Pork Tocino is a hearty Filipino all-day breakfast served with sunny-side-up eggs and garlic fried rice. Sweet and garlicky, it's sure to be a family favorite.
Different regions of the Philippines are known for various specialties, and we, Kapampangans, are known for the best pork tocino, tapa, and longganisa.
Pork tocino is Filipino cured meat made of beef, chicken, or pork. It's typically served as an all-day breakfast meal as part of a combo called tocilog, a portmanteau for tocino, sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (sunny-side-up eggs).
This regional delicacy has evolved to be a delicious balance of sweet and salty, but traditional Kapampangan burong (cured) babi (pork), as I remember it, is fermented at room temperature to achieve a slightly sour taste. For food safety, I highly recommend curing the meat in the refrigerator for no more than three days and storing it in the freezer immediately after.
It's so easy to make at home; you'll never have to buy it again! I suggest marinating a few pounds and freezing it for future use. Portion out in individual resealable bags, and you'll have a delicious meal ready in a pinch.
Marinade ingredients
Traditional pork tocino included salitre (saltpeter), a food preservative and colorant. The recipe below, however, uses basic pantry ingredients and has no added preservatives.
The marinade is a simple mixture of salt, sugar, garlic powder, and pepper to bring on the sweet and garlicky flavors you'll love. The red food coloring is for aesthetic purposes only and can be omitted.
Cooking tips
- For the right taste and texture, use the right cut of meat. I find tenderloin (lomo) to be too lean and pork belly to be too fatty. Tocino, like our iconic BBQ pork, is best made with Boston butt or (despite the name, it actually comes from the pig shoulder) kasim which has a good mix of fat and meat.
For a tender chew, cut the meat thinly across the grain. - Not a fan of food coloring? Substitute about 1 teaspoon atsuete powder or ยผ cup of banana ketchup.
- You can add pineapple juice, anise wine, or vinegar to help tenderize the meat and balance the sweetness with a hint of tangy flavor.
Ways to cook
- Stovetop- you can pan-fry straight in hot oil, but I suggest cooking the tocino first in water until fork-tender. Add enough water to cover the meat and simmer until the meat is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Add oil and cook, stirring regularly, until lightly browned and caramelized.
- Grill- instead of pan-frying, you can cook the meat over hot coals or on a tabletop grill for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through and nicely charred.
- Oven- to bake, arrange the marinated meat in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 F oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until browned and a thermometer inserted in the center of the meat reads 145 F. Turn the meat halfway through cooking and loosely tent with foil if over-browning before fully cooked.
How to store
- Cooked- transfer leftovers to a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Warm up in the microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals until thoroughly heated.
- Uncooked- store in a resealable bag or airtight container. Keep refrigerated and cook within 3 days. For more extended storage, transfer to a freezer-safe container or resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. There's no need to defrost to cook.
More breakfast recipes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork butt, sliced to ยผ-inch thick
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ยผ teaspoon pepper
- 2 drops red food coloring
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine pork, sugar, salt, garlic, pepper, and red food coloring. Massage meat with curing mixture until well-distributed and evenly colored.
- Store in a covered container or ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight to cure.
- In a pan over medium heat, add pork including marinade and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil.
- Lower heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender and cooked through, adding more water in ยฝ cup increments as needed.ย
- When water is completely absorbed and meat is tender, add oil and cook, stirring regularly, until meat caramelizes. Serve hot.
Notes
- For a tender chew, slice the pork across the grain.
- Not a fan of food coloring? Substitute about 1 teaspoon atsuete powder or ยผ cup of banana ketchup.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Michelle says
Hi po.. easy recipe po easy to follow.. thank u po sa mga recipe mo po.. madami po akong nstutunan.. and now balak ko sana ibussiness ang aking natutunan mula sa inyo po.. to share the recipe na natutunAn ko po sa inyo.. thanks a lot po madam gobbless po
Lalaine Manalo says
Salamat po sa feedback niyo. I'm glad nakakatulong ang mga recipes. Good luck po sa business and God bless po.
Flor says
Can I use pork loin or pork tenderloin instead of pork butt.
