Bopis

The minute I saw those pair of lungs, I knew I wanted them.

I was at Boyet and Belle's, my favorite butchers, when I saw a fresh set of pig's lungs hanging from the wall. And instantly, I knew I wanted to try my hand at cooking some bopis. A couple of years ago, my brother-in-law A cooked a delicious pot of bopis at my Mom's house, and I've always wanted to cook some myself. And so, I boldly went where I've never been before, into the land of innard cuisine, where bopis and dinuguan reign supreme.

The minute I got home, I texted A for his recipe, made sure I had everything I needed, and proceeded. Here then is my recipe for bopis:

* Buy two kilos of lungs, etc at Boyet and Belle's. They're only P65 a kilo.
* Place lungs in pot. Let boil until soft, about 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool.
* And now for the interesting part, cut those lungs into teensy, weensy bits. As much as possible, I like mine uniform in size so they not only taste good but look good as well. I started cutting up those babies in the middle of Georgia Rule (where Lindsay Lohan tried her darndest best to act like an angsty teener), but switched channels for Terminator instead; somehow Arnold and his shotgun seemed more appropriate for the task at hand.
* I cut up as well a whole lot of onions (about five pieces) and a couple of bell peppers (my absolute fave veggie; I cannot leave the supermarket without buying a pack of it).
* Next, heat a big kaldero, pour in a generous amount of cooking oil (that's what A insisted, the oil is supposedly the secret), and saute minced meat thoroughly, adding onions and bell peppers.
* Add about a cup of vinegar to the brew; do not mix while vinegar is cooking.
* Season to taste.

The verdict: Although my daughter E said it could have used a bit more vinegar, I purposely didn't put too much for fear of the bopis turning too sour. Bottomline: The kids enjoyed it, and so did I. And guess what? We still had some leftover for lunch the next day! Sulit!