Embutido Recipe
Embutido is a type of meatloaf prepared Filipino style. Though a well known dish for the holidays, Embutido can be enjoyed everyday without any hassle. Several meat processing companies now produce this meatloaf for commercial purposes; all you have to do is grab one from your favorite grocery store.For those of you who want to…
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Embutido is a type of meatloaf prepared Filipino style. Though a well known dish for the holidays, Embutido can be enjoyed everyday without any hassle. Several meat processing companies now produce this meatloaf for commercial purposes; all you have to do is grab one from your favorite grocery store.For those of you who want to enjoy the naturally prepared Embutido, this is the recipe to go for.
Meat loaf –– it’s a dish that has graced many a cafeteria hall, many a downtown diner, and many a family dinner. It’s no frills enough that you can enjoy it every day, but it’s also enough to make your holidays and celebrations even more special. Across different countries and cultures, meat loaf takes on different names and ingredients, making each rendition unique and unlike any other. The Filipino version of meatloaf, embutido, proves that no matter how classic a dish is, you can always make it your own.
Embutido uses ground pork, vienna sausages, hard boiled eggs, and other ingredients and seasonings to produce a delightful and hearty meal for the dining table. Despite its mostly American origins, embutido is actually a Spanish name, referring mostly to a type of cured, dry Spanish or Portuguese sausages. These were what the dish initially contained, although now it’s more common to find vienna sausages or hotdogs in this dish.
About this version:
My version (or should I say my Mom’s) focuses more on giving this dish the wonderful taste and aroma that can’t be found in commercialized Embutido. You can serve this as a cold cut or you can even fry it after steaming. Do whatever you want but don’t forget to put the Banana Catsup on the side. I like to eat Embutido either warm or cold.
Most of the time you spend cooking embutido is actually spent waiting; after combining all the ingredients together, you put this dish in the steamer and let the loaf cook for about an hour. It may take some time, but don’t worry –– this dish is definitely worth it! Even more so when your end product is a round, compact loaf of deliciousness.
Embutido Ingredients
Embutido is another one of those versatile recipes; there may be a set template and a basic number of ingredients, but all the additions are up to your preference. For this particular recipe of embutido, these are the ingredients we’ll be working with today:
Ground pork
If ground pork isn’t to your liking, you’re free to use other proteins, like ground beef or chicken! However, the original recipe calls for this meat in particular; juicy and tender, ground pork is the best option to attain this meat when you’re on a budget. Enjoy the pork in this embutido like never before!
Vienna sausage
As we mentioned earlier, the original embutido is a dry type of Spanish sausage that served as the main meat in this meat loaf. However, vienna sausages and hotdogs instead abound in this Filipino version. This is so your dish’s ingredients aren’t difficult to source at all, and are affordable, too! The marriage of vienna sausages’ distinct flavor with the savory taste of embutido’s other ingredients makes it a winning combination.
Hard boiled eggs
Hard boiled eggs are not only a tasty addition to the classic meatloaf; they can also make your embutido much more filling! Here’s a tip, though: be sure not to use that many eggs in your embutido, as you don’t want to empower the flavor of your dish. It may end up making your embutido taste and look a bit different. Just 3 is enough to satisfy your stomach!
Sweet pickle relish
Summery and sweet, it may come as a surprise to some that sweet pickle relish has made it on the list of embutido ingredients. But this relish actually comes as a great companion to dishes like hotdogs –– one of the main ingredients of embutido! You can find pickle relish at any grocery store, or even make your own from home.
Tomato sauce
One of the most common partners to meatloaf of embutido is sweet and yummy tomato ketchup. However, embutido itself already has tomato sauce as one of its ingredients! This adds an even more complex layer of flavor to this delightful meal.
Eggs
Just like the eggs from earlier, be sure not to use too many of these in your embutido mixture, or you might end up with more of an omelet situation than an actual meat loaf!
Cheddar cheese
Cheese balances out the savory ingredients with its own sweet and salty flavors. Cheddar especially, with its unique sharp taste, works wonders on this incredibly filling meatloaf.
Red bell pepper and green bell pepper
Bell peppers are just the right combination of sweet and spicy. Crisp and distinct, they are unlike any other! Not adding them to your embutido would be a huge loss, in my opinion. Not only do they taste great, but they make your embutido look all the more appetizing! Just make sure to mince these beforehand.
Raisins
Raisins might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s true –– but their taste in embutido is truly irreplaceable! Adding these little prunes to your meatloaf might be an effective way of getting your picky eater kids to finally try them! This could be their gateway to finally trying this delicious ingredient.
Bread crumbs
You can buy bread crumbs at any grocery store, or even make your own! Breadcrumbs are easy to produce; you only need 4 slices of tasty bread to toss in a food processor. However, if you don’t have a food processor at home, it’s not a problem! Simply tear the bread up with your hands.
Other ingredients in your embutido include carrots, onions, and salt and pepper. All of these ingredients combined create a wonderful dish –– one that you and your whole family will most definitely enjoy!
Give it a spin!
Embutido is a fairly classic dish. But do you want to make it even more special? Here are a few twists you can put on this meal and make it your own!
Steaming your embutido has always been the traditional way of enjoying this meatloaf. But did you know you can fry it, too? This fried embutido recipe is one of my favorite ways to make your embutido taste even better! For fans of omelettes or fried fritters, this may be a wonderful alternative to the regular way of preparing this meal. Paired with ketchup or mango chutney, its flavors will definitely explode in your mouth!
And if you look to a wonderful grilled cheese for comfort, why not try this Embutido Meatloaf with Tomato and Basil Grilled Cheese? It may sound strange at first, but the intermingling of two of my favorite comfort foods makes this phenomenal. Warm, gooey cheese, the savory embutido, and refreshing tomato and basil make this a filling snack or light dinner! I’m sure you will love it as much as I do.
