Classic Tocino Recipe | Filipino Pork Tocino

Best Tocino Recipe (Pork Tocino) - Tocino is a beloved Filipino cured meat, originally inspired by Spanish culinary traditions (where "tocino" simply

Tocino is a beloved Filipino cured meat, originally inspired by Spanish culinary traditions (where "tocino" simply means "bacon" or "fatty meat"). However, Filipino tocino evolved uniquely it became a sweet, tender, brightly colored meat dish, often eaten for breakfast. It gained popularity in the early 20th century as street vendors and home cooks adapted the recipe using local flavors like sugar, pineapple, and vinegar. Today, tocino is a comfort food classic, especially as part of the famous "Tosilog" (tocino, sinangag (garlic rice), and itlog (egg)) breakfast combo.

Bangsilog and Porksilog

Best Tocino Recipe (Pork Tocino)

This recipe yields 6/8 servings.

Ingredients:

•  2 pounds pork belly or pork shoulder (thinly sliced, about ¼ inch thick)
•  ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder (or 4 cloves minced garlic)
• 1 tablespoon paprika (for color)
• 2 tablespoons banana ketchup (optional but recommended for color and flavor)
• ¼ cup pineapple juice (for natural sweetness and tenderizing)
• 1 tablespoon vinegar (helps preserve)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional, for a slight umami kick)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the pork:  

   Slice pork into thin strips (¼ inch thick or thinner). The thinner, the better for tenderness and fast curing.

2. Mix marinade: 

   In a bowl, combine sugar, salt, garlic powder, paprika, banana ketchup, pineapple juice, vinegar, pepper, and soy sauce. Stir well until sugar and salt are mostly dissolved.

3. Marinate:

   Add the pork slices into the marinade. Massage well so each piece is coated.  

   Cover and refrigerate for at least overnight but 2 to 3 days is ideal for the best flavor.

4. Cook:

   - In a pan over medium heat, place the marinated pork along with about ½ cup water.  

   - Let it simmer until water evaporates.  

   - Once dry, add a little oil and pan-fry the tocino until caramelized and slightly crispy on edges.

5. Serve: 

   Best eaten with garlic fried rice and a sunny-side-up egg, the classic "Tosilog" combo!

 Tips:

- If you want extra tender tocino, you can add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the marinade.

- For a more authentic red color (like commercial ones), some use red food coloring but paprika + banana ketchup does the job naturally.

- If you prefer chicken tocino, use boneless thigh fillets and reduce marination time to just 1 day.