Sarapatel

Photo: flickr user obvio171

Ingredients

200 grams Pork tripe

1 kg Pork intestines

100 grams Linguica (chorizo)

300 grams Solidified pork blood (we got ours from a Vietnamese butcher who sells it as "pig blood

100 grams Salted beef

50 grams Bacon fat, diced

1 Onion, chopped

4 Cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tomatoes, chopped

1 Bay leaf

1 Green pepper (that's a large green bell pep

50 grams Spring onions, chopped

50 grams Cuentro (fresh coriander leaves), chopped

4 -(up to)

10 whls pimenta de cheiro

Limes as necessary

Preparation

A dish from the Brazilian cuisine, sometimes called "The Brazilian Haggis".

There are different versions; this one was noted down by your correspondent as he sat humbly watching his better half prepare it (except for when he was at the sink cleaning intestines).

Wash the intestines VERY THOROUGHLY, first in water, then in lime juice.

Cut into 1/2 inch long rings and leave in fresh lime juice and water

(having first turned the lengths of intestine inside out and cleaning again). Cut the sausage, bacon, beef and half the blood into smallish pieces. Put the bacon pieces into a pressure cooker and melt into fat. Fry the garlic a little in the fat then throw everything else in except the reserved blood. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 30 minutes. Add the reserved blood and cook for a further 15 minutes (or until cooked).

Also traditionally served with farinha (manioc flour cooked in fat with onions and bacon) and eaten with the fingers.

Note 1: In general, all these ingredients are essential, particularly the tripe, intestines, blood, meats and pimenta de cheiro. Can also include heart and lungs.

Note 2: Pimenta de cheiro is a Brazilian c. chinense, similar in appearance to the habanero. It is used here as much for its fragrance (the name means roughly "scented pepper") as for its heat. I have never tried a habanero, so I don't know how it compares.

Note 3: This dish, despite its rather threatening ingredients, actually has quite a subtle and delicate flavour. Usually served with rice. John Moore,