It is greyish, finely-grained meat, with a very mild flavour. It is usually sold cleaned and trimmed of fat and stringy fibres.
Pork Maw is an ingredient in the American south dish of “Chitlins and Maw”, a stew made from chopped up maw and chitlins (aka Chitterlings), with vegetables such as celery, onion and green pepper.
It is traditional on New Year’s Day for the Pennsylvania Dutch. They make a large sausage with it by stuffing it with sausage meat, onion and chopped potato, then baking or braising it. When using Pork Maw as a case for a large, stuffed sausage as it is in Pennsylvania, you soak it first in water overnight.
In Malaysia, Pork Maw is stuffed with chile and deep fried. The Chinese are also very fond of Pork Maw.
Cooking Tips
If it has not been sold clean, then you need to trim off all fat and stringy fibres. Then wash it several times, and use flour and salt to scrub it with to help remove the slime, inside and out, then soak overnight in water, or water and lemon juice.
Pork Maw needs to be simmered for 1 1/2 to 3 hours, until tender.