Tocino is Spanish for bacon or cured meat.

In the Philippines, it is a red sweet pork breakfast dish that you must dip in
vinegar�
ust as most bacons are reddish in color, I think in the old days this was a result
of adding saltpeter or potassium nitrate
or is it sodium nitrate to preserve the meat. We have gotten so used to reddish
breakfast pork fare that we continue the tradition
today mostly with red food coloring� On the same day I made tapang baka, I decided
to make my first batch of tocino as well.
Take some pork loin or boneless pork chops and slice thinly. For a kilo of pork
add about 2-3 tablespoons of rock or kosher salt
and 4-6 tablespoons of granulated white sugar. Press the salt/sugar mixture onto
both sides of the meat and put this is a clean bowl
to cure in the refrigerator for at least two days before frying or freezing for
future use. Use more salt and sugar if necessary
but keep the proportion the same (that means, more sugar than salt).

MARINADE:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 cups brown sugar
3 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons ground pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Mix all the ingredients and pour over thinly sliced, an eighth to a fourth of an
inch thick, pork with
a little marbling of fat. I used a two pound boneless boston butt roast and did
not trim any of the fat away. Mix the meat so it
is well covered with the marinade. Let it sit, covered, in the refrigerator for
five days before cooking or freezing.

I usually bag small (quart sized ziplock bags ) portions, enough for breakfast for
two or four people, and freeze it.

COOK:
To cook tocino, place desired amount of marinated meat in a small skillet with a
cover. Do not put additional water.
The marinade that is still on the meat plus it�s own moisture will be enough to
cook the meat. And since you presumably
used a cut with a marbling of fat, you don�t need to add oil either. Put over
medium heat and cover. Let it cook until
all the liquid has evaporated and the tocino starts to sizzle. Keep stirring to
keep it from burning. Cook until it has
caramelized and brownish red in color.

If you�re using a frozen packet, put it in the skillet and start out with low
heat. When the meat has defrosted and separated,
turn the heat up to medium and cook as above.