a taco filling.
In addition, many enjoy pork bung paired with pickles because the sourness of the pickles helps cut through the richness of the bung.
Deep-fried pork bung also works well with a ranch-based dressing, including dipping sauces with barbecue sauce or Tabasco sauce.
Additionally, fried pork bung works excellent with a fried appetizer platter, paired with fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, and fried okra.
What does pork bung taste like?
Pig anus, though, sounds disgusting and is quite palatable. Some have even claimed it to be addicting, especially when cooked properly.
Properly prepared pork bung is salty and crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. However, some cannot get over the gamey and offal taste.
Some say that pork bung tastes meaty and like pork, which is understandable because it comes from a pig.
However, due to the gamey taste, many can only stomach pork bung when deep-fried and served with a flavorful dipping sauce.
What is the texture of pork bung?
The one thing that provides pork bung with some appealing characteristics is the overall texture of the larger intestines.
The organ is tender and fatty, with little resistance when chewing. Because there is more fatty tissue in the large intestines, this organ is tastier and preferred to eat than the small intestines.
Can you use pork bung in a stew?
Pork bung works well in a stew, especially when mixed in with many other mouthwatering ingredients to mask the flavor of the pig anus.
Additionally, the fatty tissue of the organ adds to the texture of the stew.
Ingredients needed for a pork bung stew include:
- One pound of cleaned pork intestine.
- ¼ cup of distilled vinegar.
- A quart of chicken stock.
- Medium onion (peeled and cut in half).
- Medium carrot (peeled and chopped).
- Two stalks of celery (chopped).
- Two bay leaves.
- A handful of peppercorns.
- Kosher salt.
- Other desired seasonings
Soak the pork bung in one quart of water and mix in the vinegar in a large stockpot. Boil the water for about ten minutes, then drain the pot, removing all liquid from the intestines.
Return the pork bung to the pot and cover it with chicken stock. Add all ingredients and season liberally with the kosher salt.
Cook the mixture over high heat until it boils, then reduce heat to a slow simmer. Cook time will be between one and one-half hours and two hours. When fully cooked, the intestines will be tender.
Let stew cool off and remove the pork bung from the pot. Slice the intestines into small pieces about ⅓-inch thick. Replace cut intestines in the stew and serve as-is. Additionally, you can serve the stew over noodles or rice.
Can you use pork bung in a stir fry?
Pork bung actually works well in stir fry and is used in many Eastern cuisine meals. After properly cleaning the pork bung, place it in a stockpot, cover with water, and simmer for one and one-half hours. Drain and diagonally slice the intestines into ¾ inch pieces.
Slice an onion into narrow strips, and cut bell pepper into small slices. Mix onion and pepper with crushed garlic and chop into small pieces.
Core and slice chilies into small pieces and add to the previous mixture. Mix in Bird’s Eye Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables.
Add olive or sesame oil to a wok or saute pan and heat up. Stir in all ingredients, including the pork bung, and cook on high heat until crisp and tender. Serve over long or medium grain rice.
Is pork bung used in chitlins?
Chitlins, or chitterlings, are made using cooked pig intestines; however, chitlins can be made from the intestines of other animals, particularly cows.
Chitlins are typically made from the small intestines of pigs, whereas pork bung is made from the large intestines.
Though not exactly the same thing, both can be cooked and prepared in many ways, including boiled, fried, or stiffed.
Chitlins are often associated with soul food cooking and are a Southern dish where the pig’s small intestines are boiled with onions, often cooked similar to other Southern cuisine options.
Where do you purchase pork bung?
If you desire to cook pork bung, you might be wondering where you can purchase it. Many Asian markets sell pork bung for cooking and sausage making.
They might be found in frozen food cases or where you find sausage casings in some markets. Some markets may have the box simply labeled as bung.
Some local butcher shops may also have pork bung available for purchase. If you cannot find pork bung, check with your butcher to learn where you can find it locally.
