How to Cook/Prepare The Perfect (Pork) Tocino

Tender, juicy, and glazed tocino without the burn (go ahead and click on the photo to see a closer and bigger look at it). My husband loves this so much that he can eat as much as 3 chops even if he is not really a big eater.

I am not talking about a recipe. Rather, I am talking about the method that I have been using to cook pork tocino to perfection (according to my standards, that is). This is my method on how to cook tocino without burning them and without turning my pan into a burnt mess. (If you want to know the recipe from DOST teknotulong website, I pasted it down below, so scroll down some more. But please be aware that I have not tried it.)

Method:
Whether or not you use your own recipe, maybe you will like this method as well. I still am using my Mama Sita tocino mix (I got tons of them since my husband expressed loving this pork "casino" -- he could not remember the right term).

I marinate 8 pork chops using 2 packets at least overnight to 1 day, keeping them in the chiller bin of my fridge, with frequent turning. Then I place them all, including the marinade, in a big saucepan, cover and boil. As soon as it boils, I turn down the heat to #2 or #3 and simmer for about 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before simmering ends, I heat up the oven on broil (hi), place the griddle on the rack at the upper third of the oven. I spray with just a little bit of oil to prevent the chops from sticking, then I dish out the chops and place them on the griddle. While waiting for the surface to dry up a bit, I reduce the sauce on the saucepan by boiling further on high until it is almost like runny sauce (If it is too thick and sticky already, it will be harder to brush on the chops and it might not be enough). I watch this carefully because it can easily burn. The resulting sauce has enough fat drippings so I still create the same effect as when I fry them in some oil, especially when the excess water finally evaporates while I broil.

Then I brush this sauce on top of the chops,

broil for about 1-2 minutes or until Isee the tops bubbly and the sugar is caramelizing, which makes the chops appear glazed, and the fatty parts kinda turn like charred.

Then I flip over and do the same on the other side.

This way, you get a nice browning, nice glaze, without scorching and without making it taste burnt! I guarantee you can proudly serve this to any fussy American meat-eater like my husband. (If you serve some burnt tocino, be prepared to have most of it thrown away. I have done so in the past, and it does not feel good to see my husband eat a few tiny pieces, with the scorched parts left on his plate, even if the meat underneath is still good. It even feels worse when I myself have to admit that it is unpalatable. I used to cook tocino on stovetop with conduction burner instead of flame, and it is hard to control the heat, especially if I want indirect low heat like when cooking tocino or rice. It is impossible not to burn because I cannot place my pan away from the heat; it is always in direct contact. If you have flame burners, it is more possible not to burn tocino even when cooked on saucepan alone, but browning every piece equally is better achieved through broiling.)

Now if you use chicken breast, butterfly the breast so it is thinner, cook for only about 15 minutes before broiling since chicken cooks faster than pork.

Sarap talaga ng tocino!

Now for the PORK TOCINO RECIPE from DOST Teknotulong website:
TOSINO (SALTED PORK)

Materials (see Procedure below for amounts):
Pork
Salt
Sugar
Salitre

Utensils:
Kitchen knife
Bowl with cover
Measuring spoon

Procedure:

1. Slice pork into 1 cm. thickness.

2. For every kg. of meat, mix the following ingredients and rub on both sides of the pork;11/2 tbsp. salt, 4-5 tbsp. sugar, 1/3 tsp. Salitre.

3. Place salted pork in a clean covered container and keep in a cool place or in a refrigerator for 3-5 days.

4. Wash a little and cook. Tocino will last for 1/2 month when kept in a refrigerator.