This Filipino pork tocino recipe is made with pure substances, utilizing annatto seed, and is smoked and grilled for added taste and char.
By Christie Vanover | Revealed August 18, 2023 | Final Up to date August 18, 2023
These candy and tender pork items are so addictive. The fats melts in your mouth like pork sweet and the crispy edges are like candy bacon bits.
What’s tocino
Tocino (pronounced toe-SEE-no) merely translated from Spanish to English means bacon. Nevertheless, the phrase tocino can really refer to a couple various kinds of dishes, relying on what nation you’re in.
This recipe is for a Filipino-style pork tocino.
Within the Philippines tocino is usually made utilizing pork stomach or pork steaks, that are lower from the pork shoulder. However typically rooster thighs are additionally used to make rooster tocino.
The meat goes by means of a curing course of for just a few days in a combination of sugar, annatto seeds, seasonings and prague powder or pink curing salt. Some recipes additionally name for pineapple juice, which helps tenderize the protein.
Then, the marinated pork is historically cooked in a skillet with water and is boiled till the water absorbs into the meat. It’s completed within the sizzling pan with oil, which helps it crisp and caramelize and is served with garlic rice and a fried egg.
How genuine is that this tocino recipe?
A lot of the Filipino recipes I share are my renditions of recipes which have been handed on from my husband’s members of the family. This do-it-yourself tocino recipe nonetheless comes from my good friend Chef Harold Villarosa AKA Unkle Harold.
I had the distinction of cooking with Chef Harold on BBQ Brawl on the Meals Community. He was born within the Philippines, raised within the Bronx and has a powerful culinary resume. Chef Harold has labored at the #1 rated restaurant on the planet, NOMA in Copenhagen, together with a number of others, together with Thomas Keller’s Per Se.
He additionally cares deeply about offering optimistic alternatives for city youth and does so by means of workshops, curriculums and tastings through his Insurgo Project.
Chef Harold is without doubt one of the most proficient, artistic cooks I’ve ever labored beside. He can whip out spectacular dishes utilizing probably the most unassuming substances and he finishes every plate with a particular stage of rustic class.
When considered one of my Instagram followers reached out searching for a recipe for tocino that might be cooked on a grill, I knew Chef Harold was my greatest useful resource. He instantly texted me his marinade substances, which he gave me permission to share with all of you.
What I like about his recipe is that it yields superb outcomes with out the usage of crimson meals coloring or curing salts, so it’s extra pure.
It does name for achiote powder, and the model I take advantage of has MSG. If you wish to maintain this all-natural, use pure annatto powder or Filipino achueto powder.
After I marinated the pork testing Chef Harold’s recipe, I performed round with the cooking method, so I may infuse a bit of smoke. It turned out superb!
Components
- Pork Steak: You should purchase pre-sliced pork steaks on the grocery retailer or lower steaks from a boneless pork butt. Purpose for 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Granulated White Sugar: This helps the meat caramelize and provides it its particular sweetness. Some recipes name for brown sugar, however I discover the white sugar creates higher caramelization.
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic: You’ll be able to both use a pre-made SPG mix or mix kosher salt, coarse-ground black pepper and granulated garlic or garlic powder.
- Achiote Powder: That is made with floor annatto seeds, that are crimson seeds that come from the tropical achiote tree. I take advantage of the Achiote blend from Spiceology, which additionally contains MSG and a few spices. It’s also possible to use Filipino achueto powder, which is simply seeds and cornstarch, or Sazón, which incorporates MSG and spices. These spices could be bought on-line or discovered at Asian or Latin grocery shops.
- Lemon-Lime Soda: This soda is frequent in Filipino marinades. It provides sweetness and tenderizes the meat.
- Canola Oil: You’ll want only a bit to assist with caramelization.
- Crimson Pepper Flakes: In order for you a contact of warmth to offset the sweetness of the dish, add a pinch of crimson pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
See the total recipe card beneath for servings and a full checklist of substances.
