What You’ll Find Here?
If you think Dinuguan is bold, wait until you try Bopis.
Bopis is a spicy and flavorful Filipino dish made with minced pork lungs and heart.
Originating from the Kapampangan region, this dish turns offal into something truly delicious packed with heat, tanginess, and a ton of character.
It’s sautéed with garlic, onions, chilies, vinegar, and colorful veggies like carrots, bell pepper, and radish.
You’ll often find it served with rice or as pulutan.
I grew up watching my mom prepare this dish, and believe me it takes time.
But that time pays off.
The secret to a good Bopis?
Proper cleaning, careful chopping, and letting the flavors slowly come together in the pan.
Bopis Ingredients
For Boiling the Meats
These ingredients help prepare the organ meats so they’re tender, tasty, and ready for chopping:
Pork liver, lungs, kidney, and heart – These are the main stars of Bopis. Boiling them makes them soft enough to slice finely while removing any strong smell.
Lemongrass, whole black pepper, crushed garlic, sliced ginger – Add these to the boiling water to give the meat a fragrant, savory flavor as it cooks.
For Sautéing the Bopis
Once your meats are tender, it’s time to build flavor through sautéing:
Cooking oil – Used to sauté the aromatics and ingredients.
Minced ginger, garlic, and onion – These form the flavorful base of the dish.
Crushed black pepper and bay leaves – They add warmth and a rich aroma.
Annatto oil – Gives the dish its signature reddish color and a hint of nuttiness.
Fish sauce and soy sauce – These give the Bopis a savory, umami-packed taste.
Vinegar – Balances out the richness with a touch of tang
Diced carrot, radish, and bell peppers (red and green) – These veggies bring color, texture, and a little sweetness.
Diced green and red chilies – Add just the right amount of heat and spice.
Salt – To adjust the flavor to your liking.
How To Prepare the Ingredients?
1. Clean the Organs
Thoroughly clean the pork lungs, heart, kidney, and liver. Rinse them well under running water and remove any membranes or tough parts. This helps get rid of impurities and strong odors.
2. Prepare the Boiling Mixture
In a large pot, add the cleaned organs, smashed lemongrass, crushed garlic, sliced ginger, and whole black peppercorns. Pour in about 3 liters of water, or just enough to cover everything.
3. Boil and Simmer
Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it boils, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the organs become tender. Skim off any foam or scum that forms on the surface.
4. Chop the Organs
After simmering, remove the organs and let them cool. Once cool enough to handle, chop them into small, even pieces. These finely diced organs will give your Bopis its signature texture and rich flavor.
Watch the video above to see how I prepared the ingredients step-by-step.
How To Cook Bopis?
1. Boil and Prep the Pork Organs
Rinse the pork lungs, heart, and other organs well under running water.
In a large pot, combine the organs with water, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and peppercorns.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender.
Drain and let them cool, then dice the organs finely into small pieces.
2. Start the Sauté
In a large pan or wok, heat the cooking oil and annatto oil over medium heat.
Sauté the garlic, onion, and ginger until fragrant and softened.
3. Add the Organs
Add the chopped pork organs to the pan.
Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly browned and well combined with the aromatics.
4. Season and Simmer
Add bay leaves, fish sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar. Let the vinegar simmer for 2 to 3 minutes before stirring.
Pour in water and mix well. Let it simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes.
5. Add the Vegetables
Stir in carrots, radish, and bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add chopped chilies and adjust the heat level to your preference.
Simmer for another 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the flavors are well blended.
6. Taste and Serve
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with freshly steamed rice or enjoy as pulutan with drinks.
Tips for an Amazing Bopis Dish
Clean the Organs Well
Make sure to clean the pork liver, lungs, kidney, and heart thoroughly. Remove any tough parts or bits that don’t belong. This helps make your dish cleaner and better-tasting.
