Making Traditional Filipino Pigar-Pigar with Pork and Cabbage

Pigar-pigar is a popular Filipino street food dish that originated in Dagupan City. This flavorful stir-fry is typically made with thin slices of carabao (water buffalo) meat fried up with cabbage and onions. While carabao meat lends an authentic taste, pork makes a more readily available substitute for Filipinos around the world to enjoy this iconic dish. With just a few simple steps, you can learn how to cook up sizzling pork pigar-pigar paired with crisp cabbage for a taste of home.

Selecting the Right Pork for Pigar-Pigar

Pigar-pigar requires thin, tender slices of meat that can cook up quickly over high heat. The best cuts of pork to use are:

• Pork belly – offers fatty, succulent meat
• Pork shoulder or butt – contains marbled fat for flavor
• Pork loin – lean yet tender

Choose cuts that are around 1-1.5 lbs to yield enough sliced pork for the dish. Opt for fattier cuts like pork belly for ultimate flavor and juiciness.

Preparing the Pork and Cabbage

Before cooking, prep your ingredients:

• Cut the pork into very thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut the cabbage into 1-2 inch squares. Any type of green or white cabbage works.
• Thinly slice the onions. Use white or red onions.
• Make a quick marinade of soy sauce, pepper, oyster sauce and seasoning.
• Toss the pork slices in the marinade to coat. Let sit for 30-60 minutes.

This quick marinade adds a boost of flavor as the meat cooks.

Cooking Traditional Pinoy Pigar-Pigar

To cook pigar-pigar. you’ll stir-fry the pork in batches

• Heat 1⁄2 inch oil in a wok or skillet over high heat.
• Add a portion of marinated pork in a single layer and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Fry just until pork browns but is not fully cooked through.
• Remove pork with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Repeat with remaining pork in batches.

Stir-frying in batches prevents steaming so the pork gets perfectly crispy

Putting It All Together

To finish pigar-pigar:

• Heat the oil again until very hot.
• Add the fried pork back to the wok along with the cabbage and onions.
• Stir-fry vigorously for 2-3 minutes until the veggies are slightly softened but still crisp.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a platter.

Serve the sizzling pork, cabbage and onions immediately over steamed rice. Mix in some leftover marinade for added oomph.

Tips for Authentic Filipino Flavor

Follow these tips for the best authentic pigar-pigar:

• Use a good mix of fatty and lean pork for texture.
• Cut the pork slices very thin so they cook up crispy.
• Fry the pork in batches for maximum crispiness.
• Use a carbon steel wok or cast iron skillet to approximate street food taste.
• Opt for a blend of soy sauce, oyster sauce and pepper for the marinade.
• Let pork marinate for 30-60 minutes to permeate flavor.
• Stir-fry cabbage just until slightly wilted to retain crunch.
• Finish with a sprinkling of green onions for color and freshness.
• Accompany with steamed rice and dipping sauces like vinegar.

With tender pork, crispy cabbage and savory seasonings, this Filipino stir-fry makes for a quick, tasty meal that’s sure to be a hit any night of the week. Each bite packs the iconic flavors of pigar-pigar.

So gather your ingredients and fire up the wok to enjoy this street food favorite in your own kitchen. Your tastebuds will transport you straight to the Philippines with authentic and mouthwatering pigar-pigar.