Tips in Making Embutido
Tips in making embutido
If this is your first time making embutido, here are a few tips to make the process a little easier for you:
Wrap it well
The most important thing to remember about making embutido is to wrap it well. For this, you’ll need a sheet of aluminum foil. Think of wrapping your embutido like you’re wrapping a burrito; you don’t want any of the contents spilling out! The whole appeal of an embutido, after all, is in its compactness. If you need a more visual example, feel free to use the video for help.
Cook it thoroughly
Make sure you’ve cooked your embutido thoroughly. Since you’ll be leaving it in the steamer for most of the cooking time, ensure that you’ve allotted enough minutes for it to cook all the way through. While I’ve set my recipe for about an hour, it really wholly depends on how thick or thin your embutido rolls are. As such, it would do good to check up on them from time to time.
Have a bit of patience
Embutido requires a lot of patience; from wrapping it, to letting it steam –– and then to let it cool down! When fresh out of the steamer, your embutido might still be a little too moist, and may easily fall apart. Putting them in the refrigerator for a little while longer can help you reach the consistency you desire.
Now that you have all these tips, let’s start cooking embutido together!
How to Cook Embutido
Prepare the ingredients
Half your sausages are hotdogs lengthwise, then slice 3 hard boiled eggs. Grate your cheddar cheese, then mince your bell peppers, carrots, and onions.
Combine and mix all the meatloaf ingredients
To begin making your embutido, pour your ground pork in a large container and add in your bread crumbs. Break in your 2 raw eggs and beat them into this container, mixing all your ingredients well. This will form the outer coating of your embutido, as well as ensuring that it holds.
Then, add in your carrots, both bell peppers, onions, pickle relish, and cheddar cheese. Mix these abundance of ingredients thoroughly, making sure to incorporate every single one. After adding your raisins, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, do the same.
Wrap in aluminum foil to secure the meat mixture
On a piece of aluminum foil, place and flatten your ground pork mixture. Your sausage and boiled egg slices should sit alternately in the middle of the flat meat. Then like a burrito or sushi roll, roll your foil to form a cylinder, with the egg and sausages trapped in the middle. Lock your foil tightly after this step; you don’t want your embutido spilling out!
Steam it
Place your embutido in a steamer and let it cook for one hour. You can use this time to pack up any excess ingredients or wash some now unused dishes. Once that time is up, take your embutido rolls out of the steamer and put them in the fridge! When the temperature is cold, you can finally take it out.
Slice and serve
Slice your embutido and serve it with some warm, white rice and delightfully sweet banana ketchup. Share and enjoy this embutido with your loved ones! Let us know what you think of this dish in the comments below.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!
Embutido
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground pork
- 12 pieces vienna sausage or 6 pcs hot dogs, cut in half lengthwise
- 3 hard boiled eggs sliced
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- 1 cup red bell pepper minced
- 1 cup green bell pepper minced
- 1 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 cup carrots minced
- 1 cup onion minced
- salt and pepper
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs made by placing 4 slices of tasty bread in a food processor. If not using any food processor, just tear the bread.
Instructions
- Place the ground pork in a large container
- Add the bread crumbs then break the raw eggs and add it in. Mix well
- Put-in the carrots, bell pepper (red and green), onion, pickle relish, and cheddar cheese. Mix thoroughly
- Add the raisins, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper then mix well.
- Place the meat mixture in an aluminum foil and flatten it. (see video for guidance)
- Put in the sliced vienna sausage and sliced boiled eggs alternately on the middle of the flat meat mixture.
- Roll the foil to form a cylinder — locking the sausage and egg in the middle if the meat mixture. Once done, lock the edges of the foil.
- Place in a steamer and let cook for 1 hour.
- Place inside the refrigerator until temperature turns cold
- Slice and serve. Share and Enjoy!
Cory says
Can you help me know what I’m doing wrong. Why dies it fall apart when slicing it to fry. I have tried everything from frying whole then slicing or slicing first then frying. I also sliced when it was a bit frozen which work but when frying it still falls apart.
Vanjo Merano says
Try reducing the amount of breadcrumbs next time.
Erlinda Powders says
For slicing- use a sharp knife the steak knife. ALso I do not use bread crumbs. Try to use 2 spoons of flour. This will help you to slice it neat.
Mina says
Thanks for the recipe. Same recipe as what i’ve learned from my grandma except that I put green beans and spring onions on our recipe. Next time , I’m gonna put tomato sauce in my embutido becuase its new to me.
Susan Bautista says
My first time making Embutido. I skip the raisin, cause my husband don’t like. Thank you for sharing your recipe on line. Panlasang Pinoy is a popular website to learn how to make fililpino dishes. We like all your recipe and you tube shows.
jane melendrez says
another version of embotido . the one i always cook has chorizo bilbao, green peas , pineapple juice and sliced salted egg. this version will make a delicious embutido but with lesser expenses ..
Archielyn Reli says
Sa 2lbs po ba n ground pork mga anong dami nf salt ang kailangan ?
khris says
which is better hotdog or sausage?
Vanjo Merano says
I prefer hotdogs or beef franks.
Joann says
I tried this recipe twice and it tastes great!
maricar says
in the absence of sweet pickle relish, what can i replace it with?
rina says
thanks for this recipe. I am about to go shopping for ingredients…i ‘m excited to cook it myself.. hopefully same taste as yours..
Vanjo Merano says
Well done, Cecille! You are welcome.
Vanjo Merano says
Thanks for the feedback, Rose.
aj says
Hi, I wanted my kids to try this and ur morcon recipe. But my son is allergic to egg (and nuts) so what can I use as a subs for egg? if there is any…..thanks
Vanjo Merano says
You can omit the eggs, AJ.