Sisig is not for those who are counting calories, and summer is also not the time to put on those extra curves that protrude were you don't want them to. So how do you make a compromise between consuming a sinfully scrumptious sustenance and salvaging your constantly corruptible conscience? None - I guess you just have to drown it down with irresistible cold beer to soothe that parched throat and seared soul.
There is nothing better to do in summer than to enjoy the fact that it is hard to do anything when it’s so hot. So that’s why people head out to the beach or anywhere where they can quietly cool down and relax. The ambient heat will wear you down easily if you insist on doing something more productive than to bum around. That’s why in our tropical islands we stop for siesta, especially when the midday sun is overhead. We should, however, always take things in moderation; whether eating food, consuming alcohol, or having fun under the sun. I remember many summers when my skin turned crisp and red from overexposure and it smelled something like - well - roasted pig. Incidents happen too when your having siesta too much, or doing it at the wrong time of day. I know how it feels like when you get drowsy from the heat.
Take the case of the modern Sisig; there is an unverified story that it was just created by culinary accident. Its key ingredient is chopped and minced pig head that was meant for Sisigan, a sour dish closely related to the popular Sinigang, but more akin to our Adobo because it is cooked in vinegar and spiced with garlic and pepper. It was apparently left unattended, the cook might have dozed off, and was burnt to a crisp. Instead of throwing it away, it was still served mixed with the regular ingredients like chicken liver and pig's brain and of course onion, salt, pepper, and to add more zest - calamansi (calamondin or acid orange). Some like it hot so you can always add in slivers of Siling Mahaba (Long Green Chilies); or to add extra creaminess or as replacement for pig’s brain, you can use mayonnaise or add an egg.
The Sisig has come a long way from its origin as recorded by the Augustinian friar, Diego Bergaño, in his dictionary of the Capampangan language where he noted it as a "salad, including green papaya, or green guava eaten with a dressing of salt, pepper, garlic and vinegar." So we can say it was a derivative of a Capampangan version of the Tagalog Sinigang and Adobo. The innovation was adding meat from unused pig’s head which were readily available from commissaries of a nearby U.S. Air Base. I am beginning to wonder if the Missing Papaya ended up as an ingredient in Sisig. It is my neighbor’s favorite pulutan (like Spanish Tapas or small servings of food), and he loves it with San Miguel Beer, we both do. You can have a side dish to it like Achara which is vinegar pickled papaya. Filipino cuisine noticeably follows a specific pattern of food preparation and cooking.
After the lazy summer sun has set, you can cool down further by gulping on a cool and refreshing drink of one of the best brews in the world. This golden liquid is a perfect complement for my sun browned soul. There is also nothing that would rival the Filipino Adobo, except perhaps the Sizzling Sisig with every morsel as decadent as it tastes. So as the Spanish would have it: drink when you eat, eat when you drink.
There is nothing better to do in summer than to enjoy the fact that it is hard to do anything when it’s so hot. So that’s why people head out to the beach or anywhere where they can quietly cool down and relax. The ambient heat will wear you down easily if you insist on doing something more productive than to bum around. That’s why in our tropical islands we stop for siesta, especially when the midday sun is overhead. We should, however, always take things in moderation; whether eating food, consuming alcohol, or having fun under the sun. I remember many summers when my skin turned crisp and red from overexposure and it smelled something like - well - roasted pig. Incidents happen too when your having siesta too much, or doing it at the wrong time of day. I know how it feels like when you get drowsy from the heat.
Take the case of the modern Sisig; there is an unverified story that it was just created by culinary accident. Its key ingredient is chopped and minced pig head that was meant for Sisigan, a sour dish closely related to the popular Sinigang, but more akin to our Adobo because it is cooked in vinegar and spiced with garlic and pepper. It was apparently left unattended, the cook might have dozed off, and was burnt to a crisp. Instead of throwing it away, it was still served mixed with the regular ingredients like chicken liver and pig's brain and of course onion, salt, pepper, and to add more zest - calamansi (calamondin or acid orange). Some like it hot so you can always add in slivers of Siling Mahaba (Long Green Chilies); or to add extra creaminess or as replacement for pig’s brain, you can use mayonnaise or add an egg.
The Sisig has come a long way from its origin as recorded by the Augustinian friar, Diego Bergaño, in his dictionary of the Capampangan language where he noted it as a "salad, including green papaya, or green guava eaten with a dressing of salt, pepper, garlic and vinegar." So we can say it was a derivative of a Capampangan version of the Tagalog Sinigang and Adobo. The innovation was adding meat from unused pig’s head which were readily available from commissaries of a nearby U.S. Air Base. I am beginning to wonder if the Missing Papaya ended up as an ingredient in Sisig. It is my neighbor’s favorite pulutan (like Spanish Tapas or small servings of food), and he loves it with San Miguel Beer, we both do. You can have a side dish to it like Achara which is vinegar pickled papaya. Filipino cuisine noticeably follows a specific pattern of food preparation and cooking.
After the lazy summer sun has set, you can cool down further by gulping on a cool and refreshing drink of one of the best brews in the world. This golden liquid is a perfect complement for my sun browned soul. There is also nothing that would rival the Filipino Adobo, except perhaps the Sizzling Sisig with every morsel as decadent as it tastes. So as the Spanish would have it: drink when you eat, eat when you drink.
