Beef Sisig

Beef Sisig. Photo by besighyawn

Sisig is normally consistent with pork. History even points out its origin in Angeles City, Philippines. Lucia Cunanan of Angeles City has been credited with inventing sisig. The Philippine Department of Tourism has acknowledged that her "Aling Lucing's" restaurant had established Angeles City as the "Sisig Capital of the Philippines" in 1974. Cunanan's trademark sisig was developed in mid 1974 when she served a concoction of boiled and chopped pig ears and cheeks seasoned with vinegar,calamansi juice, chopped onions and chicken liver and served in hot plates. Today, varieties include sisig ala pizzailo, pork combination,green mussels or tahong, mixed seafood, ostrich sisig, spicy python, frog sisig and tokwa't baboy, among others.
Here is the queen of sisig herelf Lucia Cunanan fondly knowns as Aling Lucing , talking about how sisig came about.

For those icky with using porks ears, snout and brain as part of their recipe, beef is a good alternative among others.

Ingredients:

1 pound of sirloin or rib-eye beef

onion 

dash of soy sauce

lemon juice or calamansi

1/4 cup vinegar 

2 big jalapeno peppers or siling labuyo

egg (optional)

Procedure:

1. Option A

• Put beef in the oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit (175 deg C) and cook it for an hour. 

    Option B

• Boil beef in water with salt and pepper plus onion wedges. Cover and let boil for an hour. Then grill.

2. Chop up the onion and jalapeno peppers into small pieces.

3. Likewise, chop the beef into bite sized pieces.

4. In a heated pan, saute onion and beef. 

5. Add in vinegar, dash of soy sauce for coloring plus salt and pepper to taste.

6. Toss in jalapeno peppers and serve immediately while warm.

For additions: If using sizzling plate, you can crack an egg on top and mix together with calamansi or lemon juice. 

For pork sisig recipe, click here.

Pork Sisig

Pork Sisig with Calamansi. Photo by besighyawn

Sisig also refers to Sizzling sisig, a Filipino dish made from parts of pig’s head and liver, usually seasoned with calamansi and chili peppers. It is a constant companion of beer and thus a good "pulutan" due to its oily contents. 

Preparing sisig comes in three phases: boiling, broiling and finally frying. A pig's head is first boiled to remove hairs and to tenderize it. Portions of it are then chopped and grilled or broiled. Finally, it is fried with onions and served on a sizzling plate. Variations of sisig may add any of the following: eggs, ox brains, chicharon (pork cracklings), pork or chicken liver, and even mayonnaise. Recently, local chefs have experimented with ingredients other than pork such as chicken, squid, tuna and even tofu.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs pork cheeks (or 2 lbs deboned pork hocks)

1/2 lb beef or pork tongue

1/2 lb beef or pork heart

1/2 lb liver (pork, beef or chicken)

2 cups water (for boiling)

1 cup pineapple juice (for boiling)

1 tsp whole black peppers (for boiling)

Marinade:

1 cup chopped onions

3-4 finger hot peppers (siling labuyo) (seeded and chopped)

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup calamansi juice (lemon juice)

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp whole black pepper (crushed)

1 pc bay leaf (crushed)

Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Combine pork cheeks (or deboned pork hocks), heart, and tongue in pineapple juice, salt, water and crushed whole black pepper and bring to a boil; simmer for about 1 hour or until tender.

2. Drain and cool to room temperature.

3. Slice pork cheeks/hocks, liver, heart and tongue, into 2″X3″ X 1/4″ thick pieces.

4. Place in bamboo skewers and grill over charcoal briquettes until pork rind is crisp and browned.

5. Chop the grilled pork cheeks/hocks, liver, heart, and tongue into 1/4 inch sized cubes.

6. Mix the chopped meat with the marinade seasoning mix of garlic, ginger, onions, vinegar, calamansi (lemon) juice, hot peppers (siling labuyo), bay leaf, salt and pepper.

7. Keep the marinated mixture in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving.

It is a tasking recipe but worth the wait.
This is a video in Tagalog. A different version of pork sisig with tofu. Don't mind the background music. 

This one has an Englisg subtitle. Much easier to follow. 

This one is done first in the oven which is the same as that of our beef sisig recipe.