A flavorful way to start the day, this traditional Filipino pork is sweet, salty, and pairs perfectly with some fragrant garlic fried rice. It's for sure a hearty breakfast that will keep you fulfilled until lunch. Name a better way to start the day?
History of Tocino with Garlic Rice:
Filipino tocino is a popular dish in Filipino cuisine, known for its sweet and savory flavor. Its history can be traced back to the Spanish colonization of the Philippines in the 16th century. The word "tocino" itself is derived from the Spanish word tocino, which means bacon or cured meat.
During the Spanish colonial period, the Spaniards introduced various culinary influences to the Philippines, including their techniques for curing and preserving meats. Tocino is believed to have originated from Spain's own cured meats, particularly from regions like Catalonia and Andalusia, where similar dishes are prepared using pork or beef.
Filipino tocino is typically made from thinly sliced pork meat, often from the pork belly, although other cuts may also be used. The meat is marinated in a mixture of sugar, salt, soy sauce, garlic, and various spices such as pepper and sometimes anato extract (achuete) for color. The marinade imparts the distinctive sweet and salty flavor to the meat.
Traditionally, tocino was preserved through the process of curing, where the meat would be coated in the marinade and then left to cure for several days, allowing the flavors to penetrate the meat thoroughly. However, modern methods often involve marinating the meat for a shorter period before cooking it immediately.
Tocino is typically fried until caramelized, resulting in a slightly crispy exterior while remaining tender and juicy inside. It is commonly served for breakfast, often accompanied by garlic fried rice (sinangag) and eggs, creating a popular Filipino breakfast dish called "tocilog" (a combination of tocino, sinangag, and itlog, which means egg in Filipino).
Over time, tocino has become deeply ingrained in Filipino culinary culture, evolving into various regional variations and becoming a staple in Filipino households and eateries both locally and abroad. It reflects the fusion of Spanish and Filipino culinary influences and remains a beloved comfort food for many Filipinos.
My Inspiration Behind This Recipe:
I'm a huge breakfast person. It's more so the idea of breakfast that brings me so much joy and comfort. I believe that everyone should make time for breakfast, you just have the find the right ones for you. Tocino with garlic rice is for sure on the heavier side. It's perfect for people who want a hearty breakfast that have little time for lunch or who choose to have a smaller meal for lunch.
I am someone who likes my breakfast to be BIG, protein and carbohydrates is what I focus on when it comes to the first meal of my day. There's a stigma that carbohydrates are bad fro you and that it's associated with weight gain. I use to have that same mindset until I started studying nutrition and learned that carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for your brain. Instead of seeing carbohydrates as the enemy, I started to see it as tool that can kick start my brain for the day. It's all about perception! This went on a bit of a tangent, but if protein and carbs is what you focus on for breakfast, this is the meal for you!
Ingredients We're Working With:
Tocino:
Orange juice - adding this will add in a sweet and sightly citrusy flavor to the tocino.
Brown sugar - the must needed ingredient to create that beautiful caramelized coating to the pork.
Soy sauce - although we use salt in this dish, soy sauce brings a nice umami note to the dish.
Garlic - adds aroma and flavor
Red food coloring (**You can choose to omit this or use Achiote Powder) - this is controversial, but I personally think food coloring is fine to consume. Achiote powder cab be purchased to create that same classic red tocino color.
Black pepper - adds a little kick to this sweet and savory dish.
Pork shoulder - this is a leaner cut, which I prefer when I cook with pork. For a more traditional and fatter cut, use pork butt.
Garlic Rice:
White rice - we want day old white rice for best results. The rice becomes dry enough after a day, and makes for the best fried rice.
Garlic - fried in the oil, this is the star of the garlic rice.
Oil - the base that brings and highlights all the flavor from the garlic
Salt - enhances the flavors of the garlic rice
Toppings:
Scallion - a pungent topping and also colorful to help contrast the red color the dish
Crispy fried minced garlic - one of my flavor toppings, adds a nice crunch
Commonly Asked Questions:
What can I use instead of orange juice?
Traditionally tocino is made with pineapple juice. I know people are less likely to have pineapple juice at hand, so I wanted to make a recipe work wit orange juice. Pineapple juice would be a perfect substitute.
Can this dish be made with other proteins?
For all my non-pork eaters, yes. This recipe can be made with chicken, just swap out the pork for the same amount of chicken. I suggest chicken thigh over breast.
This is recipe #2 of my Brekky Favs Series, check out the others:
Prefer to Watch? Click Here: Filipino Tocino with Garlic Rice
Filipino Tocino with Garlic Rice
Total Time: 25 hours | Servings: 3-4 servings | Level: Easy |
Course: Breakfast, Lunch
Cuisine: Filipino
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Equipment:
**Optional: Sizzling Hot Plate (I just thought this was a nice little way to make the meal extra exciting. I love how it aids in presentation but also keeps the food warmer for an extended period of time)
Ingredients:
Tocino:
1 cup orange juice (110 grams), **can sub with pineapple juice
¾ cup brown sugar (156 grams)
1 tbsp soy sauce (16.6 grams)
1 tbsp garlic, minced (8.4 grams)
3-5 drops of red food coloring (**You can choose to omit this or use Achiote Powder)
2 tbsp kosher salt (36 grams)
½ tsp ground black pepper (2.3 grams)
2 lbs pork shoulder or butt, thinly sliced (907 grams)
Garlic Rice:
2 cups cooked white rice (350 grams), **use day old rice for best results!
1.5 tbsp garlic, minced (15 grams)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil (16.6 grams)
Toppings:
Chopped scallion
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all your tocino ingredients, and coat the sliced pork throughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the pork marinate over night.
For the rice, heat oil in a pan on medium. Once the oil is hot add your minced garlic and cook until golden brown. Add in your cooked white rice and salt to taste. Combine well and set aside.
For the pork, heat oil in a pan on medium. Remove pork from the marinade and place it in a single even layer in the pan. Cook until nice and caramelized, around 3-4 minutes on each side.
Serve with garlic rice and fried egg and enjoy! I served mine on a sizzling hot plate, a fun little way to spice up breakfast!
Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed this post and give this recipe a try! If you have any feed back, please leave a message down below. I would be more than excited to read them or to answer any questions you have!
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