When you don’t know what to eat on a busy morning, that package of tocino in your freezer will save the day.
This Kapampangan specialty, originally named “pindang” (to cut into strips/to cure), is a classic in many Filipino homes. While the store-bought stuff is convenient on busy days, homemade tocino lets you tailor how sweet, savory, or garlicky you want it to be. It’s easy to prepare, and even easier to store frozen.
That distinct tocino flavor comes from curing the pork. Curing is a preservation method where salt, sugar, and other seasonings are spread onto food. The salt draws out moisture, preventing bacterial growth while extending your food’s shelf-life. Some curing mixtures add a small amount of pink curing salt (sodium nitrite) to further preserve the meat.
For this homemade tocino, you can skip the curing salt—instead, use a flavorful curing liquid. Curing salt requires careful handling because it gets toxic in large amounts, so it’s best avoided in home kitchens. This curing liquid, on the other hand, gets you that classic tocino flavor while keeping your pork moist and tender throughout the process.
Why is tocino red?
You may be wondering: What causes that bright red hue? We’re not exactly sure. Some say annatto seeds were traditionally used to color the meat, while others believe it’s because of the pink dye in curing salts.
To get that signature tocino red, we added red food coloring to the curing liquid. If you’d like something less artificial, we’ve seen other recipes use ketchup and beets. You can definitely skip the coloring entirely for an all-natural, brown-colored tocino! But that’s like eating ube jam that’s white instead of purple—you know it tastes right, but something is off.
What does pineapple juice do in a marinade?
Pineapple juice does two things: it imparts a fruity sweetness to meats, and it also tenderizes them. Here’s why: Pineapples contain an enzyme known as bromelain. This targets tough muscle fibers and breaks down the collagen of meat into smaller segments. The result is a tender piece of meat that has the perfect amount of sweetness.
A fresh side cuts the richness
A serving of zesty vegetables—pickles, atchara, or ensalada—adds a welcome brightness to any silog, especially with tocino. Kimchi can be a great side, too, if you want a spicy kick. Even something as simple as thinly sliced cucumbers marinated in sugar, vinegar, and black pepper will work well!
Ingredients
Homemade Tocino
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 tbsp chopped garlic
- 4 tbsp pineapple juice
- 4 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2-3 drops red food coloring
- 1 kg pork shoulder (kasim), sliced ¼-inch thick
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 cups water
Ensalada
- ½ cup tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- 4 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
For Serving
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 large eggs
- 4 cups cooked rice
Marinade pork: In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, garlic, pineapple juice, white vinegar, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and red food coloring. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add in pork. Using your hands, massage the curing liquid onto each slice of pork well.
Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap to create an airtight seal. Let pork marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. You can cure the pork for up to 3 days as long as it's in an airtight container.
Cook tocino: Heat oil in a large skillet or wok set over medium heat. Take cured pork out of the refrigerator. Shake excess marinade off pork and add to the pan. Sear tocino until browned and caramelized, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side, about a minute. Lower the heat if the tocino starts browning too quickly.
Add just enough water until the tocino is a little over half-submerged. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and maintain a simmer. Cook until liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 15-20 minutes.
The glaze’s consistency should be thick enough to coat the meat, but not too thick that you can’t see the meat underneath. The pork should be tender enough to easily cut with a spoon. Transfer tocino to a plate. Set aside to cool.
Make ensalada: In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, red onions, white vinegar, white sugar, fish sauce, and pepper. Carefully stir with a spoon until well-combined. Set aside to marinate.
Fry eggs and serve: Heat oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Working one egg at a time, crack one into the hot oil. The whites should sizzle and start to puff up. Fry egg, basting oil on top using a spoon, until whites are crispy but yolk is still slightly runny, about 2 minutes. Transfer egg to a plate. Repeat with the rest of your eggs.
Divide tocino, eggs, ensalada, and rice onto 4 plates. Serve immediately with vinegar or ketchup.
