Filipino Pork Tocino

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork butt or pork shoulder, (very thinly sliced (about 1/8th inch thick) across the grain)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2-3 drops red food colouring
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• green onions, (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the thinly sliced pork into a mixing bowl.

2. 2

   Measure in the brown sugar, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder, and add a couple of drops of liquid red food colouring. With a gloved hand or tongs, gently massage the pork until the sugar and seasonings are well distributed. The red food colouring may not distribute too well but don’t worry about that. The colour will very easily distribute during cooking.

3. 3

   Transfer the pork mixture to a resealable bag. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and refrigerate the pork for a minimum of 12 hours. Pork can be marinated for up to 3 days.

4. 4

   When you are ready to cook the pork, transfer the marinated pork to a skillet or wok. Pour in half a cup of water and turn the heat to medium-high. Stir the pork well and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to simmer and cook until the water is absorbed.

5. 5

   Increase heat to medium-high and add two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Fry, stirring often, until the pork has caramelized slightly. Be careful not to burn the pork! This should only take 2-3 minutes.

6. 6

   Once done, serve with rice, fried eggs, and sliced cucumber. Garnish with green onions.