Chicken Tocino

Tocino is one of the most popular breakfast in the Philippines. It is served with garlic fried rice, fried egg, sliced tomatoes and vinegar dip. The meat is marinated overnight or several days to achieve the sweet and salty taste. The original recipe was originally using saltpeter for food preservation and color retention. But overtime because of refrigeration and freezing techniques, the use of saltpeter or sodium nitrate has been reduced.

For this recipe I used chicken. If you choose pork. use pork with some fats and cut it as thin as possible. But any part of the pork will do.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp lemon or calamansi juice
• 1/2 cup pure pineapple juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp banana catsup
• 2 tbsp annatto (atsuete) powder
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1  tsp ground pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 kilo boneless chicken breast

Cooking Procedure:

1. Sliced chicken thinly. Pound to flatten. Set aside.
2. Combine  all the ingredients well except the chicken.
3. Add the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or for few days.
4. Fry in medium heat until golden brown. Do not overcook.
5. For a saucy tocino, thicken the marinade in a sauce pan. Pour  the cooked tocino over the thickened sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix well until well incorporated.
6. Serve hot.