About this recipe

Sizzling sisig is a beloved Filipino dish of chopped, crisped pork belly and ears seasoned with calamansi, soy sauce, and chiles — served on a screaming-hot cast iron plate with a raw egg cracked on top. This home version uses pork belly for ease while keeping all the bold, tangy, savory flavors that make sisig a true Filipino classic.

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the pork belly slabs in a large pot. Cover with water and add the smashed garlic cloves, whole black peppercorns, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over ^[high heat], then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 30–35 minutes until the pork belly is tender and cooked through. Remove the pork belly and let it cool slightly on a cutting board.

2. 2

   Heat a grill or grill pan over ^[high heat]. Grill the boiled pork belly slabs for 4–5 minutes per side until the skin is charred and crispy and the meat has deep grill marks. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes, then finely chop the pork belly into small, rough pieces — about ½-inch or smaller. The mix of crispy skin and tender meat is what makes sisig special.

3. 3

   Heat a cast iron skillet over ^[high heat] until smoking hot. Add the vegetable oil, then sauté the minced garlic and chopped white onion for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the chopped pork belly and spread it into an even layer. Let it sizzle undisturbed for 2 minutes to crisp up, then stir. Add the soy sauce, calamansi juice, sliced red finger chiles, and ground black pepper. Stir everything together and cook for another 2–3 minutes. If using, stir in the mayonnaise for a creamier finish.

4. 4

   While the skillet is still sizzling hot, make small wells in the pork belly and crack one egg into each well (or crack all eggs on top). Let the eggs cook slightly from the residual heat — about 1 minute — then serve immediately, stirring the egg into the pork belly at the table. Serve with steamed white rice and extra calamansi juice wedges on the side.