Papaitan is one of the popular Ilokano dishes and the original recipe calls for goat internal organs. The reason why it is called “papaitan” is because the dish is bitter by using goat bile as one of the ingredient but just enough to make it tasty. Since goat internal organs are not always available in the market, you can substitute it with beef internal organs like this recipe I have here, the beef papaitan.
Ingredients:
1/2 kilo beef internal organs (tripe, liver, kidney, heart, pancreas, intestines)
1/4 kilo beef tenderloin (cut into 1/2″ cubes)
1/4 cup beef bile or apdo
1 pc medium size onion, chopped
1 head garlic, minced
1 pc ginger, about 1 inch, slivered
1/4 cup chopped spring onion
2 pc red chili pepper or siling labuyo
3 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. patis or fish sauce
How to cook beef papaitan:
Wash and mash the internal organs with banana leaves with 3 Tbsp. salt to remove the musky odor.
Make sure that the intestines are very clean.
Boil the internal organs on a big pot until tender then remove from liquid and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Set aside.
Saute ginger, garlic and onion. Stir fry until the onions are cooked and add the internal organs.
Stir fry again until some broth comes out of the internal organs.
Season with salt and pepper and adjust the amount according to your desired taste.
Stir fry for a few minutes then add some water, just enough to cover all the ingredients.
Simmer and add the beef tenderloin until the tenderloin is cooked.
Drop the red chili peppers and pour the bile little by little to prevent the dish from becoming too bitter.
Season with patis and adjust the amount according to your preference.
Serve hot and garnish with chopped spring onions.
