Tinumis is a stew of ground meat with the addition of pork or beef blood as it’s gravy. For non-Filipinos who are unfamiliar with this dish, I just have to say that the use of pork, beef or chicken blood in cooking for that matter is not totally unusual. A lot of countries and cultures have been doing it for decades and each have their own version/way of cooking it. I also find it similar to a Northern Thai dish Laap Meuang.
I’ve eaten and tried this dish countless times but this is the first time I tried making it. It took me a while to get past the idea of cooking and handling blood. This blog, finally forced me to conquer my fear.
I got the ingredients from my favorite Asian store. Ground pork or beef, white vinegar (Philippine brand white vinegar), pork or beef blood (they come frozen in tubs), long green chilies and spinach. Note: Tamarind is usually used in place of vinegar. If fresh tamarind is not available you can use tamarind soup mix.
First, thaw the frozen pig/beef blood in your fridge. This may take the whole day.
Saute onions, garlic and tomatoes until softened. Add your ground meat and cook until browned. Pour about 1 cup of the pig/beef blood and 1/2 – 3/4 cup vinegar and stir. Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Season with salt or fish sauce. Add water if it appears to be too dry. Add 2-3 pieces of long green chilies. You can add your spinach towards the last minute of cooking. Chili leaves are traditionally used for this recipe but I substituted spinach since it’s not available here in the Northeast.
