Pork Belly Sisig
A flagship Filipino dish that comes in all kinds of different forms. For this experiment, I used a combination of pork belly and chicken liver. The traditional recipe is pretty complex -- it calls for the meat to be boiled, then grilled, and finally mixed in with the other components. I don't have a grill, so I handwaved it by searing it over a ripping-hot pan, like KBBQ-style. I found that searing it got 80% of the way there (in terms of getting that char / crispy exterior), with much less effort. One downside of searing over grilling is that it'll be difficult to get the crispy exterior on the fat of the pork belly; I might try broiling the pork belly first to compensate for this. Definitely not your traditional sisig, but this version is so much simpler and certainly a dish that I can see making its way into my rotation. The tanginess really differentiates itself from other similar dishes. Delicious!
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hr
Ingredients
> pork belly (1 lb)
> chicken liver (1/4 lb)
> red onion (1, finely chopped)
> bell pepper (1, finely chopped)
> lemon juice (1 lemon)
> chili pepper flakes (1 tsp)
> soy sauce (2 tsp)
> (optional) eggs
> salt, pepper, neutral oil
Instructions
1. Slice the pork belly into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Marinade with some salt and pepper for 30m or so.
2. In a ripping hot pan with a bit of oil, sear the pork belly and chicken liver until charred and a "crispy" exterior develops. Work in batches if needed. Use as high of heat as possible to avoid overcooking the pork belly as you sear the exterior.
3. Set aside and let rest for at least 5m. Finely chop the pork belly and chicken liver into small pieces.
4. Saute the red onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
5. Add the pork belly, chicken liver, lemon juice, chili pepper flakes, soy sauce, and mix well. Remove from the heat and serve immediately, ideally on a sizzling platter. Top with a few fried eggs, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> I didn't have kalamansi at the time so I just used lemon juice instead, but I think it'd be even better with kalamansi. Go ham with the acidity -- the tanginess of this dish is really what gives it its distinguishing characteristic and what makes it so delicious.
> I was a bit skeptical about the addition of chicken liver at first, but it goes wonderfully in this dish. In fact, I wish I had added more in my first attempt. The chicken liver by itself has a weird acrid taste, but when paired with the soy sauce and acidity, it transforms into something else entirely.
> If you have a grill, definitely use it! You'll get slightly better results than if you just sear it -- you'll get a more uniform charred, crispy exterior. I definitely want to try broiling the pork belly as well, to get that crispy exterior on the fat part.