What American Sisig?

To the quintessential drinker, an ice cold beer is best enjoyed with a good, savory

"pulutan" (appetizer). And the "pulutan" of choice is SISIG. There are a hundred and one variations of this dish, and it has gained popularity in the last 20 or so years (maybe more). Some say, it has even surpassed the adobo as the Philippines' national dish.

Sisig is native to the province of Pampanga. Actually, sisig is a Kapampangan term which means "to snack on something sour." Early recording of the dish date back to the 1700s, by an Augustinian friar. Back then, sisig was a salad, with a dressing of salt, pepper, garlic, and vinegar. Over the years, the dish has evolved from being a salad to a main dish, with the introduction of meat, particularly pig's ears and cheeks.

Aling Lucing is probably THE name most associated with this famous dish. She revolutionized sisig by grilling (or broiling) the pork meat and pig's parts after boiling them, then sauteing them with onions, peppers, and chiles, before serving it on a sizzling plate. This innovation has become the standard by which sisig is served.

In the early 1990s, I had a chance to taste this delectable dish, as prepared by Aling Lucing. With my adventurous ham radio friends, we drove about 45 minutes north of Quezon City to Angleles City, Pampanga to explore what this town is known for. We didn't exactly know where we were going. All we were told was to look for eateries along a railroad track and we'll find Aling Lucing's place. True enough, there it was, with a big red sign bearing her name, standing next to an active railroad track.

Aling Lucing's had the biggest stall. She had tables and benches literally on the street (adjacent to the railroad tracks). Patrons would park on any spot they could find, and walk up to a vacant table to be served. No reservations were taken, and there was absolutely no special treatment. You can find yourself eating next to a group of tricycle drivers having a few beers, or a bunch of teenagers enjoying a hearty meal. The night we were there, the local police had a spot inspection for loose firearms. They frisked all the male patrons in each table along the railroad track, except for us. I guess they figured out that we weren't locals and all we had with us were a few Tupperwares to take home some sisig back to Manila.

That Friday night was busy and Aling Lucing's servers could be seen crossing the relatively busy street, carrying sizzling plates of sisig to eager patrons. For P50.00 (a steal back then), one could enjoy a heaping plate of sizzling goodness. And what's enjoyable about it is hearing the crackling of the pork fat and pig's parts on the hot platter it is served on. With a sprinkling of calamansi and a dash of Knorr Seasoning, you're is cholesterol heaven.

Earlier on, you can only find sisig served in beer gardens and ihaw-ihaw joints in and around Metro Manila. As it grew in popularity, this beer lover's dish slowly found itself being served in airconditioned jazz bars, music lounges, and videoke houses. Filipino restaurants took note and started serving the dish as well. It was no longer an appetizer. It was now a main dish. Each of these places had its own version. Each one unique. Each one distinct.

I've tried many versions of sisig. Aside from the traditional base ingredients, variations include topping it with fresh eggs. When mixed, the heat from the sizzling plate slightly cooks the eggs to a creamy, rich consistency. In a small "ihaw-ihaw" along Esteban Abada (and Xavierville), I had a sisig topped with mayonaise. It surely was an unusual mix that I never ever craved for. And at another joint along Katipunan Extension in Blue Ridge, their sisig was topped with pork cracklings (or chicharon). But the most flavorful I've tried is one mixed with chicken liver and cow's brain. The taste is sooooo divine. A definite artery-clogger.

In America, sisig has found its way to the Fil-Am palette. However, it isn't exactly the same sisig Aling Lucing made popular. The "American" sisig that I've tried is basically marinated grilled lean pork, finely chopped. It is served on the side with chopped onions and jalapenos, and a sweet soy-based sauce. Most are not served on sizzling plates because the meat burns easily. Variations are limited, which include sauteing the pork with onions and jalapenos (and even fresh ginger), and some pork skin for that crunchy texture. Like in Manila, the Filipino restaurants in California have introduced sisig as a main dish, next to the equally popular adobo and crispy pata. A creative restauranteur has even coined the term, California Sisig, to describe this version of the famous dish.

Which is better? You don't have to ask.

Well, I'm a purist. Nothing beats the real, authentic sizzling pork sisig, espcially that of Aling Lucing. Her version has been my barometer for determining what a really good sisig should taste like. Alot have tried. Unfortunately, very (very) few have come close. In the last few years, other meats have been used to replicate the dish in order to cater to non-pork lovers. These include chicken, bangus (milk fish), tuna, and even tofu, to name a few. Of course, it's not the same.

The chicken variety is basically diced dark meat that's dry and bland. The bangus sisig is fish meat picked from the bone, which looks more like rellenong bangus, while the trying-to-be-exotic tuna sisig is similar to the Hawaiian Poki, that's bathe in mayonaise, minus the sambal, chiles, and sesame seeds. And the tofu sisig, well, it's more like dry tokwa, minus the baboy, on a sizzling plate, gone bad.

No matter how much you envision the taste in your mind, a bangus or tuna sisig just doesn't make the cut. Nothing beats the gelatinous pig's cheeks, crunchy cartilages of pig's ears, and crackling of pork skin and fat on a hot sizzling plate.

American sisig??? What are you talking about?!?