How to Cook Pigar Pigar

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Co-authored by Amber Crain Reviewed by Chef Jeff Woodward

Last Updated: November 4, 2024

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Marinating the Beef

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Frying the Beef

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Adding the Veggies

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Ingredients

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Video

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Things You'll Need

Pigar pigar is a very popular street food served in the Philippines. The dish is so beloved that the citizens of Dagupan celebrate it every year with a big street festival! Pigar pigar consists of thinly sliced sirloin beef stir-fried with onions and cabbage, then served with vinegar and fish sauce on the side for dipping. It’s a quick and easy dish you can make at home.

Ingredients

1 lb (453 g) sirloin beef, sliced thinly
1 cup (120 g) liver, sliced thinly (optional)
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp soy sauce (or more, to taste)
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
Cooking oil (canola, peanut, or vegetable)
Distilled white vinegar
Fish sauce

Makes 3 to 4 servings

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Marinating the Beef

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1
Cut the sirloin beef into thin slices. While there’s no precise measurement for the meat pieces, authentic pigar pigar features thinly sliced pieces of sirloin beef. Slice thin pieces of beef that are 2 in (5.1 cm) to 3 in (7.6 cm) long.^{[1]
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- If you prefer, you can cut the sirloin up into bite-sized chunks that are 2 in (5.1 cm) to 3 in (7.6 cm) long.
- If you're including liver, slice it thinly just like the beef.
2
Put the sliced beef, salt, pepper, and soy sauce into a deep bowl. Use a spoon or your hands to mix the ingredients together until they are well combined. 4 tablespoons of soy sauce is the minimum amount for the marinade, but you can definitely add more if you prefer.^{[2]
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- If you're using liver, add that to the bowl, as well.
- Wash your hands and utensils thoroughly after handling the raw beef.
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3
Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Stretch plastic wrap over the bowl or cover it with a plate. Tuck the bowl into your fridge and let the meat marinate in the spiced soy sauce for at least 1 hour.^{[3]
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- You can let the meat marinate for several hours if you prefer a stronger flavor. Don't marinate for more than 24 hours.
Take off the plastic wrap and give the meat one last stir to make sure everything is thoroughly combined. Most of the soy sauce will be soaked up by the meat at this point.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Frying the Beef

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1
Heat up the cooking oil in a large skillet over high heat. You can use any oil you like, but vegetable, canola, and peanut oil are all great options for frying because they have high smoke points. Pour the oil into the skillet and turn the burner up to high.^{[4]
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- Start off with about a tablespoon of cooking oil. You can add more as needed.
- To avoid burnt food and fire hazards, make sure the oil you use has a smoke point of 400°F (204°C) or higher. Other good choices include corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil.
- The oil is hot enough for frying when you can flick a drop of water into it and the oil sizzles.
2
Add the beef slices to the skillet. Carefully drop the sirloin into the hot oil, taking care not to cause any oil splatter. Use a spatula to stir the beef continuously as it fries in the oil.^{[5]
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- You should be able to cook all of the meat in 1 large skillet. If you’re using a small skillet, you may need to fry the beef in 2 batches.
Continue moving the meat around with the spatula as you fry it. Fry the beef slices until they’ve browned on all sides and the edges are just starting to crisp up. This usually takes about 10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove all of the fried beef from the skillet. Spoon the beef onto a clean plate and set the plate aside. Do not turn off or lower the heat under the skillet.^{[6]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Adding the Veggies

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1
Add the onion slices to the hot skillet and fry them for 3 minutes. If your skillet is looking low on cooking oil, add a little more and let it heat up. Make sure the bottom of the skillet is fully coated with oil before proceeding. Drop the sliced onion rings into the hot oil. Stir the onions continuously as they fry.^{[7]
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- Be sure to stand back from the stove and add the oil gently to prevent accidents.
After about 3 minutes, the onions should look translucent. Put them on a separate plate and set the plate aside for now.
Add a little more oil to your skillet, if needed. Make sure you have a nice coating of oil on the skillet. Put all of the chopped cabbage into the hot oil. Stir continuously for about 3 minutes as the cabbage fries. The cabbage will soften and look slightly translucent.^{[8]
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Dump the plate of fried beef into the skillet with the cabbage. Do the same thing with the onions. Stir all 3 ingredients continuously as they fry together for about 1 minute. Turn off the burner and remove the skillet from heat.^{[9]
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5
Transfer to a serving dish and serve the pigar pigar immediately. You can place a spoon into the large serving dish and let your guests serve themselves, or you can plate the pigar pigar for your guests. Serve the pigar pigar while it’s hot.^{[10]
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- Include the vinegar and fish sauce on the side to be used as dipping sauces. Give each guest a small bowl with about 1/3 cup (40 ml) of each dipping sauce in it. That way, guests don't have to dip from a community bowl.
- If you have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container and consume within 3 days.