Why you can't make a good sisig without pig ears
Filipino beer snack should ideally made with meat from a pig face. Susan Jung runs through some other essentials, and variants
Sisig is a Filipino beer snack I love so much that I taught myself how to make it. Fatty, rich and delicious, it's made with off-cuts of pig. Usually, different parts of the face are used: the inclusion of pig ears is essential, because the thin layers of cartilage add a nice crunch. If you can't get a pig face, a fatty piece of skin-on pork belly is a good substitute.
There are different ways to make the dish. Some cooks use the leftovers from a whole roast pig while others start with raw pork that is boiled, grilled, chopped then cooked with other ingredients such as onion, garlic, chillies and fish sauce. It's essential to add a good amount of fresh calamansi juice and/or vinegar, so the dish is pleasantly tart.
Sisig is also called spicy sisig, or, if it's served on a hot iron plate, sizzling sisig. It's often drizzled with mayonnaise and topped with a raw egg; both of these, when mixed into the hot sisig, make it moist and creamy.