Chilean Grilled Chunchules — Homemade Chunchules a la Parrilla Recipe

Versión en Español

Chilean grilled chunchules, or chunchules a la parrilla, are thin beef intestines that are cleaned, simmered until tender and then finished over the coals until golden and crisp on the outside. They take about 30 minutes of prep and 1 hour and 40 minutes of cooking for 6 servings, and they are one of the most prized achuras, the offal cuts of a Chilean asado (barbecue).

At many Chilean barbecues the chunchules come off the grill first, cut into pieces to eat by hand while the meat cooks. The appeal is the contrast between the crunchy surface and the soft interior, which comes from simmering them first in water with aromatics. To get them crisp and without a strong smell, the cleaning and the precooking deserve real attention.

How to Make Grilled Chunchules?

The recipe has three stages. First, the chunchules are cleaned thoroughly with cold water, coarse salt and vinegar. Then they simmer in water with onion, garlic and bay leaves until tender, which shortens their time over the coals and reduces food safety risks. Finally, they are browned over medium-high heat until the fat renders and the surface turns crisp.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of Chilean grilled chunchules (one 200 g / 7 oz serving) contains approximately 480 kcal, 26 g of protein, 41 g of total fat (18 g of saturated fat), 300 mg of cholesterol, 2 g of carbohydrates, 0 g of sugars and 600 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Grilled Chunchules Recipe

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) beef chunchules (small intestine)
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• ½ cup (125 ml) white vinegar
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 whole garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon fine salt
• 2 lemons

Instructions

1. Rinse the chunchules under cold running water, opening them or running water through the inside with a funnel to remove any residue. Work on a cutting board reserved for raw meat and with clean hands. Trim off some of the outer fat with scissors if there is too much, leaving a thin layer, because that fat is what browns later and gives the crunch.

2. Place the chunchules in a bowl, rub them with the coarse salt and vinegar for 2 minutes and let them rest for 10 minutes. Rinse them again with plenty of cold water until there is no vinegar smell left. For the traditional presentation, braid them into long strands, or cut them into pieces 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) long. When you finish, wash the sink, the cutting board and the utensils with hot water and dish soap, and wash your hands well.

3. Place the chunchules in a pot, cover them with cold water and add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano and fine salt. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam that rises to the surface and simmer over medium heat for 1 hour, until a fork pierces them easily. In a pressure cooker, 25 to 30 minutes from the moment the valve starts to hiss is enough.

4. Drain the chunchules, discard the aromatics and pat them very dry with paper towels, because moisture keeps them from browning. Let them cool slightly for about 10 minutes while you prepare the coals. If you cook them ahead, store them in the refrigerator in a covered container and use them within 24 hours.

5. Place the chunchules on the grill over medium-high heat, about 15 cm (6 inches) above the coals, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning them every 3 or 4 minutes. They are ready when the surface is golden, firm and crisp when tapped with the tongs. If the dripping fat causes flare-ups, move them to a spot with fewer coals.

6. Take the chunchules off the grill, cut them into 3 or 4 cm (1¼ to 1½ inch) pieces on a clean cutting board and sprinkle them with a little fine salt. Serve right away with the lemon wedges so they stay crisp. For the skillet version, brown the precooked pieces in a cast-iron skillet without oil over medium-high heat for 12 to 15 minutes.

Additional Tips

How to Tell If Chunchules Are Fresh

Fresh chunchules are creamy white or pale pink, with a mild smell and a firm texture. Buy them from a butcher you trust, where they often come already pre-cleaned, and cook them the same day or the next. If they look grayish, smell sour or feel sticky, throw them out. On the way home they should stay refrigerated, like any other raw meat.

Skillet Chunchules, Crispy Without a Grill

The skillet version works on days without a barbecue. Use chunchules that are already precooked and dry, cut into 3 or 4 cm pieces, in a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet without oil, because they release their own fat. Cook them over medium-high heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, and drain them on paper towels before serving.

What to Serve with Chunchules

The classic side is Chilean pebre, a fresh salsa of onion, cilantro, tomato and chili, which balances the fat with acidity and freshness. Lemon squeezed at the table, a Chilean tomato and onion salad, and warm pan amasado, a traditional Chilean bread, for small sandwiches also work well. Since they are rich in fat, serve them in small portions, as a snack before the main meat of the barbecue.

Times are approximate for 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) of beef chunchules and depend on thickness and the intensity of the heat.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What Are Chunchules?

Chunchules are beef small intestine, although they are also made from pork or lamb. In Chile they are considered an achura, one of the offal cuts of the barbecue, like prietas (blood sausage) and sweetbreads, and they are eaten grilled, fried or in stews such as chunchules with toasted flour.

2. How Long Do You Boil Chunchules in a Regular Pot?

In a regular pot, chunchules need about 1 hour over medium heat from the time the water boils, until a fork pierces them without effort. In a pressure cooker the time drops to 25 or 30 minutes from the moment the valve starts to hiss.

3. Do You Have to Precook Chunchules Before Grilling?

It is not required, but it is recommended. Raw, they need 40 to 50 minutes over low heat, and they easily end up tough or undercooked inside. If you grill them raw, cook them until they are firm with no translucent areas all the way through. Precooking ensures they cook completely, reduces the smell and leaves the grill only for the final browning.

4. How Do You Make Chunchules in a Skillet?

First simmer them in water with aromatics, dry them well and cut them into 3 or 4 cm pieces. Then brown them in a cast-iron skillet without oil over medium-high heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until they release their fat and turn crisp on all sides.

What Is Grilled Chunchules?

Chunchules a la parrilla are beef small intestines that are cleaned with salt and vinegar, simmered with onion, garlic and bay leaves, and then browned on the grill until the fat renders and the outside turns crisp while the inside stays soft. In Chile they are an achura, an offal cut of the asado, served in bite-size pieces with lemon, pebre and bread before the main meat.

History of Grilled Chunchules in Chile

Eating offal has a long tradition in the Chilean countryside, where butchering an animal meant using all of it. Chunchules, prietas and sweetbreads were part of that make-use-of-everything cooking and moved naturally onto the grill.

The word chunchul is usually linked to terms of Quechua origin, and it is also used in other Andean countries for grilled tripe. Today chunchules are sold at butcher shops and street markets all over Chile, especially during barbecue season.

Did You Know?

The small intestine of an adult cow is very long and can exceed 30 meters (about 100 feet). At butcher shops, chunchules are sold by the kilo and in strands of different lengths. Braiding them before they go on the grill is a practical habit, because the strands become more compact, are easier to turn and do not fall between the grates.

Recommended

• Chilean chunchules with toasted flour, the countryside stew
• Chilean prietas with potatoes, another traditional achura
• Chilean grilled beef udder for the barbecue
• Chilean grilled short ribs, asado de tira a la parrilla