Sisig

Sisig is an invention of Aling Lucing. Aling is a sign of respect for an older woman in Philippine culture. Lucing is the first name of the inventor of this fabulous dish. Sisig means to eat something sour. 

It started when the American Navy base in Subic would discard parts of the pig they would not use in the commissary. Mainly the head of the pig. Aling Lucing thought of taking this ingredient and making a dish out of it. 

By boiling the ears, snout, and cheeks the fat and skin has softened, yet has crunchy cartilage. It is flavored with chicken liver, onions, vinegar, mayonnaise and topped with an egg. It is a motley crue of ingredients. Flavors that do not usually go together. But, that is the genius of this dish. 

Let me explain

The fatty pork is cut by the bitter liver. Additionally, one of the best flavor combinations in the world is liver and onions. Then the dish is enriched by the addition of mayonnaise and egg. Adding texture is that it is served in a sizzling hot cast iron plate. Which gives a delightful crispy bottom, like a socarrat. 

This is the traditional sisig. In itself a beautiful blend of flavors and textures. My version uses pork belly and adds parsley for freshness. The pork belly makes it easier to cook because it can be prepared in one pan instead of the added step of boiling. 

Cheap Cuts

French cooking is renowned for its cuisine in turning cheap cuts of meat into gastronomical masterpieces. They use offals, oxtails, shanks to make extraordinary dishes like terrines, Jambe d’Agneau, and more. It takes more technique and patience to cook these ingredients, but the payoff is fantastic.

The technique of slow cooking makes tougher cuts of meat tender and succulent. Fat melts away, slowly caramelizing the skin, and tendons become jelly. The latter is quite literal and is where gelatin comes from. Jell- oh my. 

Flavor

Sisig is no different in this sense. It is humble food that is transformed into the best pub grub you can find. It has multiple layers of texture and flavors that are a gastronomical masterpiece. The main ingredients are pig ears and snout. These are boiled until tender and flavored with bay leaf, onions, and garlic. 

Technique

After boiling the pork after many hours, it is then seared on a cast iron skillet where it is combined with chicken liver, sauteed garlic and onions, mayonnaise, and topped with an egg. That's right. None of these ingredients sound like they go together, but my god they do. The technique is in preparing the ingredients correctly to get a good result in the end. 

Ingredients

1 lbs pork belly strips

One whole onion

One head of garlic

One bunch of parsley

Two pieces chicken liver

Two tablespoons mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

splash of apple cider vinegar

prep

Chop onions, garlic, and parsley. It does not have to be fine. 

fry off pork first

because this is pork belly. It takes a little bit longer for it to render its fat and cook its meat. By frying off the pork first ensures you render the fat and get it crispy.

saute the rest

next saute the garlic and onions with the pork belly. Once you are happy with the color, make a well in the middle and add the chicken liver to fry off. Splash with apply cider vinegar to deglaze pan. Combine all ingredients with mayonaise. 

parsely for freshness

parsely is not part of the original recipe or is traditionally used in Philippine cooking. However, it lends a fresh flavor that goes well to balance the richness of the pork and liver.