Homemade Pork Tocino W/ Onions
Pork Tocino is a favorite childhood dish that’s on my list of ultimate favorite Filipino dishes. In the Philippines, tocino is easy to come by, of course. The best I’ve tasted was from Project 8 Quezon City. I don’t think that’s where Tocino really came from but that’s the last place I remember eating the best tocino in my life. Here in the US, I used to make it with the Mama Sita’s tocino mix. I’ve accepted my sad fate of not tasting homemade tocino ever again until I visit the Philippines. Then one fine day in July of 2005, my fellow Cali Girl/NC Transplant/Foodblogger Friend Jeanette posted her recipe for homemade tocino. My life became complete ever since.
Yes, I’m exaggerating. I tend to do that with food.
Unfortunately for Mama Sita, I’ve broken up with her tocino mix. It’s going on 6 years now so I’m pretty sure the packet mix has moved on. It’s so easy that you’d probably make this every week.
Homemade Pork Tocino W/ Onions
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar (or less or more, depends on your taste)
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- generous sprinkling of black pepper
- 1 cup water (divided)
- pork boston butt, sliced in thin cutlets (don’t take the fat off)
- 1 large onion (sliced in rings) (optional)
Instructions
- Combine ingredients 1 to 5 plus 1/2 cup of water in a bowl. Stir everything together. Add the pork slices and onion rings to marinate. Cover the bowl to marinate for 2-3 hours, overnight or 2-3 days in the fridge.
- When ready to cook, set aside the onions then put the marinated pork(with the marinade) in a non-stick pan with the 1/2 cup of water.
- Cover the pan. Let this steam in medium heat until the liquid reduces. Stir occasionally so the whole thing doesn’t burn.
- YUM YUM YUM. Just continue to steam with the cover on.
- The liquid will start to reduce/bubble/caramelize/thicken.
- Add the onions, stir gently to incorporate into the mix. Cook for another minute or two just to soften the onions.
To tell you the truth, I’ve never marinated for 5 days. It’s so hard to wait that long. For better flavoring, 5-day process is good. But if you’re impatient and hungry like me, at least try for 2 hours.
The onion rings are an optional garnish. You don’t need to add onions if you don’t want to. But try it sometime for an added twist.
