Pork Sisig Recipe

Pork sisig is a popular Filipino dish. It can be considered as a main dish or an appetizer. The composition of this dish is mainly of pig’s parts such as minced pork meat, ears, and face. Chicken liver, onions, and chili peppers are also added.

The joy of eating food comes from many things. Sometimes you get it from great, irresistible flavor as a result of a beautiful set of seasonings. And other times, it is from the feeling of satisfaction and fullness, which after all, is the entire reason we eat. But one of the things that can truly make a dining experience memorable is the celebration that comes with our eating. That’s why Pork Sisig is so appealing to many. 

What is Pork Sisig?

It ticks off all the boxes I mentioned earlier with its rich, salty and meaty taste. That, and it is the perfect dish to have with drinks for when you want to gather with friends and family. Just a heads up that you will be needing a grill for this recipe. Find out what you need to work with in terms of ingredients by reading below!

What are the Ingredients?

For the sisig

Let’s start off with the variety of meat we will need. First is 1 lb. of pig ears. We will also want 1 lb. of pig snout and 1 lb. of pork belly for an exciting variety in texture in our sisig. Get 1 quart of water ready too because we will be boiling the meat.

And don’t forget 2 onions you’ve minced, as well as 4 thumbs of ginger you’ve crushed. Since we want something real flavorful, we would also want 2 teaspoons of salt and 3 bay leaves.

For the dressing

Up first is ½ cup of Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise for a bit of thickness and creaminess. Also prepare 2 tablespoons of sukang iloko, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar. And what’s sisig without liver? But for a simpler recipe with just as much falvor, we will use ¼ cup of liver spread. To make this dish a bit more refreshing, we will need 2 limes in the mix. And lastly, prepare 1 tablespoon of Knorr Liquid Seasoning.

Origin of Sisig

Sisig originated from Pampanga. This place is considered as the culinary capital of the Philippines. It was invented by Lucia Cunanan. She is popularly known as Aling Lucing and the Sisig queen.

The US military bases located in the town might have played a role in the invention of this dish. People can buy cheap pig heads in commissaries because these are not normally consumed inside the base. Meat from the pig heads are scraped out, boiled, grilled, and made into what is now known as Sisig

Sisig Versions

The originally sisig is composed of chopped pigs face with snout and ears. Chicken liver, pig brain, and onion along with calamansi are also part of the mix.

There are several sisig versions available today. There is a variety of main ingredients. It ranges from the original pig’s face to a more healthy seafood concoction. Squid Sisig, Tuna Sisig, Bangus sisig, and Tahong Sisig are some examples.

Pork Sisig has its variations too. Pork belly is a widely used ingredient in conventional sisig versions. There are also versions that use pork shoulder. Some will mix and match different pig parts.

Chicken sisig is a version that is starting to gain popularity nowadays. It is a good option for people who don’t eat pork.

Dinakdakan is a dish that closely resembles our featured recipe.  Although the preparation and other ingredients vary.

How to Cook Pork Sisig

1. Boiling the meat

Put your pig ears, snout, pork belly, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 quart of water in a cooking pot. Apply some heat, and boil all of this for 1 hour. Then take the ingredients out, and drain your water.

2. Grilling the pig parts

Now start heating up your grill. Put the meat you prepared earlier on the grill, and cook them for 5 minutes. Then turn them to the other side, and repeat the previous step. Transfer the cooked pig parts to a separate container, and let it cool down.

3. Preparing the sisig dressing

Remember the dressing components we discussed earlier? Combine all of these together in a bowl. Make sure to mix them thoroughly.

4. Tossing the meat and dressing together

Now chop up the pig parts you grilled earlier. Get them in small pieces, and place these in a large mixing bowl. Pour in your dressing mixture. Then just toss everything together until they are all well-blended.

How to Serve

We’re done cooking up our Pork Sisig! So what now? Once you transfer the sisig to a serving plate, we can get everything else ready. If you are having this as a meal, sisig is best with some warm, freshly cooked rice. But if you are eating it as pulutan, don’t forget to place your cold drink beside your sisig. Pulutan essentially refers to food that we enjoy best with alcoholic drinks for gatherings.

And so you can expect that sisig would go well with other pulutan dishes. This includes chicharon, crispy pata, liempo, and more yummy grilled food! 

How to Store

We prepared plenty of truly delicious Pork Sisig, and so I wouldn’t blame you if you end up with leftovers. That being said, don’t throw these out yet because you can actually extend the shelf life of your sisig pretty easily.

Grab your airtight container, and put all of the sisig you have left inside. Cover this with your lid, and put the container in the refrigerator. That should last for about three days, but it would be best to check on it before reheating it to make sure it does not have an unpleasant smell from spoilage.

Can you Freeze It?

Luckily for us, the answer is yes! Should you be hoping to keep this meat dish good for around 2 months more, you can actually freeze it. Go ahead, and take your freezer-safe plastic container. Then place your Pork Sisig inside. And then just keep this in the freezer. It would be best to also monitor the state of the dish before you eat it again. Sometimes the sisig goes bad before two months in the freezer, and so you have to make sure that this is still safe.

What are your thoughts on my Pork Sisig recipe? I hope you are looking to be more adventurous with your cooking by clicking on more dishes to make here on Panlasang Pinoy!