Balon – balonan (Gizzard) Barbecue
November 19, 2009 • Hello. I am currently out of the country and unable to respond to comments and e-mails. Rest assured, however, that future posts have been scheduled so new recipes will go live almost everyday during my absence. I'll be back soon with lots of stories and photos. Ciao for now! ~ Connie
Barbecued balonbalonan ng manok, or chicken gizzards, is a popular streetfood in the Philippines. Sold in roadside stalls along with barbecued chicken feet, pork ears and isaw (intestines), it is a favorite finger food that goes well with beer. I find them too tough though. So, I did a home-cooked version–definitely more tender and tastier.
What is a gizzard? It is an internal organ of birds.
The second, or true, muscular stomach of birds, in which the food is crushed and ground, after being softened in the glandular stomach (crop), or lower part of the esophagus; the gigerium. (Hyperdictionary)
Gizzards, with the liver attached, are sometimes sold together with the dressed chicken. In the Philippines, being a delicacy, frozen gizzards are also sold in styrofoam trays in most supermarkets. In wet markets, they are bought together with the livers. Diced and sauteed, they go well with vegetables.
The technique is in pre-cooking the gizzards in the marinade before grilling them over live coals. This gives the gizzards time to absorb the flavors in the marinade as well as for the meat fibers to break up. And since what goes to the grill are cooked gizzards, grilling time is only about 8 minutes.
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