Sisig is a Filipino dish made from portions of pig head and chicken liver, typically flavored with calamansi, chili peppers, and onions. Sisig was first described in a 17th century Kapampangan dictionary, and was said to mean “snacking on something sour” and “salad.”
It usually refers to fruits, often unripe or half-ripened, occasionally dipped in salt and vinegar. It also relates to a method of preparing fish and meat, especially pork, which is marinated with salt, pepper, and other spices in a sour liquid such as lemon juice or vinegar.
Sisig is a well-known Filipino dish. It is made up of pork, chopped onion, and chicken liver. It is a pulutan, or side dish, favorite when drinking beer. You can also enjoy Sisig as a main dish with a cup of warm white rice on the side.
Filipino-Style Pork Sisig
- Author: Romae Chanice Marquez
- Recipe Category: Appetizer / Main Dish
- Cuisine: Filipino
The whole preparation and cooking time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. This recipe is suitable for at least six servings.
Photo credit: @eatsssbydre / Instagram.com.
Filipino-Style Pork Sisig Ingredients
- 2 lbs. pig ears
- 1 1/2 lb pork belly
- 2 onions, minced
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 knob ginger, minced (optional)
- 4 tablespoons chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pieces lemon or 3 to 5 pieces calamansi
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ lb chicken liver
- 7 cups water
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 green onions, choppped
Filipino-Style Pork Sisig Instruction
Step 1: Pour the water into a saucepan and add salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Put in the pig ears and belly in the pot and then cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until tender.
Step 2: Drain the boiled pig ears and pork belly from excess water. Chop the meats into fine pieces.
Step 3: Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the onions. Cook until the onions are tender.
Add the chicken liver and the ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 4: Crush the chicken liver in the pan while it is cooking. Add the chopped pig ears and pork belly. Cook for about 10-12 minutes.
Step 5: Add in the soy sauce, chili, and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend well. Put in the mayonnaise and mix with the remaining ingredients.
Step 6: Transfer to a plate for serving.
Step 7: Top with raw egg and chopped green onions. Serve warm.
Filipino-Style Pork Sisig Additional Instruction
- Per serving, this recipe has 293 calories, 10g of carbohydrates, 6g of fat, and 45g of protein.
- This recipe will feed six people.
- It will take 1 hour and 30 minutes to prepare this dish.
- The preparation of sisig comes in three phases, according to Cunanan’s recipe: boiling, broiling, and finally grilling. A pig’s head is boiled first to remove and tenderize hairs. Portions of it will then be sliced and broiled or grilled. Finally, coarsely chopped onions are added to a sizzling plate.
Image source: scmp.com
About Filipino-Style Pork Sisig
The unique, savory aroma wafting from that sizzling sisig plate could make mouths water. The first step is to take the head of a pig and boil it until it is tender. Then, the hair is removed, the fleshy portions are chopped, then often grilled or broiled.
Finally, before being fried with chopped onions, various types of chili, and chicken liver, the mixture is seasoned with salt, pepper, and vinegar or calamansi juice. Traditionally, sisig is surmounted by a raw egg, which is gently cooked by residual heat from the sizzling plate.
Conclusion
Variations of sisig may include pork or chicken liver. Some variations also add bacon, ox brains, chicharron (pork cracklings), and mayonnaise. Although these additions are popular nowadays, they are frowned on by Pampanga’s traditionalist chefs as it deviates far from the original sisig’s identity.
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