Leah Cohen is the chef-owner of Pig &amp; Khao in New York City. A Top Chef alum, a cookbook author, and the recipient of a 2013 StarChefs Rising Stars Award, Leah’s main cooking philosophy is to stay true to authentic Southeast Asian flavors while incorporating classical western techniques.

Leah Cohen

Sizzling sisig has been the best-selling dish at <a href="https://www.pigandkhao.com/">Pig and Khao</a> ever since we opened. It’s the ultimate drinking food: salty, acidic, crispy, chewy, fatty, and meaty—it almost demands being served alongside a bucket of cold beers. Just like at Chili’s, once we run one sizzling platter out of our open kitchen, more orders come flying in—for pig’s head, not mid fajitas.A traditional Filipino dish, sisig transforms a braised pig’s head into a plate of pork hash with all kinds of different textures, from gooey and rich (the jowls, the cheeks) and deliciously chewy (the ears) to crispy and satisfyingly crunchy, with little hits of char and smoke in the mix, all dressed in a bright, savory-sour dressing. Getting that mix of textures and flavors requires some work—you have to braise, grill, and sear the pork—but the effort is way worth the reward. I even go a step further and add a deep-frying step for a crispy pig ear garnish (optional but so worth it!).There are two keys to the dish’s success: picking the right pork cuts and braising them for the right amount of time since they contain different amounts of connective tissue. I don’t use the snout or skin, which can make the chopped meat mix lean a little too gelatinous and fatty. And you have to pull the jowls out of the braise well before the ears; otherwise, they’ll be hammered by the time the ears are done.While the very best sisig is made with a pig’s head, you can make it with other more familiar pork cuts, such as shoulder and belly; it’ll be almost as good. For me, the only ingredients that are non-negotiable are pig ears, because of their amazing texture, and the (completely untraditional) finely cut makrut lime leaves, which complement the citrus in the dressing.

Sizzling Pork Sisig