Sisig (Filipino Sizzling Pork)

Traditionally, sisig from Pampanga uses pig's head parts — face (maskara), cheeks, ears, and snout — for their mix of meat, fat, skin, and gelatinous texture. These give the most authentic result but can be hard to source. Many cooks and this recipe use more available cuts like pork belly and jowl (cheek), which deliver the crucial fatty-crispy balance. Pork shoulder also works. Whatever you use, the two-step boil-then-char method is what creates sisig's signature texture.

The chicken liver is traditional and does a lot of work: it adds a rich, savoury, slightly earthy depth and a creaminess that binds the dish, and it's part of what makes sisig taste like sisig rather than just chopped pork. That said, you can leave it out if you dislike liver, and the dish still works — you'll just miss some of that depth. Some modern versions replace it or add mayonnaise for creaminess, though that's not traditional.

Calamansi is a small, round Filipino citrus fruit, a bit like a cross between a lime and a mandarin, with a fragrant, sour juice that's essential to the fresh, tangy lift of sisig. It's sold fresh or frozen in Filipino and Asian markets, and bottled juice is available too. If you can't find it, a mix of lime and a little orange, or just lime or lemon juice, is the usual substitute. The sourness is key — sisig should taste sharp and bright against the fatty pork.

The sizzling cast-iron plate is central to modern sisig: it keeps the dish blazing hot, crisps the edges further as you eat, and cooks the raw egg that's often cracked on top and stirred through at the table. The dramatic sizzle is part of the experience. You don't strictly need one — sisig tastes just as good served straight from a hot skillet — but if you have a cast-iron plate, heat it until almost smoking for the full effect.

Sisig has a moderate, adjustable heat from bird's eye chilies, which you can increase or reduce to taste; it's meant to be lively rather than punishing. It's most famous as pulutan — bar food eaten with cold beer — but is just as popular as a main dish over steamed or garlic rice, often with a fried or raw egg. Serve extra calamansi and chili on the side so everyone can sharpen and spice their own to taste.