Chitterlings at Jewel, Wicker Park, Chicago
» I don’t know what pork chitterlings are.
» I don’t want to know what pork chitterlings are (haven’t even done a google search!).
» I don’t want to know why they would ever say “No Bleaches, Additives or Preservatives” on the label. Bleaches?!
» I don’t want to know the differences between the 3 brands at my local store.
» I don’t want to know why one brand is called “Super Clean” and another brags to be the “Cleanest Li’l Chil’lins In America”.
» I don’t know why they showed up around Thanksgiving. I’m supposing they’re a seasonal tradition in certain communities. I hope they go away soon.
Kevin Walsh // Dec 8, 2004 at 9:27 am
Chitterlings or chit’lins are the intestines of young pigs, cleaned and stewed and then frequently battered and fried.
Chitlin’s are considered a delicacy (a special and desirable food) in South Carolina and other parts of the South. But chitterlings must be prepared carefully. They must be soaked and rinsed thoroughly in several changes of cool water, and repeatedly picked clean, by hand, of extra fat and specks. They are then boiled and simmered until tender. They can be prepared different ways. Standard recipes call for simmering the chitlin’s for three to five hours in water seasoned with salt, black pepper, and perhaps hot peppers, along with vinegar and an onion. But everyone has a different recipe. Sometimes they are cooked with hog maws (hog stomach), or fried in a batter.
http://www.forgotten-ny.com
rachelle // Dec 8, 2004 at 9:31 am
ew ew ew !!! this is why i DIDNT want to know!!!
John Pullen // Dec 8, 2004 at 1:28 pm
My family ate “Chitlins” when I was growing up (Atlanta) and the stinch from cleaning them is the worst smell in world!
The smell will make you curse when it hits your nose.
Wallace-Midland Texas // Dec 8, 2004 at 3:08 pm
Don’t ask about Menudo then. …
joel // Dec 8, 2004 at 3:58 pm
What’s Menudo?
rachelle // Dec 8, 2004 at 4:10 pm
joel, you dont want to go there! when i lived in san diego i knew someone who’s standard saturday/sunday morning hangover food was old town mex’s menudo. ew. ew. ew. someone else i knew got pozole all the time, but that’s not as bad as menudo!
joe // Dec 8, 2004 at 8:27 pm
You probably also don’t want to know where the natural casing for bratwurst comes from…
Hank // Dec 8, 2004 at 10:37 pm
Rachelle, what do you have against chitlins? They are an ethnic food. Are you some kind of racist? What, because some people don’t eat Wonderbread and Twinkies makes them weird?
You probably voted for Bush, you anti-chitlin person you.
rachelleb // Dec 9, 2004 at 6:38 am
im not racist, but that doesn’t mean i have to like every ethnic food. i dont really like wonderbread or twinkies either.. ok.. well maybe twinkies once every 2 years. and no, i didn’t vote for bush.
joe – growing up with a parent who works for hillshire/sarah lee, i’m all too familiar with natural casings… ew!
jeannette // Dec 9, 2004 at 9:04 am
menudo? what is this menudo?
i love how the pkg says “hand cleaned”. “repeatedly picked clean, by hand, of extra fat and specks”…and POOP!
well – i gotta hand it to people when they use all parts of an animal – there ain’t no waste!
thanks for this holiday message, rachelle.
elnx // Dec 9, 2004 at 9:56 am
Well one things for sure, there not kosher!!!!
joe // Dec 9, 2004 at 10:11 am
This really makes me wonder what came first:
Menudo the band or Menudo the food? Because really, why name your band after food?
http://www.musicofpuertorico.com/en/menudo.html
http://www.premiersystems.com/recipes/mexican/menudo.html
rachelle // Dec 9, 2004 at 10:18 am
well, naming your band after food is fine.. but naming your band after menudo? ew!
mimi // Dec 9, 2009 at 1:53 pm
haha they didnbt name the bad after the food, they named Menudo becuase means”small” , just google it, and they will tell u why they name the band menudo, and its not after that mexican food, they r puertorrican.. hahah
Mark Shewmaker // Dec 9, 2004 at 11:24 am
Hank:
I’m personally offended by your insinuation that Rachelle is racist. If you spent some time browsing the bulk of this site (and getting to know Rachelle offline), you’d find that she was anything but.
For as long as I’ve known Rachelle, I’ve always been amazed at how someone from admittedly homogenous origins could so quickly feel at ease (and make friends) with people of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
If your comment was a joke, it was in very poor taste and should only be reserved for cases where you have verifiable proof.
