Sizzling Sisig

Sizzling Sisig is a Filipino dish made from parts of pig's head and liver, usually seasoned with calamansi and chili peppers. New York Times journalist Ligaya Mishan dubbed sisig as arguably the "greatest pork dish in the world."

The name sisig is a Kapampangan term which means "to snack on something sour".

The dish is said to have originated from local residents who bought unused pig heads from the commissaries of the then-US Clark Airforce Base in Angeles City, Pampanga. Pig heads were purchased cheap since they were not used in preparing meals for the U.S. Air Force personnel stationed there. An alternate explanation of its origin is that it is but an innovative variation on an older recipe, which is pork ears and jowl, boiled, chopped then marinated in a spicy broth-soy-vinegar sauce.

Preparing sisig comes in three phases: boiling, broiling and finally grilling. 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, coarsely chopped onions are added 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 tofu.