Sisig
Michael Collantes
Taglish

Sisig. The ultimate pulutan food. My dad used to order this dish every time his barkada came for drinks. And boy, did they love this dish. 

According to Wikipedia, Lucia Cunanan,  a Filipino restaurateur based in Angeles City, is credited with creating the modern version of sisig in the mid-1970s. She elevated the dish by serving it on a sizzling plate. This made the meat crispier. She also added chicken liver and vinegar to the ingredients. 

"I think sisig is perfectly positioned to win the hearts and minds of the world as a whole... I think it's the most likely to convince people abroad who have had no exposure to Filipino food to maybe look further and investigate further beyond sisig. I think that's the one that's gonna hook them.” (https://www.foodbeast.com/news/anthony-bourdain-sisig-filipino-food/, June 2017)

And Bourdain is not the only one who extolls the virtue of t his dish. Read what Andrew Zimmern said. 
"Everyone knows how much I love Filipino food. I especially adore sisig. Traditionally, in Pinoy homes, sisig is made by cooking pigs’ heads, perhaps some offal as well, then crisping the meat in a sizzling hot pan and saucing it with lime, vinegar, chiles and some minced onions. I love it, but pig’s head is a tough sell in America. Turns out that in Filipino homes all over America, grandmas are making it with pork belly, which is a much easier way to prepare this classic dish and, let’s be honest, more accessible too. The fat ratio in the belly means no sacrifice in terms of rich flavor and mouthfeel. The combination of flavors will have you making this dish for years to come.”  (https://andrewzimmern.com/recipes/pork-belly-sisig/)

Sisig is takes a few hours to. make, and requires a lot of patience. Trust us, it is well worth the wait. 

ingredients

Marinade
1 pound of pork belly
1 oz of Salt, Garlic Powder, Pepper, and Onion Powder
1/2 cup Soy, Vinegar (1:1 ratio)

Salsa
1ea Tomato
1/2 ea Jalapeno
1/2 ea Onion
TT Salt
2TBSP Calamansi

Sisig Sauce
3:1 ratio of Vinegar and Maggi sauce

Garlic Mayonnaise
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup Roasted Garlic
1 Tbsp Maggi Sauce
2 Tbsp Calamansi
TT Salt

Sisig
1lb Diced pork belly
1 Tbsp Garlic diced
1cup Tomato Salsa
2 oz Sisig Sauce
1oz Garlic Mayo
1 ea whole Egg
Fresh Calamansi

Procedure


Prepping the Pork

1. Mix the salt, garlic powder, pepper, and onion powder. 
2. Add the dry ingredients with your soy and vinegar.  This is your marinade.
3. Add the pork belly to a plastic bag,  add the marinade and vacuum seal the bag.
4. Marinate overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
5. Remove the pork from the bag and transfer to a baking dish.  
6. Cook in the oven at 170°F or 76.5°C for 15 hours. 
7. Once the pork is cooked, take it out of the oven and place it in an ice bath for 1 hour to stop the cooking process.

Making Your Salsa

1. Deseed Jalapeno, dice, and place in a bowl.
2. Dice the tomato and onion and add to the bowl. 
3. ​Add 2 tbsp of Calamansi juice to the bowl, and mix. 
4. Season with salt to taste.

Sisig Sauce

1. Using a ration of 3:1, mix the vinegar and Maggi sauce in a bowl. Set aside. 

Garlic Mayonnaise

1. Roast the garlic in  a 320°F oven, until soft. Around 30 minutes
2. Once soft, puree the softened garlic. 
3. In a mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, roasted garlic, 1 tbsp of Maggi sauce an, 2 tbsp of Calamansi.  Season with salt to taste. 

Sisig

1. If you are using a hot plate, preheat your oven to 500°F and place your hot skillet to heat up. 
2. Over a high heat, add the diced pork belly on a separate pan with no oil. The heat from the pan will render the fat from the pork belly and make it crispy.  When the pork belly is golden brown on all sides, remove the excess oil. 
3. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until light brown, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the garlic. 
4. Add the tomato salsa mixture and deglaze your pan with some of the Sisig sauce. 
5. Transfer the cooked meat to your sizzling or serving plate. Add the rest of the Sisig sauce, and top with the rest of the salsa for garnish. 
6. Top with an egg, and drizzle your garlic mayonnaise on top and serve with fresh, sliced calamansi or lime. 
7. Serve and enjoy!