How to Make Pork Tocino

Tocino is a cured meat product native to the Philippines. It is usually made out of pork and is similar to ham and bacon although beef is also used. It is often reddish in color and has a sweetish taste. Its name is derived from the Spanish word tocino, which is used to describe bacon or cured meat.

Ingredients:

2 lbs pork ham

¼ tsp Prague powder

1 tsp phosphate

2 tbsp coarse salt

7-10 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp Anisado wine (or ground star anise and/or anisette)

½ tablet ascorbic acid (250 mg)

Uncommon ingredients explained:

( If you know for the substitution of these said ingredients fell free to post your comment, T.Y.)
 
Coarse Salt or Kosher salt is a term that describes one of the most commonly used varieties of edible salt in commercial kitchens today. Kosher salt has a much larger grain size than regular table salt, and a more open granular structure. Like common table salt, kosher salt consists of the chemical compound sodium chloride. Unlike common table salt, Kosher salt typically contains no additives


Prague Powder also known as Curing salt, is a combination that mostly composed of salt and a little sodium nitrate. Its use is mainly in curing meats for preservation. The nitrate component hinders the growth of botulism, a bacteria, that helps preserve the color of cured meat. Sodium nitrate breaks down more slowly and will preserve meats for longer periods of time. Some brands are dyed a pink color to blend better with meat and to help differentiate its appearance from other salts.

Anise Wine is basically a wine with Anise seed. Anise seed is sweet and very aromatic. It is distinguished by its licorice-like flavor. It is used in a wide variety of regional and ethnic confectioneries. This is not a usual product that you can buy anywhere but producing this isn’t that hard at all. There are some procedures that I have stumbled upon in the net that could be of interest to you.

Phosphate is a source of Phosphorus, a nutrient vital to humans and is one of the most common substances in our environment, naturally occurring in our food and water. A single phosphorus compound can have a broad range of applications, one of them is to preserve the moisture and flavor in meat.


 
Procedure:

1. Slice the pork ham to about ¼ inch thickness

2. Except for the meat, combine all ingredients in a container and mix well

3. Apply the combined mixture to the meat by rubbing. Make sure that the mixture is evenly distributed across the meat

4. Place the mixed ingredients in a covered container

5. Store the covered container (with meat and mixture) in room temperature for 14 hours. It may also be refrigerated but would take at least 3.5 days to complete.