by Germaine Jenkins

Created on: October 02, 2010   Last Updated: October 08, 2010

Cooked pork intestines, also known as chitterlings or chitlins have a smelly reputation. Despite their strong aroma, legions of loyal chitlin fanatics pig out on this delicacy every day. In fact, Shauna Anderson, the renowned Chitlin Queen, boasts over 10,000 customers on her Hand Cleaned Pork Chitterlings website. The secret to any delicious chitterling recipe is meticulous cleaning. Even prepackaged double and triple washed chitterlings must be carefully re-examined before they can be cooked. For the novice, learning how to clean chitterlings is the most important technique in learning how to cook chitterlings like a pro.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Services website links a number of bacterial contaminants to the intestinal tracts of animals. The February 2001 edition of Georgia’s Epidemiology Report traced an outbreak of salmonella and Yersinia enterocolitica in young children to poor chitterling cleaning practices. Armed with detailed cleaning and cooking instructions, even a beginner can take comfort in serving up a safe and tasty pot of chitlins. One word of caution to chitterling aficionados with delicate stomachs – an acknowledged oxymoron – steer clear of chitterling cleaning duties. Instead, feel free to use this article to cross examine your current and future chitlin suppliers.

A ten pound bucket of frozen chitterlings is as dense as a whole frozen turkey, so proper defrosting may take a few days.  Since bacteria thrive in warm and moist environments, thawing chitlins with hot water or at room temperature are not safe options. The Virginia Health Department suggests wrapping buckets of raw chitterlings before placing them in the refrigerator to thaw. You can further minimize food safety risks by setting the bucket of frozen chitterlings in a baking pan on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. After they have thawed, gather the following basic chitlin cleaning supplies. You will need: a two compartment sink with a spray nozzle, drain plug stoppers, plenty of clean water, a sharp knife, clean dish cloths and detergent, and chlorine bleach solution of 1 tablespoon bleach to a gallon of water. Remember to clean, rinse and sanitize both sinks before you start to clean your chitterlings.

Cleaning chitterlings also requires a strong back and legs as it takes a long time to examine every individual piece. Wash chitterlings either late at night or during the day when children are not present to minimize accidental

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