Chitlin Guide

In colonial Virginia, December was the time that hogs were slaughtered. In those days, the hams and pork chops went to the big house, while the chitterlings (or "chitlins" - the large intestine of the hog) and other offal meats were given to the slaves. Through this tradition, chitlins entered the African-American diet and also became a tradition for the winter holidays - especially Christmas and New Years.

In general, chitlins are partially cleaned when they are sold but require a thorough hand cleaning before they are really ready to eat. But partially "clean" has a very wide degree of meaning between brands of chitlins. You need to experiment and find the brand that is best for you.

Chitlins take a lot of time and effort to clean. Along with this effort, comes a lot of waste as you throw away the fat and grit. When you are buying chitlins that require cleaning, be prepared to buy 10 pounds of chitlins to get 5 pounds of chitlins to cook. The best type of chitlins to buy is the chitlins that come in large pieces instead of a lot of small pieces. Once you start separating the fat from the chitlin, you want a good long piece to work with. This way you will be saving time.

Cleaning Chitlins

The fat needs to be removed from the inside of the chitlin. The fat side is easy to see as the fat has a slightly different color from the "meat" part. The fat is lumpy in texture with some remaining grit and dirt in it. The "meat" side of the chitlin is smoother in texture. While removing the fat, you can either take off the skin or leave it on. Some people have been raised eating chitlins that are more "chewy"; those chitlins still have the skin on. Other people prefer having the skin removed. When taking off the fat and the skin, if you like, you will be rinsing and cleaning out any debris. Check the edges of your chitlins, sometimes grit gets stuck there. And keep on rinsing and rinsing and rinsing.

Once separated, cleaned and rinsed several times the chitlins are ready for cooking. (Have some drain cleaner ready for your drain just in case you don't get all the fat before it goes down the drain!)

Moo & Oink Chitlins

At Moo & Oink, we sell several types of chitlins, but we are most famous for our hand-cleaned chitlins. Our hand-cleaned chitlins are cleaned year round by our experienced team of Chitlin Cleaners. We do the work so all you have to do is thaw, rinse, and cook. Since you are buying the chitlins after thorough cleaning, you need to buy less! Everyone has their favorite recipe for chitlins, some like them boiled, others fried. Click here for chitlin recipes we have collected over the years. Just be careful - when your neighbors smell your chitlins, you are bound to have unplanned guests!

...If you are in Chicago, come in to one of our stores (click here for addresses and hours) to choose among the following chitlins:

* Moo & Oink Hand Cleaned Chitlins
* Moo & Oink Machine Cleaned Chitlins
* Easy to Clean Chitlins
* Bleached Chitlins (odor free and easy to clean)

The stench of hog intestines choked the air in Salley, S.C., one brisk afternoon 32 years ago. Hemrick Salley and his neighbors worked for hours boiling, scraping, flouring and frying a truckload of hog innards that came rolling into town. Some clipped clothes pins onto their noses to keep out the smell. Others gagged and kept on frying.

"Our hands stuck together for weeks," Mr. Salley said. "We used to laugh and say the smell was so bad it made the leaves fall off the trees." Only about 100 people turned out for the first Chitlin Strut that year. Today the festival attracts about 70,000 people.

I am not a Chitlin' eater;
But a Chitlin' eater's son.
Someone else can eat de Chitlin's
'til de Chitlin' eater comes

Because tons of chitterlings are cooked each year, it takes an 18-wheeler from Smithfield Packing Co. in Virginia to haul hog innards to Salley. They're already boiled, so all that's left to do is to flour and fry them. The first heap will be served after the parade. Sen. Strom Thurmond will lead the event.