I loooooove tacos. I’ve talked about my love for tacos before (check out my post on Fish Tacos). They’re such a crowd-pleaser, they’re delicious, and more importantly, they’re generally easy to make. But I’m always looking for different combinations to make. And I’ve recently noticed there is a trend of Asian-inspired taco trucks and also Asian-Mexican fusion restaurants. So that was the inspiration behind these Filipino Pork Sisig Tacos.
“Sisig” is a Filipino term that describes the method of marinating fish or meat (usually pork) in a sour liquid like vinegar and/or lemon juice. In the Philippines Pork Sisig is traditionally made with parts of a pig’s head like the jowels and ears….not quite in my wheelhouse! So I’ve taken the traditional flavors of Filipino Sisig and used it with the same meat used in pulled pork (pork shoulder/butt). And I’ve made it super easy by making it a slow cooker recipe – win win!
Ingredients for the slow cooker are:
And, of course, the pork:
Add the slow cooker marinade ingredients (soy sauce, vinegar, pineapple juice, minced garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, salt) together in a big bowl and whisk well. Then add the whole pork butt/shoulder.
You can let the pork marinate in the fridge for an hour or more. Or simply add it to your slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork. Completely shred the pork. YES.
Next, to a large bowl add all the ingredients for the second marinade (soy sauce, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, black pepper) and whisk together. Then, add this marinade to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Last thing to do is to build your tacos! It’s really up to you what toppings to use. My favorite combination includes the following, including a Cilantro Lime Sauce that I used in my Mahi Mahi Tacos recipe here. I also sometimes use red onion (not pictured).
- 3.5-4 lbs pork shoulder, or pork butt (boneless or with bone)
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar, or sugar cane vinegar (can find this in Asian grocery stores)
- 1 ½ cups pineapple juice
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ large lemon)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Corn tortillas
- Cilantro lime sauce, or your favorite salsa
- Shredded lettuce and/or red cabbage
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Red onion, diced
- Add the slow cooker marinade ingredients to a big bowl and whisk well. Add the whole pork butt/shoulder.
- Allow the pork to marinate in the fridge for an hour or more if you don't want to cook it immediately. Or simply add it to your slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork. Completely shred the pork.
- Next, to a large bowl add all the ingredients for the second marinade (soy sauce, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, black pepper) and whisk together. Add this marinade to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine.
- Build your tacos: warm corn tortillas, add some cilantro lime sauce, layer shredded pork, then top with your favorites such as shredded lettuce/red cabbage, cilantro leaves, diced red onion, salsa, etc.
