Easy Pork Belly Sisig

Instructions

Prepare the pork belly

• In a pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of peppercorn, 2 smashed garlic, 1 medium sliced onion, bay leaves, and pork belly slab. Add enough water to cover the pork belly. Bring it to a boil and let it cook until the pork belly is tender.
• To check for doneness, poke the pork belly with a fork. It should offer some resistance but not be tough.
• Allow the pork belly to cool and dry which is crucial to achieve crispy texture. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. You can air-dry it for a few hours in the refrigerator to make sure it's completely dry.

Prepare the other ingredients

• While boiling the pork, let's prepare the other ingredients. Start by chopping the remaining onion into small dice. Slice the red chili peppers into small pieces.
• Juice your calamansi, lemon, or lime and put it in a small bowl for later.
• Remove any membrane or connective tissue, and cut the liver into steak slices of your preferred thickness. Some prefer thin slices for a crispier texture.

Deep Fry and slice the meat

• Heat the oil in your work or frying pan until it's hot enough to sizzle when a drop of water is added. Carefully add the pieces of pork belly to your frying pan and fry until they turn golden brown and crispy.
• Turn the pork belly and fry the other side. The skin should bubble and crackle, creating a signature Lechon Kawali crunch. Remove it from the oil and let it drain on paper towels to remove any excess oil.

• In the same frying pan, carefully place the sliced pork liver in the frying pan. Fry the pork liver for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
• With a chopping board and sharp knife, slice your pork belly and pork liver into small pieces.

Combine everything

In a large bowl, combine chopped onion, red chili pepper, soy sauce, lemon juice, black pepper, chopped pork belly, and pork liver. Stir well until everything is well blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your taste.

Heat a sizzler pan or cast iron skillet and melt a tablespoon of butter. Add the sisig and let it cook for a few minutes or until heated thoroughly stirring often. Serve while it is sizzling hot.

Variations

• Make it crispy: Add chicharron or pork rinds will give extra crunch and crispiness to this dish. Add the crunchy chicharron before serving.
• Creamier: Adding a few tablespoons of mayonnaise to this recipe adds more creaminess to your sisig just like making dinakdakan. Or you can add an egg while cooking it in your cast iron sizzler plate at the end of the cooking process. Runny eggs add a creamy texture as well.
• Make it authentic: Lucia Cunanan of Angeles, or "Aling Lucing", has been credited with reinventing sisig by grilling instead of frying the pig's ears, belly, and cheeks, as well.
• Check out more easy sisig recipes:
  • Tufo sisig
  • Sisig tuna
  • Sisig bangus

Air-fry the meat

Instead of frying the meat in a frying pan or wok, you can use your air fryer to cook it with less oil and minimal effort.

• Preheat your air-fryer for a few minutes. If there is no preheat setting, turn your air fryer at 400F (190C) for 4 minutes.
• Put your sliced pork liver in an air-fryer basket and air-fry it for 10 minutes on each side for a total of 20 minutes. If your pork liver has a smaller cut, the cooking time may be shorter. I recommend to check it after the 8-minute mark. Take it out and set it aside.
• Transfer your pork belly and pork liver to an air-fryer basket or tray and put it in the air fryer. Air fry at 400F (190C) for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway. Time may vary depending on the size of the meat. The smaller the pork belly, the faster it cooks. Take it out and let it cool until it's ready to chop.

Helpful Tips

• Chop your meat and onion as tiny as possible for easy chewing.
• Sisig is best served immediately while it is sizzling hot from the cast iron sizzler plate or skillet.
• Feel free to adjust your ingredients and season your dish according to your preference. You can add pan-fried tofu to add volume and it is budget-friendly.

Serving Recommendations

• White rice: Most Filipino dishes are served with rice. It helps balance the bold flavors of sisig and provides a neutral base that allows you to enjoy the rich and savory taste.
• Garlic Fried Rice (Sinangag): Elevate your rice by serving pork sisig with fried rice. The aromatic garlic complements the sisig's flavors, and the crispy and toasted garlic adds an extra layer of texture.
• Pandesal: You can use this bread roll to scoop up the sisig or create a sisig sandwich for a twist.
• Mango Pineapple Tomato Salad - This sweet and tangy salad is an appetizing partner to sisig.
• Cucumber Salad: This light cucumber salad with vinegar dressing can act as a crisp and refreshing side dish, offering a cool contrast to the warm and savory sisig.
• Mango Pineapple Salsa: A fresh pico de gallo brings a tropical twist to the dish, complementing the savory and spicy flavors of the pork sisig.
• Roasted Vegetables: Try my Air-fryer roasted zucchini and my Air-fryer roasted asparagus as a nutritious side dish.

About Sisig

This dish originated in Pampanga, the culinary capital of the Philippines is gaining popularity all over the world. The authentic sisig use of a pig's head in the dish is commonly attributed to using the excess meat from the commissaries. This includes pork face, pork snouts, pork ears, and sometimes with pork brain.

Aling Lucing's sisig became popular when she grilled the pig's ears and cheeks for a larger batch of sisig for a bigger demand in their restaurant. Sisig has many variations with recipes varying from different regions, just like our Ilocano region's version called dinakdaand. Sometimes each family has their own twist to this dish too.

You can find sisig in most bars usually to pair it with their alcoholic drink called pulutan sa tagayan, Restaurants, or food stalls (karenderya).