Mushroom Sisig
A healthier, faster vegetarian alternative to it's pork counterpart.
February 13th, 2021
Sisig is a beautiful dish from the Philippines — often served as a pulutan (appetizer, usually a late-night bar food to accompany alcohol. It is a dish "traditionally" made from chopped pigs' ears, meat, and chicken liver. Don't get me wrong; regular pork sisig is delicious. The meat is tender, the cartilage provides a bite, and the chicken liver binds it creamily. Often, it takes three cooking processes to tenderize the meat: boil, sauté/fry, and broil in the oven.
Mushroom sisig is it's healthier, easier to make and just as filling alternative. This adaptation substitutes the meaty texture of mushrooms for the labor-intensive pork while delivering the same wow factor!
Mushroom sisig is a must-try for those who miss a traditional sisig but are looking for a faster yet satisfying substitute. Serve this food as a main dish or as its initially intended pulutan during game-day or at a party.
Read on for the recipe.
Don't just cook from the heart… Cook from the stomach
My family owns a karinderia in the Philippines. While I've been encouraging them to write recipes, they'll say it's better to cook from your stomach. Taste your food frequently. Don't rely on recipes but use them as a scaffold for your style.
While I will put quantities and ingredients in the recipe below, don't take them too seriously. If you don't have a specific ingredient, don't let that stop you from adapting what you have at home to fit your taste. Who knows, you might create something even better.
Components
1. The Marinade
First, you will want to marinate your mushrooms. You don't have to marinate it overnight. Just do it at the beginning of the rest of the prep.
2. The "Meat"
You can use any mushroom for your veggie sisig. I've found that the wood ear mushroom most closely resembles pig ear texture (hence the name "wood ear"). Oyster mushrooms are your meat substitute since they retain a meaty texture despite being sautéd. Use more mushrooms than you expect. Every time I think I have too many mushrooms, I'm mistaken. Mushrooms retain a lot of moisture and will reduce in volume tremendously. When cleaning your mushrooms, I suggest you wipe them down with a paper towel instead of running them over water, preventing absorption.
3. The Sauté
It's a Filipino's bread and butter: onions and garlic. This time you'll add some diced ginger, too, to give it more of a kick.
4. The Garnish
Use mayonnaise to bind it together. Garnish it with cilantro and green onions. I sprinkle some paprika on the top before throwing an egg on it for that extra protein! Brownie points if you have a skillet or cast iron so you can cook the egg using the residual heat once serving.
Ingredients and Recipe for Mushroom Sisig
A vegetarian substitute for pork sisig, that's just as meaty and delicious. Throw an egg on top, and you've brought a beautiful American Filipino classic home.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Filipino, American
Keyword: sisig, vegetarian
Cooking Method: Saute
Ingredients
Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1/4 cup of vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of ground peppercorns
1 tablespoon of kalamansi juice (or substitute with lime or lemon juice)
1 bay leaf, torn
Main Ingredients
2 bunches of oyster mushrooms, diced (you can replace with Shiitake)
9 mini king oyster mushrooms or two large ones, diced
1 large handful of wood ear mushrooms, diced
Saute
2 tablespoons of butter or oil
1 knob of ginger, diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 of a white or red onion, diced
Optional: 2 jalapeño's, diced
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise (or one large scoop from a serving spoon)
Pinch of salt to taste
Garnish
3 stalks of green onions, finely sliced
A quarter of a bunch of cilantro, finely sliced
2 red-eye chili (siling labuyo), finely sliced
Paprika
Optional: Egg
Instructions
To see me cook the sisig, check it out on my Instagram.
Combine all of your ingredients for the marinade and let vibe on the side for at least 10 minutes.
Heat a pan over high, and add your butter or oil. Sauté your garlic, then before burnt, add your onions and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes until onions are translucent.
Throw in your marinade and sauté for 5+ minutes. You want to evaporate a lot of the water in the mushrooms. Expect the volume of your mushrooms to decrease dramatically.
Add your mayonnaise and optional jalapeño. Mix in most of your green onions and cilantro, but leave some to garnish at the end.
Once appropriately mixed, put your heat on high and throw an egg on top. Garnish with your remaining green onions and cilantro and sprinkle with a touch of paprika. Remove your saucepan or skillet from the heat and mix the raw egg until the residual heat cooks it.
Notes
If you are missing any of the ingredients, don't fret. You can still create a good sisig without some of the extra accouterments.
If you want a meatier sisig, fry up some tofu beforehand.
Add a spritz of lemon towards the end for the brightness of the dish
How did your creation go?
If you tried making the recipe, let me know how it went. I’d love to hear any substitutions or variations you made to your own American Filipino creation.
Like what you see? Why not share it!
Also, check out some other local foodies and their recipes. Particularly, I’m inspired by Its Fork and Spoon. They are good friends from college who’ve turned a creative eye towards sharing their love of food. Be sure to check them out @ItsForkandSpoon
Subscribe to @TheActivistCookbook for more irregular posts about food I like to make, ways I cope with, life, and more. I’m still figuring out the purpose for this blog, but jump on board for the ride! :)