Sweet Cured Pork (Tocino)
Tocino Say it: toh-SEE-noh
Tocino is the Philippines’ beloved sweet cured pork, a breakfast staple in Pampanga and across the islands. Thin slices of pork shoulder soak up a sugary, garlicky, peppery cure tinted red with annatto, then simmer and fry until glossy and caramelized. It is served with garlic fried rice and egg, often with vinegar for cutting the sweetness. The result is tender, jammy at the edges, and deeply savory-sweet—simple home curing that turns an everyday cut into a festive morning plate.
Sweet Cured Pork (Tocino)
Tocino
Pronounced toh-SEE-noh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Pork and cure
Method
In a bowl, mash the sugar, salt, garlic, pepper, pineapple juice, annatto powder and curing salt, if using, into a thick red paste.
Pat the pork slices dry and rub the paste into both sides. Pack into a glass dish or zip-top bag, press out the air, and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, turning the slices once or twice; they should look evenly red and syrupy.
Lift the pork from the cure, letting excess drip back into the dish; scrape off any large bits of garlic so they do not burn.
Put the pork in a wide skillet with the 1/2 cup (120 ml) water. Cook over medium heat, turning once, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the pork is cooked through and no longer pink.
Add the oil and continue frying over medium-low heat, turning often, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the slices are glossy, deep red-brown, and caramelized at the edges. Lower the heat if the sugar starts to scorch.
Serve hot with garlic fried rice, fried eggs, and vinegar dip.
Regional variants
Chicken tocino is made with boneless thighs and a shorter 12–24 hour cure; beef tocino uses thin slices of sirloin or brisket. Some cooks add a spoonful of banana ketchup to the cure for extra sweetness.
Cook's notes
- Slice the pork no thicker than 1/4 inch (6 mm) so the cure penetrates evenly and the meat cooks before the sugar burns.
- Fry the pork in a single layer; overcrowding steams the slices and prevents the edges from caramelizing.
- If annatto is hard to find, paprika gives a similar red color but a different, less earthy flavor.
Serve with
Garlic fried rice (sinangag), fried eggs, and spiced vinegar (suka) for dipping.
Make ahead and storage
The raw pork can cure for up to 48 hours; cooked tocino keeps 3 days in the fridge and freezes for 1 month.
