The Mt. Province and the “Etag”

Cookin’ Cordi (part two): The Mt. Province and the “Etag”

THE Mt. Province, was, in March 11, 1966, divided into 4 provinces. (Actually Kalinga and Apayao was considered as one province). The division was loosely based on the linguistic usage of the peoples who occupied the area. The Mt. Province, where the dialects are Bontoc and Kankanaey, is one of the divided sections. The capital town is Bontoc with a land area of 2,239 sq. km and has a population of 154,590 (2016 census). Compare this to Baguio in an area of less than 58 sq. km. but with a population of 345,366 permanent residents, ballooning over half a million during the tourist season, horrible!

The population of Mt. Province would be equivalent to Baguio in the 50s, when the Baguio population was only 22,000. It would be heaven to live in Sagada, peaceful, clean, quiet and cold. While Sagada is not the capital, it is one of the most beautiful towns in the province. Sagada’s population is 11,127, and has an area 83.32 sq. km. Nowhere will you find its equivalent, and the beautiful old churches are extant. The town also known for its limestone caves that served as burial grounds during the pre-Christian Sagada era.

Mt. Province became a special province of the Philippines in 1907, at the onset of the American exploitation and colonization. It was made up of the sub-provinces of Bontoc-Lepanto, Amburayan, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao and Kalinga.

With the passing of RA 6766 in Oct. 23, 1989, Benguet, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Abra and Kalinga-Apayao and the chartered City of Baguio were constituted into the Cordillera Administrative Region.

On February 14, 1995, through Republic Act No. 7878, Kalinga-Apayao was further partitioned into 2 separate provinces, Kalinga with capital Tabuk, and Apayao with Kabugao as its capital. This, today is the Cordillera Administrative Region. Six provinces and a chartered city.

This region is landlocked, and as pre-refrigerators, the only way to preserve food was the region’s cold weather and the old style smoking, and curing of meats. THE MAKING OF “ETAG”

Thus, we have the Mt. Province’s method of preserving meat called “etag.” The “etag, finds itself in the homes of the Bontocs,” as the locals say. Etag is preserved meat, mostly pork and venison, if available. To serve your family and guests your etag is ultimate love. When someone offered pinikpikan with etag during a wake, we consider it a gift of love. (Thank you Judy and Rey Fangloyan, for the wonderful pinikpikan you shared with us).

Etag can be served as is, steamed and sliced, or can be used as an ingredient in soups, veggie dishes, or stews.

Some claims etag as a substitute for ham or bacon for the ultimate Italian pasta carbonara, but, maybe that is an exaggeration, etag is too precious to put in carbonara.

As I’ve mentioned, The Cordilleras arelandlocked in the middle of Luzon, and preserving meat was of necessity. Of course, the advent of the refrigerator has changed that.

Salting is the main preservative. Etag making begins with choosing the part of the animal which you would like to preserve. You may preserve pork, deer or even chicken. Wipe the portion clean with cloth and begin the process. INGREDIENTS: Pork, venison or chicken

Salt

Bowl

Stringing material for smoking.

Slice the meat to about one inch thick, and salt abundantly. Place the meat in a bowl to leach out the meat juices.

Keep the meat in the bowl for 24 hours, then drain off the liquid which has leached out.

You may now begin to dry the meat, this you will do by smoking and or sun-drying or air-drying or all of the above.

String the meats like a skewer or thread them thru a wire or string. Then either hang the skewered meat in the sun or above a fire to smoke.

Smoking requires a minimum of one day to a maximum of a week, or until the meat is fully dehydrated. As mentioned earlier, drying under the sun, when the weather permits, is also an accepted method of drying. You may use a combination of methods, sun or air dry, but also smoke heavily to destroy the bacteria which might spoil the meat. TO RECAP:

1. Choose the meat part

2. Slice the meat

3. Salt the meat

4. Leach out the meat juices.

5. Dry the meat, by a. smoking, air drying, or sun drying or a combination of the methods.

6. Do this till meat is dark red or brown. Approximately seven days

7. The meat is ready, it is now etag, preserved meat.

Well-made etag is a joy to eat and a pleasure to serve. To use the etag:

Mix etag with pinikpikan, (the killing me softly chicken soup) veggies, or stew etag with dried legumes for a healthy and tasteful dish.

The etag will rehydrate and soften, but will flavor you dish wonderfully.

To make pinikpikan with etag, use your regular pinikpikan method, but add a slice of etag. The flavor of your broth will change from ordinary to wonderfully tasty,

Sagada celebrates “Etag Festival” every Jan. 29 to Feb. 2.

Smoked etag is tastier due to the smoking which also concentrates and intensifies the meat taste. Also be sure to net your drying meat, to avoid the meat from the contamination of flies and other insects. Commercialized “etag” making will, of course, not succeed or replace homemade etag.

These days, my fellow Cordillerans, make etag with regular meats, either from the farm or the market, though wild boars and venison taste better. The days of hunting for etag meat is a thing of the past.

Don’t forget plant while it is still raining. As always

BON APPETIT!