Benjy // Dec 9, 2004 at 11:24 am
Rachelle, one of your parents works for Sara Lee? My dad did, too, for 20 years. I spent a summer working in a Best Kosher outlet store as a result… and the natural casing hot dogs really were the best ones.
rachelle // Dec 9, 2004 at 11:29 am
my dad works at hillshire in new london, wi.
rachelleb.com // Dec 9, 2004 at 11:44 am
Golden Mashed Potatoes
After yesterday, I thought I’d post something a little less. .. uh.. disgusting! On Sunday I was browsing the Trib and came across this recipe by Abby Mandel for Golden Mashed Potatoes. I wasn’t really doing anything that day…
Benjy // Dec 9, 2004 at 11:56 am
My dad worked in their legal dept. in the corporate offices here in Chicago.
CJ // Dec 9, 2004 at 1:40 pm
I’m Mexican, and I HATE menudo….the band and food. Oh, and menudo the food came around first, kinda crazy that someone would name a band after a soup made of tripe.
Kelly // Dec 9, 2004 at 2:56 pm
check out this website/recipe on chitterlings:
http://www.chitterlings.com/chitterling.html
It is disgusting on so many levels, ie. check out the crying cartoon pig!!
Jennifer // Dec 25, 2009 at 7:12 am
It’s so disgusting that it’s what masters gave to the slaves to eat. Slaves survived on what the masters did not want for themselves and that is why it is an “ethnic” tradition and something that we still cook today as a reminder that we overcame all that. Hogs used to be slaughtered in December during slavery times and slaves were given neckbones, fatback, pig feet, the intestines (chitterlings) and hog maws. As a result we have perfected cleaning and cooking methods for these things. Do ALL of us eat it? no. I personally hate it. But I certainly don’t knock them when my mother cooks them because I know why they are prepared. Heritage not hate.
Rosilia // Dec 26, 2009 at 6:54 pm
We Mexican also cook them, we make posole with the pork feet, and also carnitas adding the intestine, which I personally can eat pork (allergic) but my family did enjoy.
Jean Mason // Dec 28, 2009 at 12:05 pm
You are right on it,they were given to my great grand mother.
ChrisM // Dec 9, 2004 at 4:05 pm
Hank chill out man and open a 40 and take a swig (if Rachelle doesnt know chitterings I bet she doesnt know 40’s either!) but in any event take a swig and I wish I could join you in imbibing because I’ve bought a few 40 oz “8 balls” in my day and I might see those days again before too long I fear but anyway again chill out and please dont make wild accusations not based in fact or evidence.
Jai // Dec 10, 2004 at 1:42 pm
Holy cow… err… um… pig…
So they’re killing Babe just for his intestines and servering them up clean… without bleaches or whatnot?… Geez, I dunno what it’s lik eto be a southerner, but that sure does make my stomach turn.
Btw, hiya Rachelle. Been a while, I just haven’t commented. Still love your photos. Rock on.
rachelleb // Dec 12, 2004 at 11:22 am
thanks, jai!
Eric The Viking // Dec 31, 2004 at 9:15 am
I accidentally ordered an andouillette sausage in a French cafe the other day whilst on holiday.
I can safely say it was one of the most disgusting things I have aver tasted. Later found out that it was a chitterling sausage.
Just discovered what chitterlings are and am glad I spat it out when I did.
IMHO chitterlings taste of the substances that they were designed to transport.
sharese // Jan 5, 2005 at 2:18 pm
We hate pork chitterlings, because its a nasty food in the world, sometimes my cousin do this every new year at all times. We hate that!
kallie // Oct 28, 2005 at 3:15 pm
Well honestly the comment about was kind of offensive. I don’t think haggis is too hot of a dish (haggis is sheep stomach stuffed w/minced heart, liver and i think lungs). It’s a delicacy if you’re scottish. The French eat all sorts of things that I wouldn’t dream of putting in my mouth, but do people post pictures and make jokes about haggis and French cuisine? Why chitterlings? They were considered the only parts of the pig (along with feet and ears) that the slaves were good enough to get. The slaves turned it into a delicacy. I say more power to them for that. They took garbage and made it into something. I’ve tried them. They’re not to my liking but I don’t make fun of another ethnicity’s food. That’s just really narrow-minded.
Vince // Nov 11, 2005 at 7:55 am
I don’t believe that Rachelle was making any kind of
racist remark when she expressed her disliking for Chitterlings, as it is just her opinion.
There are a countless number of foods I dislike, and I don’t think that I’d be a racist for not liking them, it’s a matter of preference.
