Chunchullo

Ingredients

Offal

• 1 kgbeef or pork small intestine
• 250 mlwhite vinegar, for cleaning
• 2limes
• 2 tbspsalt
• 1 litremilk, optional

Seasoning

• 1 tspground cumin
• 4 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 1 tspblack pepper
• salt

To serve

• lime wedges
• ají
• arepa
• boiled potato

Directions

1. Buy them from a butcher who sells them fresh and turns stock over quickly, and ask for them cleaned if that is an option.
2. Turn each length inside out and scrape it clean under running water, pulling away the fat and the inner membrane as you go.
3. Rinse them through at least six changes of water with vinegar and lime in each, until the water runs clear and no smell remains. This is slow work and it is not a step to shorten.
4. Handle them as you would any raw offal: keep them well away from other food, use a separate board, and wash your hands and every surface thoroughly afterwards.
5. Soak the cleaned intestine in milk for an hour if you want a milder result, then drain it.
6. Boil them in salted water with the garlic for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until genuinely tender.
7. Do not skip the boiling and go straight to the grill. Raw intestine over coals gives you something crisp outside and rubbery inside, which is exactly what people complain about.
8. Drain, cool, and cut into lengths of about 15 cm, then season with cumin, pepper, garlic and salt.
9. Wind each length around a skewer in a tight spiral, or coil it and pin it closed.
10. Grill over hot coals for 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until deeply browned and crisp at the edges.
11. Boiled soft and then grilled hard is the whole technique, and it is what gives the texture the dish is eaten for.
12. Serve immediately with lime, ají, arepa and a boiled potato, as part of a fritanga platter.

Technique

• The cleaning is most of the work and all of the difference. Everything after it is straightforward.
• It is a fixture of the Colombian fritanga, sold beside morcilla and chicharrón at roadside grills.
• Eat it straight off the fire. Chunchullo softens and turns chewy within minutes of cooling.

Substitutions

• Pre-cleaned intestine from a butcher, which removes hours of work and still needs rinsing.
• Pork rather than beef, which is milder and more tender.

Variations

• Cut short and deep-fried instead of grilled.
• Marinated in beer before boiling.
• Served with guacamole and lime as a picada.

History

A fixture of the Colombian fritanga platter and country asados, sold beside morcilla and chicharron at roadside grills.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chunchullo?

Chunchullo is a street food from Colombia: grilled small intestine, crisp outside, eaten with lime and aji. A fixture of the Colombian fritanga platter and country asados, sold beside morcilla and chicharron at roadside grills.

How long does Chunchullo take to make?

Chunchullo takes 1 hr 30 min of preparation and 1 hr 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Chunchullo?

Yes, within limits. Pre-cleaned intestine from a butcher, which removes hours of work and still needs rinsing. Pork rather than beef, which is milder and more tender.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chunchullo?

Do not skip the boiling and go straight to the grill. Raw intestine over coals gives you something crisp outside and rubbery inside, which is exactly what people complain about.