My first encounter with Betamax was when I was around 12 years old. I was standing in front of a street food cart, watching my friends eat these mysterious dark skewers. The charred exterior, the tender inside, and that addictive sawsawan completely won me over.
Now I'm sharing my own Betamax recipe. This recipe captures that same taste just like the ones from my favorite street food vendor.
My Ingredients
For My Blood Base:
- 1 cup chicken blood or pork blood
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 5 cups water
For My Adobo Marinade:
- ½ chicken broth cube
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
For My BBQ Baste Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ½ cup banana ketchup or regular ketchup
For My Sawsawan (Dipping Sauce):
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- Pinch of sugar
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, minced
- 5 Thai chili peppers, chopped
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
How I Make My Betamax
- I start by mixing 1 cup of chicken or pork blood with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.
- I boil 5 cups of water in my pot. Once it's boiling, I pour in my seasoned blood mixture and watch as it starts to thicken. When it's nice and thick, I drain the water and pour the blood into a rectangular container to cool completely until it becomes firm.
- Once my blood is firm, I cut it into cubes. I place these cubes in my non-stick pan and add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and ½ cup water. I let this come to a boil.
- While it's boiling, I add my ½ chicken broth cube, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 4 minced garlic cloves. I cook everything for 5 minutes, spooning the liquid over my blood cubes as it cooks.
- I take my blood cubes out of the pan and let them cool slightly. Once they're cool enough to handle, I carefully thread them onto my bamboo skewers that I've already soaked in water for 30 minutes.
- For my basting sauce, I mix 2 teaspoons oil, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and ½ cup ketchup in a bowl.
- Now I choose my cooking method. If I'm grilling, I cook on my charcoal grill for 10 minutes, constantly brushing with my basting sauce until they get charred. If using my air fryer, I brush with oil and cook at 200°C for 5 minutes each side, then brush with sauce before serving.
- For my sawsawan, I mix ¾ cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, a pinch of sugar, 5 minced garlic cloves, 1 minced onion, and 5 chopped Thai chilies. I add salt and pepper to taste. I like to prepare this at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors settle.
- I serve my Betamax hot with the dipping sauce on the side.
- Enjoy your betamax!
My Personal Tips
- I always source my blood from trusted vendors and make sure it's fresh.
- I soak my bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning during grilling.
- The adobo cooking step is what makes my Betamax different.
- I let my blood cool completely before cutting to prevent crumbling.
- I prepare my sawsawan at least 30 minutes ahead.
- I keep my grilling heat moderate and constant, turning frequently rather than cooking on high heat for the perfect char.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
My Betamax Recipe (Street Food)
My Betamax: grilled coagulated blood skewers with perfect char and tangy sawsawan for authentic street food experience
Ingredients
Method
- I start by mixing 1 cup of chicken or pork blood with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.
- I boil 5 cups of water in my pot. Once it's boiling, I pour in my seasoned blood mixture and watch as it starts to thicken. When it's nice and thick, I drain the water and pour the blood into a rectangular container to cool completely until it becomes firm.
- Once my blood is firm, I cut it into cubes. I place these cubes in my non-stick pan and add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and ½ cup water. I let this come to a boil.
- While it's boiling, I add my ½ chicken broth cube, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 4 minced garlic cloves. I cook everything for 5 minutes, spooning the liquid over my blood cubes as it cooks.
- I take my blood cubes out of the pan and let them cool slightly. Once they're cool enough to handle, I carefully thread them onto my bamboo skewers that I've already soaked in water for 30 minutes.
- For my basting sauce, I mix 2 teaspoons oil, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and ½ cup ketchup in a bowl.
- Now I choose my cooking method. If I'm grilling, I cook on my charcoal grill for 10 minutes, constantly brushing with my basting sauce until they get charred. If using my air fryer, I brush with oil and cook at 200°C for 5 minutes each side, then brush with sauce before serving.
- For my sawsawan, I mix ¾ cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, a pinch of sugar, 5 minced garlic cloves, 1 minced onion, and 5 chopped Thai chilies. I add salt and pepper to taste. I like to prepare this at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors settle.
- I serve my Betamax hot with the dipping sauce on the side.
- Enjoy your betamax!
Notes
- I always source my blood from trusted vendors and make sure it's fresh.
- I soak my bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning during grilling.
- The adobo cooking step is what makes my Betamax different.
- I let my blood cool completely before cutting to prevent crumbling.
- I prepare my sawsawan at least 30 minutes ahead.
- I keep my grilling heat moderate and constant, turning frequently rather than cooking on high heat for the perfect char.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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