Bagnet (Crispy Pork Belly) with Pork Blood Dip

Bagnet is the Ilokano version of one of our favorite Filipino dish called lechon kawali. The usual sauce paired with lechon kawali is the lechon sauce, made from pork liver, bread crumbs and spices and some prefer vinegar with spices. But the original sauce for bagnet is raw pork blood mixed with sugar and vinegar, a sort of kinilaw. Not everyone is fond of eating raw pork blood so the recipe here for pork blood is cooked, and it is very similar to dinuguan.

INGREDIENTS

2	kg. pork belly
1	head garlic
4	medium size onions, chopped
2	Tbsp. black pepper, crushed
2	liters of water for boiling the meat
	Cooking oil for deep frying
	Ingredients for the Pork Blood Dip:
5	cloves garlic, crushed and chop finely
1	onion, chopped
1	green chili pepper, slice thinly
1/4	cup white coconut vinegar
1/2	tsp. ground black pepper
1	tsp. sea salt
1	tsp. brown sugar
1	cup fresh pork blood
	a splash of beer

INSTRUCTIONS

1.	How to cook bagnet:
2.	•Clean and prepare the meat.
3.	•Rub salt all over the meat and let it marinade for at least 2 hours.
4.	•In a wok with water, add garlic, onions, black pepper.
5.	•Add the pork belly and simmer for at least one hour and cover.
6.	•Check the meat from time to time and prick the skin with a fork.
7.	•Continue to cook until the meat is done but still firm.
8.	•Remove from the wok and set aside, put it on a strainer to drain the water.
9.	•Let it cool and air dry for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
10.	•Heat 2 liters of vegetable oil a heavy pot.
11.	•Fry pork belly until golden brown. Set aside for a while, let it cool and put in a rack to drip the excess oil.
12.	•Then fry again to attain maximum crispiness then serve with pork blood dip.
13.	•Bagnet can also be used as garnishing for pinakbet, to serve as pica-pica or as side dish.
14.	How to prepare pork blood dip:
15.	•Pour the pork blood in a blender. Add vinegar and spices.
16.	•Add a splash of beer. Cover and blender the mixture until smooth.
17.	•In a small pot, pour the mixture and simmer until it thickens and season (black pepper,brown sugar and sea salt) according to your taste.