- STEP ONE: Use pre-sliced boneless pork steaks or slice boneless pork shoulder into 1/4-inch thick pork steaks.
- STEP TWO: Place the pork slices in a big mixing bowl or resealable bag with the sugar, SPG, achiote powder, lemon lime soda, oil and pepper flakes. Combine properly. Cowl and refrigerate for 1-3 days.
PRO TIP: The longer it marinates, the extra flavorful the meat can be. After sooner or later, the liquid will begin to disappear as a result of it can take up into the meat.
- STEP THREE: Warmth your smoker to 250-275F levels with an oblique warmth zone.
- STEP FOUR: Place the marinated pork steaks on the grill in a single layer. Smoke for half-hour.
PRO TIP: Historically, tocino is boiled to assist it tenderize. By smoking it, the juices and infused marinade will sweat slowly, so the meat will nonetheless develop into very tender.
- STEP FIVE: Flip. Smoke for 30 extra minutes.
- STEP SIX: Improve the grill temperature to 375-400F. Grill the pork steaks for 10-Quarter-hour, flipping usually.
PRO TIP: As items char and sizzle, take away them from the grill. Smaller, thinner items will prepare dinner sooner than thicker items.
How one can serve tocino
The genuine approach to serve Filipino pork tocino is with a facet of garlic fried rice and fried sunny-side-up eggs. That is known as tosilog. The rice and egg steadiness out the candy pork.
To make the garlic rice, warmth 1-2 teaspoons of oil in a nonstick pan and add two cloves of minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add 2 cups of cooked white rice. Stir and prepare dinner for a few minutes till heated by means of. Season with salt to style.
Storage
Save your do-it-yourself pork tocino leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. It’s also possible to freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for as much as six months. Reheat in a microwave or in a skillet.
GCG Professional Pitmaster Ideas
- Use achiote powder as a substitute of crimson meals coloring
- Marinate the meat for 1-3 days
- Begin by smoking the meat then end it over excessive warmth on the grill
Incessantly Requested Questions
Most tocino recipes name for just a few drops of crimson meals coloring, which causes the meat to show crimson because it marinates. Some recipes additionally embody pink curing salt, which produces a reddish shade to the meat.
This recipe doesn’t use both of these. As an alternative, achiote powder is used, which is a pure mix of crimson annatto seed and spices.
Tocino is the Spanish phrase for bacon; nonetheless, the phrase tocino additionally refers to completely different dishes made with pork stomach. The pork is usually marinated, boiled after which fried till it’s crispy.
Spanish tocino is salted pork stomach; whereas Filipino tocino is pork stomach or shoulder that’s cured in a candy marinade.
Spain additionally has a dish known as Tocino de Cielo, which interprets to heaven’s bacon. It doesn’t embody pork in any respect. It’s a custard dessert much like a flan.
Filipino Smoked Pork Tocino
This Filipino pork tocino recipe is made with pure substances, utilizing annatto seed, and is smoked and grilled for added taste and char.
DirectionsÂ
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Marinate: Mix all the substances in a big bowl. Cowl. Refrigerate for 1-3 days.
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Warmth Grill: Warmth your smoker to 250-275F levels with an oblique warmth zone.
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Smoke: Place the pork on the smoker in a single layer. Smoke for half-hour. Flip. Smoke for 30 extra minutes.
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Grill: Improve the grill warmth to 375-400F levels. Grill the tocino for 10-Quarter-hour, flipping usually. You need the items to char and sizzle. Take away from warmth and serve.
Notes
In case you don’t have pre-blended SPG, mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon granulated garlic and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
See submit above for achiote mix choices. Â
Vitamin
Energy: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 18gFats: 11gSaturated Fats: 3gPolyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 6gTrans Fats: 0.02gLdl cholesterol: 62mgSodium: 2400mgPotassium: 316mgSugar: 37gVitamin A: 6IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
This estimate was created utilizing an internet diet calculator
