If you’ve ever had some well-cooked chitlins, you’d probably agree that you just can’t get enough of them. Â.
The majority of people are intimidated to attempt to prepare chitterling on their own. But if you follow the cooking instructions below, you’ll be able to prepare chitterlings.
I really do love to eat chitterlings (aka chitlins). You absolutely must try this recipe if you want to enjoy authentic soul food. We’ll show you today how to prepare and cook chitlins in your kitchen without the unpleasant smell.
I enjoy eating my chitlins with rice, collard greens, cornbread, and hot sauce on top. What about you? My father-in-law enjoys eating spaghetti with his chitlins.
Chitterlings and hog waws have long been a southern favorite. Down south we also like to call them “chitlins”. Typically, southerners will prepare chitlins and hog maws for large family gatherings or special occasions. On Christmas and New Year’s Day, I enjoy making a pot of chitlins.
Soul Food Is Good for the Soul
Growing up, my mother never made chitlins. I’m not sure if she didn’t know how to do it or if she was just sick of eating them. My mother was the oldest of nine children, so chitlins and other soul food were the simplest things to feed a big family.
When I was 17 years old, my uncle’s wife made them, and I tried them for the first time and fell in love. Later, I would begin preparing them for myself.
(Of course, chitterlings or chitlins are great any time of the year, too.) If you want to learn how to prepare chitlins for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years, then continue reading.
Yes, what you have heard is true. Uncooked chitlins stink. Bad. They will stink literally the whole house. However, if you can get past the odor, you will have won the battle. The final dish is worth it. Once you’ve prepared them a few times, you actually get used to the smell and it doesn’t bother you as much anymore, so think of it as a reward for putting up with the smell.
The famous “red bucket” of chitterlings
What Kind of Chitlins to Buy
Choosing how many chitlins you want to make is the first thing you need to do. It doesn’t really matter whether you buy them from the butcher, get the ones in the big red bucket, or buy the ones in the plastic package because you’ll end up with slightly more than half of what you started with because they absorb water and shrink as they cook.
Lots of people buy the infamous red bucket of chitterlings. They are the cheapest and smelliest. You will need to clean them because they have not been previously cleaned. Even though the pre-cleaned chitlins in the bag still require cleaning, there is less work to be done and they don’t smell as bad. Additionally, the ones in the bag cost about twice as much as the ones in the bucket. But if you’re short on time and making a lot of dishes for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, it might be well worth it.
Note: The ones in the bucket are not recommended if you have sensitive hands because they will irritate your hands, especially if you have eczema. Whichever you choose, I advise wearing gloves, though doing so does make the task more challenging.
Chitterlings are, in fact, pig intestines. As you can imagine, the intestines carry feces. Naturally, you should clean them thoroughly, but you should also take precautions to prevent the spread of viruses or bacteria like E coli or Salmonella. Like any other raw food, chitlins may contain these ingredients.
I’ve included a decent video below that demonstrates what you need to do for those of you who learn best through visual means. Its about ten minutes long. Even if you’re not from the South, watching the entire video will give you more background on southern cooking and southern family traditions. You only need to watch the first three minutes or so to get the idea.