Sweet cured pork, sliced thin and marinated in sugar, salt, and aromatics until it develops a characteristic reddish hue, then pan-fried until the edges caramelize. It is the star of 'tocilog,' a breakfast plate with garlic rice and a fried egg.
Derived from Spanish 'tocino' (bacon), introduced during Spanish colonization and reinvented in the Philippines as a sweet, sometimes annatto-tinted cured pork.
Sweet and savory with sticky, caramelized edges and a tender, juicy center. Paired with garlicky rice and a runny egg yolk, each bite is the quintessential Filipino breakfast comfort.
The long sugar-and-salt cure draws out moisture and seasons the meat throughout while developing color. Frying first in water then oil melts and caramelizes the sugar into a glossy, slightly charred glaze.
Variations
beef or chicken tocino, annatto-free pale version, extra-sweet hamonado style, made with longganisa spices
On the Palate
Where Tocino sits in the Filipino flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 15 min
- 18 min
Slice pork shoulder thinly into bite-size pieces.
- 24 min
In a bowl mix sugar, salt, garlic, pepper, and a little annatto powder for color.
- 33 min
Add the pork and massage the cure into every piece.
- 41440 min
Cover and refrigerate to cure for at least 24 hours, or up to 3 days.
Watch outCure it a full day or more, covered and cold — that's when the salt and sugar soak all the way through and the color deepens; rush it and it's bland and pale.
- 58 min
Place the cured pork and a splash of water in a pan and simmer until the water evaporates.
Watch outSimmer in the splash of water first until it all cooks off — this cooks the pork through so it won't burn raw when the sugars hit the oil.
- 64 min
Add a little oil and fry, letting the sugars caramelize on the edges.
Watch outOnce the water's gone add the oil and let the sugars catch — you want glossy caramel edges with just a touch of char, not scorched bitter.
- 73 min
Turn the pieces until evenly glazed and slightly charred.
- 81 min
Serve with garlic fried rice and a fried egg.