Cook Just Right
Boil the pork organs until they’re tender, but not too soft. Overcooking can make them tough and change how your Bopis feels in your mouth.
Balance the Flavors
Pay attention to how salty, sour, and a little spicy your Bopis tastes. Adjust how much vinegar, soy sauce, and fish sauce you use to make sure it tastes just right.
Use Fresh Stuff
Fresh ginger, garlic, onions, and spices like bay leaves and peppercorns add lots of flavor. Fresh veggies like carrots, radishes, and bell peppers give your dish a nice crunch.
Use Annatto Oil for Color
Annatto oil not only gives your Bopis a bright red-orange color but also adds a nice earthy taste that goes well with the dish.
Control the Spicy Stuff
Decide how spicy you want your Bopis to be by adjusting how much chili peppers you put in. Bopis usually has a little kick, but you can make it milder or spicier as you like.
Let the Flavors Mix
After you put all the ingredients together, let your Bopis simmer gently. This helps all the flavors blend together nicely and makes your dish taste really good.
Taste and Adjust
Try your Bopis before you serve it. Add more salt, pepper, or other seasonings if you need to. This way, your dish will have just the right balance of flavors.
You might also like to try these recipes!
Dinuguan – Rich and savory pork blood stew with vinegar, garlic, and chili. Best paired with puto!
Tokwa’t Baboy – A combo of crispy tofu and tender pork ears, soaked in a tangy soy-vinegar sauce. Great as a side dish or pulutan.
Kilawin na Baboy – Boiled pork belly mixed with onions, ginger, vinegar, and chili. Like a pork ceviche — fresh and zesty.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Absolutely! You can control the spiciness by adjusting the amount of chilies you add during cooking.
Cooking time varies, but it generally takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, including preparation and simmering, to ensure the pork organs are tender and flavorful.
Yes, Bopis actually tastes even better when the flavors have had time to meld together. It can be prepared ahead and reheated before serving.
Bopis is traditionally served with steamed rice, but it also pairs nicely with crispy fried fish or grilled meats for a hearty Filipino meal.
Kapampangan Bopis
Ingredients
For boiling:
- 3 liters Water
- 350 grams Pork Liver (diced)
- 450 grams Pork Lungs (diced)
- 250 grams Pork Kidney (diced)
- 150 grams Pork Heart (diced)
- 4 stalks Lemongrass
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper (whole)
- 5 cloves Garlic (crushed)
- 1 piece Ginger thumb-sized(sliced)
For sautéing:
- 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 piece Ginger thumb-sized(minced)
- 8 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 piece Onion large (minced)
- 1 tsp Black Pepper (crushed)
- 2 pcs Bay Leaves
- 2 tbsp Annatto Oil
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- ½ cup Water
- 4 tbsp Vinegar
- 1 piece Carrot medium (diced)
- 1 piece Radish medium (diced)
- 1 piece Red Bell Pepper (diced)
- 1 piece Green Bell Pepper (diced)
- 2 pcs Green Chilies (diced)
- 2 pcs Red Chilies (diced)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Pre-boiling the Organs:
- Clean the pork liver, lungs, kidney, and heart thoroughly.
- In a large pot, add the pork organs, lemongrass, whole peppercorns, crushed garlic, and sliced ginger. Fill the pot with 3 liters of water or enough to cover the organs.
- Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 45 minutes or until the organs are tender.
- Once cooked, remove the organs from the pot and let them cool. Dice them into small pieces.
Sautéing:
- Heat Cooking oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add minced ginger, minced garlic, and minced onion. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the diced pork organs to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mix the crushed black pepper and bay leaves. Add the annatto oil and let it simmer.
- Pour in the fish sauce,soy sauce and water. Stir well to combine.
- Add the vinegar and let it simmer without stirring for about 2-3 minutes to cook off the acidity.
- Add the diced carrot, radish, and bell pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sliced green and red chilies. Stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender and the flavors are well combined.
Watch this!