Like the gentleman earlier, expressed that he was Mexican and did not like Menudo, so there are too, some Blacks who don’t like Chitterlings, and would express their feelings about them in the same exact way as Rachelle has done here.
Even though we all are of some ethnic descent, one thing will always hold true forever, which is, that we all are individuals.
(P.S.) Oh, and by the way, me personally, I love Chitterlings
……..particularly the ‘Aunt Bessie’ 5lb (hand cleaned) brand in the bag, they’re #1, just rinse and cook. No fuss, no odor, no mess, no bad mouthing, just good eating………and that’s no bull. 
KASSAUNDRA // Nov 29, 2005 at 9:36 am
I THINK CHITTERLINGS ARE VERY GOOD. IN FACT I’M THE ONE WHO CLEANS THEM. AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO EAT THEM. AND BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THEY ONLY GET ENOUGH FOR THEM TO SAY CAN I HAVE SOME MORE. THE RULE IS IF YOU DON’T HELP CLEAN YOU DON’T HELP EAT. ASK A CHITTERLIN EXPERT. TOO MUCH TIME IS SPENT CLEANING THEM. IT’S WORTH IT WHEN IT IS DONE UM UM GOOD!!!!
RON BROWN // Dec 10, 2005 at 9:02 am
sometimes chits are good and sometime badd. its like something you dislike ,but get a feeling or taste for every now and then. its like wanting to light off some firecrackers. You will get an itchin sometime. snd e-mail to abeterrific@hotmail.com
Tameka // Dec 18, 2005 at 3:37 am
Well my comment was that while she may not be racists I believe she should have left well enough alone. If you don’t know what they are and talking down on something you don’t know anything about you should keep your comments to yourself. I love chitterlings, I cleaned them and cooked them yeah they smell bad but taste good. Why don’t you question why people eat caviar, lobster, octopus, beef tripe,or just eat anything in particular. Don’t knock what someone else eats just because you don’t eat it.
Russ // Feb 25, 2006 at 12:21 pm
Boy, there sure are some sensitive people on the web. This young lady is free to be disgusted by anything she wants. Personally, I love chitterlings. I’m a white man from Penna. Dutch Country. But, I can certainly understand why somebody would not want to eat a pig’s poop chute.
shawn // Apr 16, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Man some people are crazy. Just because a person, black or white, doesn’t like pig intestines does not make them a racist. It makes them particular about what they eat. I eat them sometimes and sometimes I cant get past what they are. I guess I’m a part-time racist. lol
milly // Aug 5, 2006 at 9:47 am
Well, I ordered a chitterling sausage in Paris thinking I was getting your normal beef variety and it smelt so bad that I knew that it was not going near my mouth in a million years. I had the smell of it stuck in my nose for 2 days and went off eating it was so bad. No exaggeration. I have renamed it The Shitterling Sausage cause that pretty well sums it up.By the way, I love France and everything there, they just got it wrong this time.Does it really mean I discriminate against French cause I hate their snags? Really, get over it!!!!
Gardiner W Betts // Oct 30, 2006 at 6:56 pm
Where can i purchase chitterlings if I live in Naples,Fl?
MikeC // Dec 15, 2006 at 10:34 am
Man What I Always Tell “Americans” whose Only Culture is McDonalds, Walmart & Overpriced Starbucks Coffee is…
If Youve Eaten, Hot Dogs, Spam, Bologna, Sausage, Deviled Ham, Many lunchmeats, “All Beef Patties” Then Youve Eaten all that stuff you like to go Ooooo Gross About!
I Just Came Back From Puerto Rico and I Had some Cuajito…
(Chitterlings stewd in a Savory Tomato based Soup)….
It was AWSOME with Pique(Hot Sauce) and a Heineken on the side!
Man I Also Had Some Morcillas(Spicy Blood Sausage)…..delicious!!
Anything Taste good if you know how to cook it!
