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Philippines, Asia

Sisig

Pampanga's sizzling classic: pork belly boiled, grilled crisp and chopped, tossed with calamansi, chilli and onion and served on a red-hot pan.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time1 h 25 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsThe egg is cooked only by the heat of the pan; for young children, pregnant women, older people or anyone with weak immunity, add the egg before turning off the heat and stir until fully set. A heated cast-iron pan is extremely hot: always set it on a board and hold the handle with an oven glove.

Method

  1. Put the pork belly in a 20 cm pot, cover with water and add the bay leaves, peppercorns and boiling salt. Bring to the boil on high heat, skim off the foam, then lower to medium-low heat and simmer for , until a chopstick slides easily through the skin.

    Add in this stepSkin-on pork belly, in one piece 400 gBay leaves 2Whole black peppercorns 1 tspSalt, for the boiling water 1½ tsp

    high heat→medium-low heat

  2. Trim any sinew from the chicken livers, rinse them and add to the pot for more, until cooked through with no pink inside. Lift out the pork and livers, pat them very dry and let them cool for 10 minutes; the drier the surface, the crisper it grills.

    Add in this stepChicken livers 80 g

  3. Preheat the oven grill (top heat) to 230 °C. Lay the pork skin side up on a rack over a tray and grill on the top shelf (oven) for , turning once, until the skin is blistered and crisp and the edges are charred in spots. Open the oven door carefully, as the fat can spit.

    oven

  4. Chop the grilled pork into 0.5 to 1 cm bits on a board and finely chop and mash the livers. In a large bowl, toss the pork and livers with most of the finely chopped red onion, the sliced chillies, calamansi juice, soy sauce and pepper. Taste and adjust so it is tangy and savoury.

    Add in this stepRed onion ¾Bird's eye chillies (siling labuyo) 2Calamansi juice (or lime juice) 3 tbspSoy sauce 1½ tbspCoarsely ground black pepper ½ tsp

  5. Heat a 24 cm cast-iron pan (or sizzling plate) on high heat for , until it is smoking slightly. Add the butter and minced garlic and, as soon as they foam, add the sisig. Spread it flat and leave it without stirring for so the bottom crisps and catches.

    Add in this stepButter 1½ tbspGarlic cloves 3

    high heat

  6. Turn off the heat, make a well in the centre and crack in the egg. Take the pan to the table on a wooden board and stir the egg into the hot pork straight away so the heat cooks it. Scatter over the rest of the onion and eat with rice.

    Add in this stepEggs 1Red onion ¼Steamed rice to taste

Cook's tip

If you'd rather skip the liver, stir in 1 tbsp mayonnaise for richness instead (the Manila way). An air fryer at 200 °C for 15 to 20 minutes also crisps the pork well. Let the meat cool before chopping so it cuts cleanly and the fat doesn't smear.

Cooking it at camp

Sisig was born on the charcoal grill, so it suits camping perfectly. Boil the pork at home and bring it in the cooler, grill it over coals until the skin crisps, then set a cast-iron pan on the fire to serve it sizzling.