Pigar-pigar is a popular street food dish in Dagupan city. It is usually made with slices of carabao meat seasoned with salt and pepper. The way of cooking this popular dish might be taboo for others since it is deep fried for a few minutes then the cabbage and onions are also a deep fried. Way too much oil for the health conscious but since its a traditional dish and quite popular in that city so it does not matter too much. The meat is also mixed with liver sometimes. Pigar pigar is a Pangasinan word which means “turning over”. It was actually derived from the process on how this dish was cooked, which is the constant turning over of meat while quickly deep-frying. Since carabao meat is not readily available in most parts of the country, beef is a good substitute for cooking this dish which is also used in this recipe.
NOTES ON THE INGREDIENTS
Beef or Carabao meat
Cooking pigar pigar requires using carabao meat to make it as authentic as possible. Provinces in the northern parts on the Philippines like pampanga or pangasinan includes carabao meat in their diet because of the abundant supply of carabao meat. Unlike in metro manila or other parts near the metro that beef is the only choice besides pork or chicken.
How to Cook Pigar-Pigar
Ingredients
- 1/2 kilo sirloin beef or carabeef (sliced thinly)
- 2 pcs medium white onions sliced
- 2 cups cabbage cubed
- 4 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1 tsp liquid seasoning
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups cooking oil for deep frying
Instructions
How to Cook Pigar-Pigar
- Slice the beef as thinly as possible in bite size pieces. This way you can be sure that the beef will not ne chewy when cooked.
- Slice the cabbage in cubes or squares.
- Put the beef in the bowl and add liquid seasoning, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and black pepper. Mix to coat the meat with the seasoning. Let is stand for an hour.
- Heat cooking oil in a frying pan and deep fry the marinated beef for 5 minutes. Stir the meat continuously while cooking.
- After 5 minutes. add the cabbage and onions and stir the veggies with the meat for 1 minute with continuous stirring and turning.
- After a minute scoop out the meat and veggies using a strainer. Let it drip the oil for a while and gently press it with a spatula to help drain the excess oil.
- Put a plate on top of the strainer and turn it upside down to transfer the meat and veggies in the plate.
- Serve it immediately while hot and serve with cooked rice.
Video
Notes
