Sisig

Sisig is chopped grilled pork head and liver, seasoned with calamansi or lime, chilli and onion, and served sizzling on a hot plate. It is a Filipino dish, strongly associated with Pampanga, the province north of Manila. It is eaten across the Philippines as a bar snack with beer and as a main course with rice.

What it really is

The pork head is cooked until tender, then chopped into small pieces and grilled until the edges crisp. The liver is cooked and chopped in the same way. Both are seasoned with calamansi or lime juice, chilli and onion, and bound with mayonnaise, which keeps the chopped meat soft and rich. The result mixes crisp, chewy and soft textures with a sour and hot edge. Because the dish is built on pig's head and liver, guests who avoid pork or offal should be told before they order. A chicken version, often called chicken sisig, is also made.

How it's served

• Sizzling on a hot plate, brought to the table while the onion is still cooking.
• With steamed rice, or as a plate to share with beer.
• Sometimes topped with a raw or fried egg, broken into the hot meat and stirred through.
• With calamansi or lime wedges on the side, and extra chilli if the guest asks.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat: pork head and liver. If the kitchen uses chicken, say chicken sisig.
• Flag eggs. The mayonnaise is egg-based, and any egg on top should be listed separately.
• State the spice level, since chilli is cooked into the meat and is not always optional.
• Ask the kitchen whether soy sauce or fish sauce is used, as recipes differ, and flag them if they are.
• State whether rice is included and whether the dish is meant for sharing.