Homemade Pork Tocino (Filipino Sweet Cured Pork)- you can now do a homemade version of this popular breakfast dish, no artificial ingredients involved!
There is really something different and special going on in our senses when we think of the Filipino specialty, tocino.
Imagine waking up during a nice, and sunny morning, and you see that reddish meat, oozing with caramelized juices? I bet even just thinking about it would make you miss the distinct taste of that sweet and savory pork meat.
Do not fret, as your cravings can be satiated as you can now prepare it anytime by learning how to make this Homemade Tocino through reading this recipe article! So, let’s get to it.
What is Homemade Pork Tocino?
Pork tocino is a type of a popular Filipino dish which is basically cured meat made of pork, and sometimes beef and chicken. It is usually served as a breakfast meal and you will see it in restaurants categorized in all-day breakfast meals.
With this, the pork tocino is commonly a part of a combo meal which contains the tocino itself, fried rice, and sunny-side up eggs. This is also known as the tocilog, which means tocino, sinangag (fried rice), and itlog (egg).
Another common dish similar to this is the tapsilog, which includes the pork tapa or beef tapa.
Why is Tocino Pink/ Red?
When buying commercial tocino, you’ll notice that it has a pink or reddish color. Here’s why:
Commercial and some traditional tocino recipes involve using pink curing salt or Prague powder. It is a food additive used to inhibit microbial growth and acts as a preservative to prolong shelf life. This gives off the pink/ red color of the cooked meat.
In our homemade version, we will be using all-natural ingredients and we won’t be using this additive. However if you still want to achieve the color, you have the option to use a food color as stated in the recipe below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pork
Our pork cut choice for this dish would be pork ham or pork loin.
Pineapple Juice
A unique ingredient we will use for this dish is fresh pineapple juice. This will both contribute to the sweetness and acidity of this dish.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like garlic, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, black pepper and cooking oil. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Frying Pan- To cook your cured pork tocino, you will simply be pan frying it and you’ll be needing a medium sized frying pan or skillet.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Make Homemade Pork Tocino
To start with the process of making the homemade pork tocino, there are two major steps that you need to do. This is to make the procedure more streamlined. and it will make it easier for you to visualize once you’re about to prepare it.
So the first step is, you have to mix the ingredients and make it into a marinade, we will soak the pork ham here and we will leave it there overnight. In some cases, you can place it in the refrigerator for longer than 1 day, as it still helps with the flavor.
Second step is, you have to cook the marinated pork. It is a pretty straightforward task of a combination method of boiling and then frying. Once the water from boiling the pork is absorbed and reduced, you can proceed to pouring oil and start frying the tocino until it caramelizes.
Cooking Tips
- Choosing the cut of pork for the tocino can affect the flavor of the whole dish, so it’s best to plan this out when you’re out in the supermarket or grocery.
- For this tocino recipe, the best you can use is the pork ham or pork shoulder, this provides the right amount of fat, and still has a lot of meat. Other options like pork belly can be too fatty for the tocino and the pork tenderloin can be too lean.
- If you want the tocino to look all natural, you can skip the food coloring and simply replace it with the good old banana ketchup, or annatto powder.
- It is worth noting that this recipe includes vinegar, which is an acidic ingredient. This means that marinating the pork with the vinegar for too long might break down the pork and will leave an undesirable texture and flavor.
How to Serve Homemade Pork Tocino
As mentioned earlier, you may serve this with freshly cooked white rice but pork tocino is best served tocilog style. You can even add more to this trio by adding atsara (pickles) and slice tomatoes. And while you’re at it, complete your meal with some hot choco or coffee! By the way, pork tocino is also served with a vinegar dipping sauce at the side.
How to Store and Reheat Homemade Pork Tocino
Since pork tocino is a cured meat dish, you can store a large batch and cook what you will consume for the day. This way, you can have freshly cooked tocino everytime. Store marinated tocino in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to to months.
When ready to cook, refer to the frying part of our recipe.
Other Breakfast Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Homemade Pork Tocino Recipe
Equipment
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) pork ham, sliced (1/4 inch cuts)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ tsp red food coloring, (optional)
- 1 cup water, or as needed
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add in the pork ham, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pineapple juice, red food coloring, and season with salt and pepper. Mix until well incorporated.
- Transfer to a ziplock bag or a sealed container. Let it marinate at room temperature overnight. Optionally, you can also let it marinate in the refrigerator for another 1 to 3 days.
- In a frying pan, pour in water and bring to a boil.
- Add in the pork ham. Simmer until the meat is tender and until the water has evaporated.
- Add in the cooking oil. Cook until the meat is caramelized.
- Transfer to a serving plate or serving tray. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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