Caliente, Ilocano Cow or Carabao Skin Salad

Caliente, Ilocano Cow or Carabao Skin Salad. I would like to share another Ilocano exotic food, the Caliente. Caliente is made up of cow or carabao skin boiled for several hours till tender and chewable. The boiled skins are then cut into slices then tossed with vinegar, chopped ginger, chopped onions some hot chilies and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, similar to the usual Ilocano kilawin or kinilaw.

Caliente is usually made as pulutan but of course the Ilocanos can eat the dish with rice. 

You may also want to take a look at our papaitan recipes that can be served as pulutan or as ulam.

Pinapaitan with Tanglad
Mama Sita’s Mix Beef Pinapaitan, Papaitan
Papaitan Soured with Kamias
Papaitan Kambing / Pinapaitan Kambing
Papaitan Baka / Pinapaitan Baka
Sinanglao

Please visit us also on our YouTube Channel!
Overseas Pinoy Cooking on YouTube by the UT-Man

Caliente may not be for everyone but for those who have tried it or know the dish and have been searching on how to make it. Here is the recipe of Caliente, Ilocano Cow or Carabao Skin Salad, bring out the beer!

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo cow skin
1/3 to 1/2 cup vinegar
2-3 medium size onion, peeled, chopped finely
2-3 thumb size ginger, peeled, chopped finely
1 thumb size ginger crushed
2-3 red hot chili, chopped
salt and pepper

Method:

Cut the cow skin into manageable pieces. Place in a medium size sauce pan, pour in water to cover the cow skins, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the stove and discard the first boiling water. Rinse the cow skin cool water to rid of the scum and return to the sauce pan. Add in fresh water up to about 2” over the cow skins. Add in the crushed ginger, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until the cow skins are tender and chewable but not overly soft, add more water as necessary. Now drain the boiling liquid and let the cooked cow skin to cool down. Cut the cooked cow skins into slices them place in a large bowl with lid. Add in the vinegar then toss in the finely chopped ginger, onion and chilies. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Replace the bowl lid and place in a refrigerator to chill before serving. Alternately serve warm.

See related Kinilaw recipes; 

Kinilaw na Tanguige, KiIlawin Tanguige 
Kinilaw na Maya Maya 
Kinilaw na Bangus 
Kinilaw na Tuna with Tabon Tabon 
Kinilaw na Tanguigue sa Strawberry 
Kinilaw na Blue Marlin with Green Tomatoes
Kinilaw na Pusit
Kinilaw na Malasugi
Kinilaw na Dilis
Kinilaw na Tanguigue na may Kamatis
Kinilaw na Tanguige
Kinilaw na Pusit (Cuttlefish)

Kinilaw na Talaba 
Ensaladang Guso, Kinilaw na Guso 
Kinilaw na Lato 
Jumping Salad, Fresh Water Shrimp Salad