Easy Pork Belly Sisig
Literally, the easiest sisig recipe you’ll ever make! No charcoal grilling needed and uses the simplest ingredients.
The bits of pork belly are slathered in a citrusy, savory, spicy sauce topped with raw onions, and calamansi. It’s the perfect “pulutan” for happy hour nights and a good addition to your weekly menu! I mean why not?
Pork Belly Sisig–Two Ways!
There are two ways to use pork belly for sisig. Both methods are easy and require less effort compared to the traditional process of charcoal grilling.
- Make it from scratch – boil strips of pork belly in water until tender. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the meat. Let it air dry for a few minutes then season with salt. Pan-fry in hot oil until crisp. You can also oven-fry to avoid splatters. Check out my Oven-fried Lechon Kawali recipe here.
- Use leftovers – got any leftover Lechon or fried pork? Make it into sisig! It’s as simple as that!
Once the pork belly is cooked, cut it into bits of pieces and slather the seasonings and spices. See the recipe card for the complete procedure.
Make sisig with the simplest ingredients
Traditional sisig is made of pig head specifically snouts, ears, jowls and (believe it or not) pig brains. If you’re not into those or if you’re having a hard time sourcing such ingredients, then this recipe is just what you need!
- Pork belly – fatty yet meaty and that’s why it’s perfect for sisig. It’s available in any meat shop and easier to prepare. No doubt about it.
- Aromatics – garlic, onions, and chilies. I use green chili to make it extra aromatic and red chilies to make it spicy!
- Seasonings – soy sauce and liquid seasoning. If you’re watching your salt intake, you can use low sodium soy sauce.
- Liver paste – also known as liver pate. It makes the sisig richer and extra flavorful. If you don’t have liver paste, you can use chicken liver as a substitute. Cut it into small pieces, season with pepper and a pinch of salt then pan-fry. Stir-fry it with the pork pieces just before adding the seasonings.
- Calamansi – also known as calamondin. This adds the signature tanginess flavor of sisig. It can be substituted with lemon or lime but the flavor difference will be noticeable.
- Mayonnaise – often used as a substitute for pig’s brain which makes sisig rich and creamy. I heard sisig purist often shy away from using mayonnaise but I personally love having it with my sisig.
Once sisig is ready, remove from heat then top with more raw onions. Transfer to a serving plate or sizzling plate if you have it. I cooked mine on a cast iron skillet which also serves as a serving plate. It retained the heat much longer compared to a regular stainless pan.
Watch the video on how to make Pork Belly Sisig
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (i used canola)
- 500 g pork belly (I used leftover lechon kawali)
- water for boiling
- 1 large onion (finely chopped, divided)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup calamansi juice (divided)
- 2 tbsp liquid seasoning
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise (optional)
- 1/4 cup liver spread
- green and red chilies (chopped, reduced seeds)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Boil pork belly in a pot of water until tender, about 30-40mins. Let it air dry then season with salt. Pan-fry in hot oil until crisp or oven-fry in a 230c heated oven for 30mins. Chop into bits of pieces. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic and onions. Saute until translucent. Add red and green chilies. Stir for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add chopped fried pork belly or lechon. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour liquid seasoning, soy sauce, and liver paste and half of the calamansi juice. Season with black pepper. Stir until meat is well coated with the sauce. Stir-in mayonnaise.
- Remove from the heat then top with more raw onions. Transfer to a serving plate or sizzling plate and serve immediately. Add more calamansi and liquid seasoning if preferred.
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- Use leftover pork belly lechon or lechon kawali if available.
- Liver paste – also known as liver pate. If unavailable, substitute with chicken livers.
- To prepare the chicken liver, cut it into small pieces then season with salt and pepper. Pan-fry in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes before stirring in with the pork pieces BEFORE adding the seasonings.
- Calamansi – also known as calamondin. It can be substituted with lemon or lime but the flavor difference will be noticeable.
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