sisig!

one of the truly filipino delicacy, very famous to all beer drinkers. sisig is a very popular dish all over the philippines. anywhere you go, this dish is a big hit. filipinos would always try get a big portion of sisig.

hundreds of variations have been developed on sisig. a very ingenious way of preparing it is on a hot sizzling plate!

this is expensive when bought in a restaurant. maybe because it is a big hit...or maybe it is cooked three times.

I got an original recipe from my mom (she knows all original recipes) and it is quite boring. it's plain boiled, chopped, and served drunk with vinegar, fresh onions and chilli.

recipe might sound unpleasant, but the food is cooked 3 times!!!! i guarantee that it is really cooked and that the flavors are fantaballistic!!!

i'm doing here is one of the variations. although, you can experiment a lot to infuse new flavors and textures! hmmm... i feel hungry now....

sisig!

4 pcs. pig ears, cleaned
1 medium onion
whole pepper corns
salt
bay leaf

pig brains
pork liver

1 head garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

soy sauce
coarsely ground pepper
salt
chopped red hot chilli peppers

1. boil
place the cleaned pig ears in a large pot. add water until covered. add a chopped medium onion, pepper corns, salt and a small piece of bay leaf. boil ears till tender and cartilage still has the crunch to the bite. drain and set aside to dry a bit.

get the pig brains. on a non-stick pan, add little water. place the pig brains at the center. add a dash of salt. poach brains in a slow simmering heat for about 5 to 8 minutes or until cooked. water should never be on a rolling boil as it may dissintigrate the structure of the brain. gently remove the brain from the water and drain. be careful with the brains as it is very soft like soft tofu. set aside.

2. grill
get the whole pig ears. with long tongs, place the boiled ears on a nice sunday afternoon charcoal grill. the smoke from the wood and charcoal will infuse into the pig ears. grill for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the heat of the charcoal. it is usually done when the skin starts to show sparsely seared spots.

remember, the pig ears are already cooked. what we're after here is the flavor from the grilling. on a very nicely built grilling fire, it may take just about less than 5 minutes to sear. dice the grilled pig ears.

get the cleaned liver. add salt and pepper. grill the liver until well done. chop the liver and set aside.

3. fry

get the pig ears. chop them into small pieces. probably to a size of pea. pig ears will be sticky. with little oil and on a hot non-stick skillet, add the chopped pig ears. fry for about 6 minutes without stirring while allowing it to get fried-crunchy.

ears will now stick together and form into one big piece. with a swooping motion-like a pancake chef artist-flip over the pig ears to fry the other side. fry for about 4 minutes.

ears will shrink a bit. when done, remove from pan and place i on a chopping board. coarsley chop the fried pig ears into small chunks. set aside.

on the same non-stick pan you used, add oil, brown the garlic then add the onions. adding more garlic and onions will improve the flavor. add the ginger to saute. mix till you smell the aroma of the ginger.

with the heat on high, add the pig ear chunks into the saute. add a tablespoon of soy sauce. if you have the knorr seasoning or the maggi seasoning, it would be better! this will improve the color and flavor and will invite your neighbors to come over. add the chopped liver and a part of the chopped red hot chilli peppers. to finish, add the poached pig brains into the pot. brains will be like mayo and melt. saute till the brains becomes the sauce and cover the ears and liver.

for the grand slam, place the sisig on a sizzling plate and generously add chopped red hot chilli peppers! where's the beer!!!!!!