Lalaine Manalo says
You can, but the loin is pretty lean meat and can result in a dry texture.
Jill says
Hello Po,
Can you substitute the sugar with honey instead? If so, what would be the measurement for honey?
Thank you.
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, pwede po. Hindi ko pa po na-test ito with honey. So tantyahin niyo na lang po according to taste.
Celine says
Dear Ms Lalaine,
Thank you for the recipe, this has been a blessing to me. I miss our homeland Philippines but how comforting that I can enjoy Tocino at home without needing to go to the oriental grocery. May the Lord Jesus bless you.
Kind regards,
Celine
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you, Celine. I'm glad you find the recipes useful.
. says
tanong lang po kung full ingredients na po ang nakalagay kasi po may nakalagay na
"GET INGREDIENTS"๐
Lalaine Manalo says
Sensya na po, ad po yun nang isa sa mga networks ko. Link po siya if you want to shop the ingredients.
Regina says
bakit po ung akin parang dry, hndi din sya glossy or saucy tignan,tapos meron syang mga tiny (meat scums,ung lumalabas sa meat kpag niluluto.)
Lalaine Manalo says
Normal po yun, just skim the scum pag kumukulo an ang tubig
Janette V. Peรฑaflor says
Hello po, for business purpose. Which do you recommend me to use. Anisse wine, pineapple or vinegar?thanks
Lalaine Manalo says
I prefer pineapple as I like the fruity sweet taste, but make sure not to marinate the meat for too long when adding pineapple juice or vinegar as the acids might break the protein fibers and make the meat mushy.
Aiana Grey says
Hi po,
Ano po sukat if maglagay ng pineapple juice?
Lalaine Manalo says
Mga 1 cup po pwede na.
Chesney jaira davinci says
Sa dami po mam ng groups at pages about foods recipe nyo lng po talaga ang nagustuhan q para sa pamilya q...madami po aq mam natutunan na luto galing sa page mo po...Salamt ng marami po sau mam..God Bless u po always โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ๐๐
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you so much sa feedback. I am glad nagugustuhan mo ang mga recipes ๐
Lorie Santos says
Mga ilan months po itatagal nito when frozen? Thank you. God bless.
Lalaine Manalo says
Mga 3 to 4 months po ๐
Charlotte says
Hi may balak kasi aq mag business home made item lang lahat like tapa, toci, longanisa ang tanung ko lang ano pa max. Shelf life ng mga ito lalu na walang preservatives added.. Ayoko ko kasi ng may ganun.. Salamat
Lalaine Manalo says
Sa refrigerator up to 3 days, sa freezer 3 to 4 months. Goodluck sa business!
Jay Perez says
I tried your recipe maโam. It really worked. Thanks to you!
Lalaine Manalo says
You're welcome. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe ๐
Elsa says
Since you recommended to put banana ketchup instead of food coloring , do I have to adjust the amount of sugar?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, please, adjust the amount according to taste.
Ida Stephanie Abenir says
Sobrang sarap...hindi ko na kailangan pa bumili ng tocino sa grocery..gagawin ko na lang..madali lang pala...hindi ko na nilagyan ng food coloring kc wala akong ganun pero mukhang tocino pa rin naman nun niluto hehe..thanks!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you sa feedback. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe ๐
Shiela says
Hi, in case na lalagyan ng vinegar, anise wine or pineapple juice ano po ang measurement? Thanks
Lalaine Manalo says
You can add about 1/2 cup pineapple juice or about 1/4 cup vinegar.
Lalaine R. says
Hi Tukayo,
Thank you ng marami for sharing your recipe... madaling sundan and encourages people like me to spend more time in the kitchen and not be afraid of it๐. About adding pineapple juice or vinegar sa chicken tocino, do we still need to add 1 cup of water? Salamat in advance and I hope you wonโt stop inspiring all of us through your kitchen magic๐ฅฐ
Gyra Marie Agra says
Can I cook it right away even without curing them overnight? For kitchen laboratory purpose lang po in our food technology subject ๐
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, you can cook it right away although the curing process adds depth of flavor.