I love Pork Sisig! This dish, with a very humble beginning as a street food in Pampanga has been elevated and has become one of the “must-try” dishes in the Filipino cuisine. They say it’s perfect as “pulutan”, which are small amounts of food eaten when drinking alcoholic beverages (like beer). But for us non-drinkers, it’s best served with rice….and lots of it!
Pork (Belly) Sisig
Pork Sisig is a very popular dish in the Philippines that’s not only a favorite companion for drinking (bar food) but is also perfect with rice.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork belly*
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorn
- 1 onion halved
- Water
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Thumb-sized ginger finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup chicken liver finely chopped
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice calamansi or vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 3 thai chilies sliced**
- 1 Tablespoon liquid seasoning like Knorr
- 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 onion finely chopped (garnish)
- Lemon wedges garnish
- 1 egg cooked sunny side up optional
Instructions
- Place the pork belly in a big pot and fill with water up to the meat level. Add the salt, bay leaves, whole peppercorns and the halved onion. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 40 minutes or until meat is tender.
- Remove pork from the water and let rest on a rack. Transfer to a broiler-safe pan and broil in the oven for about 5-10 minutes or just until you see some charred spots on the meat. Turn the meat halfway for even browning. You can also grill it if you prefer. Watch carefully because fat burns easily.
- Chop the pork into small cubes and set aside.
- In a large pot, melt butter. Saute ginger and garlic then add the chopped liver. Mash the liver with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher until it’s no longer pink and resembles cooked ground beef (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add the pork belly cubes and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Put the soy sauce, lemon juice (or vinegar), red pepper flakes and liquid seasoning (if using). Continue cooking until fat is rendered . Adjust seasoning.
- Turn off heat. Add mayonnaise and chopped onion. Stir to combine and serve immediately with lemon slices and top with a sunny-side-up egg, if desired.
Notes
*Pork belly slab with rind is preferred
**I added one chopped Thai chili to the sisig and tossed the whole ones before I turned off the heat.
***Be careful when broiling in the oven. Place the oven rack in the middle. The fat popped so hard when I placed it near the top. You can also grill it. I just don’t have an indoor grill and it’s winter here so I can’t do it outside either.
