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betamax raw

Betamax (Chicken Blood) Recipe

Betamax is a Filipino street food made from grilled pork or chicken blood. It got its name because its rectangular shape looked just like the old Betamax video tapes that were popular in the Philippines during the '80s. This is one of the examples of Filipinos giving fun nicknames to street food, just like "Adidas" for chicken feet and "Walkman" for pig ears.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Adobo pre-cooking 10 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Snack, Street Food
Cuisine: Filipino
Calories: 65

Ingredients
  

For the betamax cubes
  • 1 cup chicken blood or pork blood
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 5 cups water
For the Adobo Marinade
  • ½ chicken broth cube
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon white vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
For the BBQ Baste
  • 2 teaspoon oil
  • 2 teaspoon soy sauce
  • ½ cup ketchup

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, season the chicken or pork blood with salt and pepper. Mix gently.
  2. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Slowly pour in the blood mixture.When it starts to set and thicken, drain and transfer it to a rectangular mold. Let it cool and harden.
  3. Once firm, slice into even cubes. This is your classic Betamax shape.
  4. Place the cubes in a nonstick pan. Add soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, pepper, garlic powder, and broth cube. Do NOT stir until the vinegar boils first. Scoop the liquid gently over the cubes. Cook for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to sink in.
  5. Remove the cubes (without the sauce), let them cool, and carefully insert bamboo skewers.
  6. Grill for about 10 minutes, flipping occasionally. Brush with the mixture of oil, ketchup, and soy sauce while grilling.
  7. Cook until smoky, glazed, and slightly charred.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 65kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 1541mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 158IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg

Notes

I like to let the blood cool completely before slicing. It keeps the cubes from breaking when you skewer them. Pre-cooking the betamax adobo-style really makes a difference, so don't skip that step. When grilling, baste often and let the edges get a little charred for that legit street food vibe. And of course, serve it with plenty of spicy vinegar. For me, the sawsawan makes the whole experience complete.

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