Pork Sisig – Kapampangan style
“Indulge your taste buds with the tangy, salty, crispy and spicy pork sisig that is perfect for celebrations! Make this authentic sisig using the original recipe.”
Pork sisig is a well-known Kapampangan delicacy that is usually served as a starter but progressed today as a popular lunch or dinner course. In the Philippines, you would easily find it in menus of most restaurants, bars and even food stalls called “Carinderias”.
Pork sisig is traditionally composed of grilled pig’s head (ear), chopped onion, vinegar and chicken liver. Nowadays, people are serving other variations such as bangus sisig, seafood sisig, tofu sisig, chicken sisig, etc. among others.
This sisig recipe can be enjoyed as a viand with steamed rice. But it is usually a favorite dish for pulutan due to the sour and salty flavor, crispy and with a kick of spicy flavor. As a “pulutan’ it is normally served on a sizzling hot plate and in other areas topped with raw egg.
History of sisig
Sisig in Kapampangan means “to snack on something sour” or “salad”. It usually refers to fruits, (often unripe or half-ripe) dipped in salt and vinegar. It also refers to a process of preparing fish and meat, which is marinated in a sour liquid such as lemon/ calamansi juice or vinegar, then seasoned with salt, pepper and other spices.
Thanks to Lucia “Aling Lucing” Lagman Cunanan who is credited as having invented or re-invented sisig. She thought of a means to make use of the pigs’ heads that would usually being thrown away by the commissaries who prepared the meals for the American troops in Clark Airbase. She was the one that started the three-part cooking method for sisig. From there, the dish fad began to spread all over the country.
How to make authentic sisig
The method of making the pork sisig involves boiling and then grilling the meat. Then it is chopped finely and combined with the rest of the ingredients. Chicken liver is also grilled to add flavor and creaminess. Some people uses liver spread as an alternative to the chicken liver and I think it is a tastier option, so I combined both chicken liver and liver spread. It is up to you which one you will use.
This pork sisig recipe does not contain mayonnaise as it will make the dish spoil faster. The ingredients and procedure in this recipe are also simple.
Original sisig uses pig’s head (face and ears) which hold more fats and can endure long and several stages of cooking (boiling, grilling, pan-frying and sizzling). These parts are also crunchy due to the pig ear cartilage which is an added advantage.
How to serve sisig
Sisig is usually served on sizzling metal/ hot plates to help retain heat. Just preheat the plates few minutes before serving using an oven or stovetop. You can buy these plates in most houseware stores or online.
To make add flavor and color, you can crack a raw egg over the top of the mixture while it’s still sizzling hot. It’s always a good idea to put additional lemon/ calamansi slices so partakers can easily adjust the taste according to preference. Alternatively, you can combine lemon/calamansi juice, soy sauce and chili as a dipping sauce, it will definitely add flavor.
Although the cooking takes a little time, but it’s all worth it once you’ve experience the taste of this sisig. This recipe can be considered as a baseline and you can always customize it to suit your personal preference.
Give this pork sisig recipe a try and see how you can easily get addicted to it. Share and enjoy with family and friends.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and tell me how you liked it in the comments section below; I love hearing from you! Happy tummy!
Pork Sisig – Kapampangan style Recipe
Equipment
- Large cooking pot and stirring spoon
- Mixing Bowl
- Oven/ Griller
- Chopping board and knife
- Sizzling hot plate, optional
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pigs ear, cleaned
- 2 liters water
- 1 head garlic, minced
- 1 cup vinegar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black pepper/ peppercorn
For the Sauce:
- 100 grams chicken liver, boiled, grilled and minced
- 1 (85 grams) can liver spread
- 1 big onion, minced
- 4-5 pieces red/ green chili, minced or chili flakes
- ½ cup lemon juice or calamansi juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium cooking pot, combine pig's ear, water, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, bay leaves, and whole peppercorn.
- Bring to boil and lower heat. Simmer for at least 50-60 minutes or until meat is tender.
- Drain the meat from the liquid. Using an oven, broil for about 10 minutes on each side or until charred or use griller to grill meat.
- Once meat cooled down, chop into small cubes.
- In a medium bowl, combine pork meat, chicken liver, liver spread, onion, chili, lemon/calamansi juice, soy sauce and ground pepper. Mix until well incorporated.
- Transfer to a sizzling plate and sprinkle with onions and chili.
- To add flavor, make lemon/calamansi juice with soy sauce and chili as a sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
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