How to Make Etag / Innasin

Etag / Innasin - also known as Igorot smoked meat. Some foreigners call this as Igorot ham. It refers to salted pork and is cooked best with pinikpikan, legumes, or plain vegetables. It can also be deep fried and then eaten with vinegar or hot sauce. Yum.

Needs:

- Pork (1/5 of it should at least be fat).
- Plenty of Salt
- Garlic (optional)
- Pepper (optional)
- Storage container (Preferably wooden or clay jars)


(Note: Traditional Igorots use the meat on top of the neck of the pig. The Chops are a good alternative. The container must not be metal, because of the reaction of the salt with the metal. If you are using plastic, make sure you use the hard ones and the meat should be used before six months are over otherwise, the meat would taste like well .. plastic... )

Ways:

Rub the meat with generous amounts of salt. You may also add garlic or pepper. Look for a suitable place where the meat can be hanged so it will undergo the curing process. The best way is to smoke it in the shade.

(Note: You can use any of the varieties of redwood, oak, dried birch, or "dapong". As much as possible, avoid any of the Pine family. If you have no choice but to use Pine wood, make sure the wood is dry, and avoid using resin-packed wood, since the meat will have a bitter taste. The best wood to use is rosewood.)

Make a fire under the meat. The meat should be high enough so that the flames and excessive heat won't reach it, but low enough so that the smoke reaches the meat. Smoke it for a minimum of thirty minutes and a maximum of three hours per day, for at least two weeks. If you used rosewood, and the place you are curing it is clean, surely free from insects, dust, and dirt, the meat can actually be eaten raw. The result is the best type of innasin/etag. Store in container for future use.