Let’s get real for a second: nothing beats waking up to the smell of pork tocino sizzling in the kitchen. If you’ve never made it at home, then I’m here to change that. Sure, you could grab the store-bought stuff, but where’s the fun in that? Making homemade pork tocino is surprisingly easy, not to mention incredibly satisfying when you nail it. Plus, it comes with the bonus of bragging rights (because who doesn’t want to tell their friends they cured their own meat?).
The Magic of the Marinade
The secret to great tocino lies in the marinade. It’s sweet, a little tangy, and loaded with flavour—everything you could want in a Filipino breakfast classic. Picture this: tender slices of pork belly (or shoulder, butt, or whatever cut you prefer) swimming in a mixture of brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and pineapple juice. Yes, pineapple juice. Trust me, it adds a hint of fruity sweetness that takes the whole thing to another level. This is no ordinary marinade—it’s the stuff Filipino breakfasts are made of.
Now, let’s talk colour. Some people add red food dye to give their tocino that signature vibrant hue, but if you want to skip it and go au naturel, that’s cool too. The taste won’t change, and your fingers won’t turn red in the process. As someone who’s made this both with and without the dye, I can confirm that no one ever turned down a plate of homemade pork tocino because it wasn’t red enough.
Patience Is a Virtue (But It’s Totally Worth It)
Once the pork is marinated, you’re going to want to cure it for at least 24 hours. I know, I know—waiting is the hardest part. When I first started making tocino, I was tempted to fry it up right away. But after a few (okay, a lot) of failed attempts, I learned that patience really is a virtue when it comes to this dish. Letting the pork cure for a day or two (or up to three, if you’re feeling extra) allows the flavours to really soak into the meat, and that’s where the magic happens. I’ve even been known to freeze a batch, so when those cravings hit, I’m only minutes away from tocino bliss.
The Sweet Sizzle: Cooking Your Homemade Pork Tocino
Here’s where it all comes together. Cooking homemade pork tocino is like watching a sweet, sticky science experiment unfold. You start by braising the marinated pork in water, letting it slowly cook until the liquid evaporates. The trick here is to use low to medium heat—go too high and you’ll burn the sugars, which is a kitchen disaster I’ve lived through more times than I’d like to admit.
Once the water’s gone, in goes the olive oil, and this is where the real fun starts. You’re going to want to keep an eye on the pan, stirring constantly, as the sugars start to caramelise. That glossy, sticky sweetness is what we’re after, but one wrong move, and you’ve got a burnt mess on your hands. Trust me, nothing says “Filipino cooking fail” like a burnt pan of tocino.
Growing Up With Tocino
When I was a kid in Australia, tocino was a staple at our family breakfast table. We’d pile our plates high with it, add some garlic rice, and top it all off with a fried egg or two. It was one of those foods that felt like a warm hug from my heritage. Now that I live in Canada, tocino’s become even more of a comfort food. On those cold winter mornings, when I’m missing home and sunshine, cooking up a batch of homemade pork tocino feels like I’m bringing a little bit of the Philippines into my Canadian kitchen.
Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about sharing this dish with friends who’ve never had it before. The look on their faces when they try that first sweet, sticky bite is priceless. It’s like I’ve opened a whole new world of Filipino flavour for them, and I feel a tiny bit like a food magician. Or maybe just a really good host.
Why You Should Make Homemade Pork Tocino
If you’ve never made homemade pork tocino before, consider this your sign to start. It’s the kind of recipe that makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something huge—like you’ve joined an elite club of Filipino breakfast masters. Plus, once you’ve made it, you’ll never look at the store-bought stuff the same way again. There’s just something about that perfect balance of sweetness, savoury flavour, and caramelised goodness that makes homemade tocino so special.
So, put on your food-safe gloves (trust me, the red marinade stains are real), get your pork ready, and let the curing process begin. Your future self will thank you when you’re enjoying a plate of this sweet, sticky masterpiece with a side of garlic rice and eggs.
Homemade Pork Tocino Recipe: The Juicy, Sweet Cure for Breakfast Boredom
Equipment
- Food safe kitchen gloves
- 2 Mixing/prep bowls
- Glass, freezer-proof airtight container (can use plastic container, but it may get stained if you're using red dye)
- Whisk
- Tongs
- Skillet
Ingredients
For The Marinade
- 1 kg pork (butt, shoulder, or belly)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1½ Tbsp salt
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps rice vinegar
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ½ Tbsp ground black pepper
- 1-3 drops red food colouring (optional)
For Cooking
- 2-3 Tbsps water
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Cure The Pork
- Slice the pork as thinly as you can, into ¼ inch pieces. Place pork into a prep bowl and set aside.
- Finely chop garlic. Set aside.
- Put on food safe kitchen gloves.
- In another bowl, combine all ingredients for the marinade except for the pork.
- Using a whisk, mix until all ingredients until well combined.
- Add the pork into the mixture.
- Using your gloved hands to avoid stains, mix and massage the mixture into the pork. Do this until well combined.
- Transfer everything into your freezer-proof airtight container.
- Place the container in the fridge.
- Allow to cure for 24 hours or up to 3 days. Note: Marinade can be frozen afterwards, for longer storage if desired.
Cooking The Tocino
- Remove the tocino from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes.
- Place a skillet on the stove over a low to medium heat. Note: Don’t use high heat as it will burn the sugars from the mixture.
- Once heated, place the tocino in the pan.
- Add water. Ensure that there is enough water to cover all the tocino.
- Braise the tocino, stirring every 3-5 minutes for about 10 minutes, or until the water evaporates.
- Add the oil.
- Continue to cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until the sugars begin to caramelise.
- Don’t leave the tocino unattended, and stir constantly to prevent the sugars from burning. Note: Lower the heat on the stove as required to prevent it from burning.
- Once the tocino caramelises, remove from the heat.
Serve and Enjoy!
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice or garlic rice, eggs and pickled veggies.
Notes
- Pork: You can you use any cut of pork that you like such as butt or shoulder. I like to use belly. Pork belly’s fat content and marbling makes this protein tender and succulent, especially when braised.
- Pineapple juice helps to tenderize the pork, as it contains enzymes that works to soften proteins and enables meat to absorb flavours. But if you don’t have pineapple juice, you can use apple juice instead.
- Traditionally, tocino is known for its bright red colour. However, you can do without the red food colouring. If you decide to use food colouring, start off with one to two drops and adjust to your desired intensity. Also, the depth of colour will depend on the type of food colouring you use. Gel food colouring is thicker and more concentrated than your regular liquid food colouring. Therefore, you would use less gel food colouring than liquid food colouring.