I Draw the Line at Cuchifrito though HaHa! Its a PR Version of Famous Rocky Mountain Delicacy HaHa!
mimi // Dec 9, 2009 at 1:58 pm
yeah thats what im talking about… i miss eating cuajitos, a friend of mine find the chitterling and he is bringing some for me!! cuajitos are so dilicious!!! with some sweet potatoes on the side or guineitos ( small green bananas )
Hodgie // Dec 23, 2006 at 10:30 pm
I love chitterling; however I am so sick of spend
ing my no money on 3 three bags of cleaned 5lbs chitterlings to fin out that they are stuffed with ices ices and more ices. I then places on a Postal scale it turns out to only be only be 2lbs. If i could raise my own pigs would. I am disabled and I can nolonger stand and clean the way I use to, therefore I have to trust that you would do the right by my money and give me at lease 4lbs of chitterling not 2lbs fron each bag of the three bag I brought for my christmas dinner. I pray that I would get reinbust for my troubles. My address is Robinson:3595 29th ave south; St.Petersburg, Florida 33711. Thank you The world greatest chitterling eatter.
angel // Aug 25, 2009 at 4:58 pm
if i had th money i would send you the 10 #s of chitterlings i have i bought it thinking it was pork peices till my mom said what it was .. Yuck .. so i hav thm on freecycle trying to give them away for FREE
ChefBrown // Dec 31, 2006 at 10:40 am
How does racist fit in other than chitterlings originally started out as slave owners’ garbage that slaves used to make a meal???? I know MILLIONS (exaggeration of course) afro americans who can’t stomach the dish (no pun intended). No more than I can stand goose liver pate (a delicacy in some circles). People please.
Raquel // Jan 1, 2007 at 11:58 am
I am of African/American origin, it’s not racist to dislike chitlins. My family eats them, I despise them. I don’t attend family functions where they are being prepared, the stench is stunning. The last time I attempted to eat a chitlin, I lost the rest of perfectly prepared meal. But I think it’s pretty fair to say that I was more influenced by what they were. If you like oysters you should like chitlins.
Raquel // Jan 1, 2007 at 11:58 am
I am of African/American origin, it’s not racist to dislike chitlins. My family eats them, I despise them. I don’t attend family functions where they are being prepared, the stench is stunning. The last time I attempted to eat a chitlin, I lost the rest of perfectly prepared meal. But I think it’s pretty fair to say that I was more influenced by what they were. If you like oysters you should like chitlins.
Raquel // Jan 1, 2007 at 11:59 am
I am of African/American origin, it’s not racist to dislike chitlins. My family eats them, I despise them. I don’t attend family functions where they are being prepared, the stench is stunning. The last time I attempted to eat a chitlin, I lost the rest of perfectly prepared meal. But I think it’s pretty fair to say that I was more influenced by what they were. If you like oysters you should like chitlins.
Cookie // May 11, 2007 at 6:06 am
I love cooking chitterlings. Like most people I can’t stand the smell while the chitlins are cooking but to me the smell is bearable because of the good eating.
The precleaned chitterlings in the bag are not worth the time. I recommend going with the chitterlings in the frozen red bucket. You’ll have to do some cleaning but you have plenty left to make a good meal.
The recipe I use can be found at http://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/chitterlings.html
gina // May 15, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I’m Mexican, and my daddy used to make Menudo. I gagged at the smell and would stay in my room and put towels underneath the door. But when I got older, I got braver and actually tasted it and it was AWESOME !!!
people love this stuff. But if you smell it when it’s cooking you’ll want to run for the hills !!!!
Sarah H // Oct 5, 2008 at 11:42 am
I was sceptical at first, but bought them away, since I couldn’t find the brand I normally buy, which is Queenella. Oh my goodness!!!! These were the cleanest chitterlings I ever seen and there were no scraps. You truly could rinse and cook, however, I just had to insect them (clean) for myself. I hate to clean chitterlings, so it was money well spent.
veronica // Oct 29, 2009 at 5:50 pm
I don’t know why “people” say the Chitlins and collard greens are an ethnic food (african american) when in fact they ‘re not. Southern whites had been eating chitterlings long before the slaves. Slaves were fed meat scraps at the discression of their owners. Collard greens came from the east of the middle east and were brought to the south by the french. Sadly to say african americans have no culture, no food and no language of their own.
SHEY // Nov 19, 2009 at 10:15 am
@ veronica who owned this land before whites??? indians. So does that mean that whites in america don’t have ANY culture, Any Food or language????? We have a culutre that was built here on american soil, from our ancestors, and by the way , Have you ever heard of EBONICS!!!?????>>>>LOL>>>>DUH!!!!!
dkansas // Dec 31, 2009 at 5:05 pm
I grew up eating chittlins I was a teenager before I knew what they were. After I found out I didn’t care. I would however advise any novice who wants to try them to try and sample someone else’s before you try to clean them yourself. Even the precleaned ones (Queenella, etc) require cleaning. While the directions posted were very clear on how to clean and cook I think you need someone to supervise and show what you need to look for.
dkansas // Dec 31, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Sorry, Rachellb I sent comment to wrong person.