May 10th, 2007 by Gerry D
Sisig, the ultimate pulutan companion for beer. Around bars and restaurants, the many varieties of sisig dish is a best seller either to go along your favorite drink or to be chowed down with hot steamed rice.
Sisig is truly Filipino. From what I heard it was concocted by the food loving folks in Pampanga. In fact there’s a place in Angeles City, about 10 minutes drive from Clark, where you will find authentic sisig being served. Some even claim this was the place where this humble dish originated.
Originally, sisig was made from chopped parts of a pig’s head — ears, snout, the brain, etc. Over the years it was reinvented into simple minced meat served on a sizzling platter with chili, liver, onion and seasoned with
calamansi and vinegar.
Different orders of sisig come in
pork, chicken, tuna, chorizo, bangus, and
tofu. Adding raw egg on the dish while it’s sizzling hot heightens the flavor as well.
May 10th, 2007 by Gerry D
Sisig, the ultimate pulutan companion for beer. Around bars and restaurants, the many varieties of sisig dish is a best seller either to go along your favorite drink or to be chowed down with hot steamed rice.
Sisig is truly Filipino. From what I heard it was concocted by the food loving folks in Pampanga. In fact there’s a place in Angeles City, about 10 minutes drive from Clark, where you will find authentic sisig being served. Some even claim this was the place where this humble dish originated.
Originally, sisig was made from chopped parts of a pig’s head — ears, snout, the brain, etc. Over the years it was reinvented into simple minced meat served on a sizzling platter with chili, liver, onion and seasoned with
calamansi and vinegar.
Different orders of sisig come in
pork, chicken, tuna, chorizo, bangus, and
tofu. Adding raw egg on the dish while it’s sizzling hot heightens the flavor as well.
Here’s a simple sisig recipe taken from a
Kapampangan Food Recipe page:
Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs pork cheeks (or 2 lbs deboned pork hocks)
1/2 lb beef or pork tongue
1/2 lb beef or pork heart
1/2 lb liver (pork, beef or chicken)
2 cups water (for boiling)
1 cup pineapple juice (for boiling)
1 tsp whole black peppers (for boiling)
Marinade seasonings:
1 cup chopped onions
3-4 finger hot peppers (siling labuyo) (seeded and chopped)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup calamansi juice (lemon juice)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
l clove garlic, minced
1 tsp whole black pepper (crushed)
1 pc bay leaf (crushed)
Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Combine pork cheeks (or deboned pork hocks), heart, and tongue in pineapple juice, salt, water and crushed whole black pepper and bring to a boil; simmer for about 1 hour or until tender.
- Drain and cool to room temperature.
- Slice pork cheeks/hocks, liver, heart and tongue, into 2″X3″ X 1/4″ thick pieces.
- Place in bamboo skewers and grill over charcoal briquettes until pork rind is crisp and browned.
- Chop the grilled pork cheeks/hocks, liver, heart, and tongue into 1/4 inch sized cubes;
- Mix the chopped meat with the marinade seasoning mix of garlic, ginger, onions, vinegar, calamansi juice, hot peppers (siling labuyo), bay leaf, salt and pepper;
- Keep the marinated mixture in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving.
A warning, though, for the weak of heart, sisig can be very fatty and may cause hypertension attack. So it’s good to know that you have healthier options in tuna, bangus or tofu sisig. Still they should be taken moderately.
And as we said, sisig is perfect with a cold bottle of San Miguel beer to wash it down. So if your adventurous appetite is looking for authentic Filipino food, sisig can do no wrong.
