# Chitlins and swiss steak..yuum **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 1999, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125 "1999-12-05T00:15:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KissThis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cab0a1/32.png) [@KissThis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KissThis)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125/1 "1999-12-05T00:15:00Z")
I am a country boy but I must confess I don’t know how they make chitlins. I know you make them after killng a hog… but out of what…and what the procedure is, I don’t know. I am almost afraid to ask. Someone told me they are the same as the porkrinds you buy at the store but I don’t think so… and…I know that Swiss steak is round steak beaten to a pulp but why call it SWISS steak?? And before you bust my chops on this I have tried the archives and gotton nothing on either topic… however it’s possible that my search isn’t working properly… K thats all …oh yeah pass me some of that redeye gravy… … I’m the best there is fats…even if you beat me… I’m still the best. Paul Newman in The Huslter ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125/2 "1999-12-05T01:13:00Z")
Chitlins are hog intestines. I had some for the first time lately. They do have a rather strong taste. If you like liver (I do), you’ll like 'em (I did). If not, you won’t. (They don’t taste anything like liver, but liver does also have a strong taste. That’s why I used it as an analogy.) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125/3 "1999-12-05T01:36:00Z")
I can say this about “swiss steak”: it’s **not** from Switzerland. I’ve seen recipes call something swiss because they contain swiss cheese (e.g. enchiladas suizas). But swiss steak doesn’t have any cheese in it. * * * La franchise ne consiste pas à dire tout ce que l’on pense, mais à penser tout ce que l’on dit. H. de Livry ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125/4 "1999-12-05T02:30:00Z")
[Swiss steak goes back pretty far, but not to Switzerland](http://www.detnews.com/1998/food/9801/12/01060050.htm) (Doesn’t help much…) [A recipe for chitterlings (“chitlins”)](http://www.chitterlings.com/chitterling.html) for you, KissThis * * * Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99. “I get along well with everybody.” --I.M.F. ---
**Author:** ![KissThis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cab0a1/32.png) [@KissThis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KissThis)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125/5 "1999-12-05T03:39:00Z")
thanks guys…and yes cat it is chitterlings I have subsequently found some information on swiss steak since my last post…apparently it got its name from a newspaper writer in the 30’s who thought it would be a cool thing to call it “swiss steak.” * * * I’m the best there is Fats…even if you beat me, I’m still the best. Paul Newman in the Hustler ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125/6 "1999-12-05T03:45:00Z")
“Chitterlings” is the original way to spell it, however, it is still pronounced “chitlins,” which is more commonly being the way it is spelled. We have a thread somewhere that shows those Old English names can be a bit confusing to pronounce. You can’t take anything for granted. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125/7 "1999-12-05T23:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > apparently it got its name from a newspaper writer in the 30’s who thought it would be a cool thing to call it “swiss steak.” I bet that’s how a lot of things get named these days, too. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125/8 "1999-12-05T23:58:00Z")
That, and marketing genuises. There is no such thing as “snow crab” either; it is an invention of seafood marketers to sell opelio and tanner crab. Likewise “silverbrite” salmon, instead of the correct name “chum salmon”. * * * TT “Believe those who seek the truth. Doubt those who find it.” --Andre Gide ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 1999, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chitlins-and-swiss-steak-yuum/5125/9 "1999-12-06T01:17:00Z")
Well, considering that ‘chum salmon’ sounds to me like a euphamism for vomiting up seafood (e.g… “the fish was bad, so all I did last night was lean over the toilet and chum salmon”), I’m perfectly happy with ‘silverbite’ myself…