Sisig

Sisig(/ˈsiːsɪɡ/Tagalog pronunciation:['sisig]) is aFilipinodish made frompork jowland ears (maskara),pork belly, and chicken liver, which is usually seasoned withcalamansi, onions, andchili peppers. It originates from thePampangaregion inLuzon.
Sisigis a staple ofKapampangan cuisine. The city government ofAngeles, Pampanga, through City Ordinance No. 405, series of 2017, declared sizzlingsisig babi("porksisig") as a tangible heritage of Angeles City.
The earliest known record of the wordsisigcan be traced back to 1733, and was recorded byAugustinianfriar Diego Bergaño in hisVocabulary of the Kapampangan Language in Spanish and Dictionary of the Spanish Language in Kapampangan.Bergaño definessisigas a "salad, including greenpapaya, or greenguavaeaten with a dressing of salt, pepper, garlic, and vinegar." The termmanisigas inmanisig manga, a phrase still used today, refers to eating green mangoes dipped in vinegar.
The term also came to be used to a method of preparing fish and meat, especiallypork, which ismarinatedin a sour liquid such aslemonjuice or vinegar, then seasoned with salt, pepper, and other spices.
The use of the pig's head in the dish is commonly attributed to using the excess meat from the commissaries ofClark Air BaseinAngeles City.Pig heads were purchased cheap (or free), since they were not used in preparing meals for theU.S. Air Forcepersonnel stationed there during theAmerican occupationof Luzon and Visayas.Aling Lucing became popular when she grilled the pig's ears and added the cheeks to accommodate the bigger demand, a recipe she learned from the next-door stall owner in Crossing, Ricardo "Bapang Kadok" Dinio. The evolution ofsisigmoved forward when Benedict Pamintuan of Sugay's, a restaurant also in Angeles, thought of using a sizzling plate as a serving vessel so that the pork fat would not go cold and turn into lard when it was served.Sisigstill has many variations with recipes varying from city to city, and sometimes family to family, in the Kapampangan province.
Lucia Cunananof Angeles, also known as "Aling Lucing", has been credited with reinventingsisigby grilling the pig's ears, and using the cheeks, as well.ThePhilippine Department of Tourismhas acknowledged that her "Aling Lucing's" restaurant had established Angeles as the "Sisig Capital of the Philippines" in 1974.Cunanan's trademarksisigwas developed in mid-1974 when she served a concoction of grilled and chopped pig ears and cheeks seasoned with vinegar, calamansi juice, chopped onions and chicken liver and served in hot plates. Today, varieties includesisig ala pizzailo, pork combination, green mussels ortahong, mixed seafood, ostrichsisig, crocodilesisig, spicy python, frogsisig, andtokwa't baboy, among others.
According to Cunanan's recipe, preparingsisigcomes 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 ofsisigmay include pork or chicken liver and/or any of: eggs, ox brains,chicharon(pork cracklings), andmayonnaise; although these additions are common nowadays, they are frowned upon by the traditionalist chefs of Pampanga as it deviates far from the identity of the originalsisig.Recently, local chefs have experimented with ingredients other than pork such aschicken,squid,tuna, andtofu.
Sisig has also been improved into different dishes making it into salad, taco fillings, chicken stuffing, carbonara meat, and others.
The annual "Sisig Festival" (Sadsaran Qng Angeles) is held every year during December inAngeles, Pampanga, celebrating theKapampangandish. It started in 2003 and was made an annual festival by Mayor Carmelo Lazatin in December 2004 to promote the city's culinary prowess.The festival also features a contest where chefs compete in making dishes, primarilysisig.Congo Grille, a restaurant chain in the country, was the winner in 2006.
In 2008, the festival was put on hiatus following Aling Lucing's death. In 2014,Ayala Malls'sMarquee Mallincorporated the festival by including it within their annual Big Bite! Northern Food Festival, held every October or November.
The Angeles City Tourism Office organized a festival on April 29, 2017. The revival of the festival was in line with thePhilippine Department of Tourism'sFlavors of the Philippines campaign. Now called "Sisig Fiesta", the festivities were held at Valdes Street, Angeles (also known as "Crossing" since it was a former railroad track), where Aling Lucing reinvented the dish. The newly revived Sisig Fiesta was a one-day event that featured a line up ofsisigsampler banquet,sisigand BBQ stalls, cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs, and a showcase of Angeleño culinary talent through competitions.