Lenggua Kapampangan

Callos Kapampangan

Dr. Eric B. BARTOLO

Unlike the other ingredients in this book that were translated in English from the Kapampangan words, I chose to write them according to industry names to make it easier for people to understand and find the ingredients in the supermarket.

My uncle Jose G. Baltazar of Lubao, Pampanga was the one who actually taught me how to cook the callos. This has become my specialty.

Cooking is a very natual habit that is part of my daily routine. Despite my busy schedule as a medical doctor, I would still choose to cook my own food instead of buying from fastfood or trying the popular dining restaurants in Pampanga.

LUBAO

Callos Kapampangan

POT 3 - 5

ox tripe tomato sauce green pitted olives chorizo Vienna sausage chickpeas red and green bell peppers carrots sibuyas (onions) awang (garlic) asin (salt) pamintang durug (white pepper) grated cheese

In cooking the callos, the first step in the process is to boil the ox tripe for a few minutes until the residues of impurities float to the surface. Discard this unwanted waste and drain the blanched ox tripe to be reboiled. In a pot, add water and the

DIFFICULT 5 HR 30 MIN

ox tripe. This time, set it to a slow boil. Add the laurel, pamintang buu and iodized salt to the pot and boil until the tripe becomes tenderized.

Sauté the bawang and sibuyas in olive oil. This is crucial, as olive oil produces a taste exclusive to the taste of a standard callos. While over a medium flame, add the pitted green peas, chorizo and the ox tripe, which by this time should have finished the boiling procedure. Add the red wine, Vienna sausage, chickpeas, red and green pepper, and carrots. Pour in the special tomato sauce and mix it gently with the rest of the ingredients in the pot. Add the grated cheese when you see the thick sauce boiling. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until it’s cooked.

Take note that before you add the ox tripe, it should have achieved the perfect doneness. Check to see that it is easy to bite, proving that it is done. Do not overcook, as the ingredients may melt because most of them are soft in nature.

At a young age I wanted to be a musician but I became a physician instead. With a cultured passion for the arts, I’m also focused on whatever I do, especially for my patients’ well being. Even though my profession is a world apart from the original passion I dreamed of, I still manage to do these things by attending events and performing in front of many people. Aside from that, I also consider cooking as an art, so I invested a lot of my time in the kitchen experimenting with different types of cuisines.