Filipino Bacsilog
Crispy thick-cut bacon over garlicky sinangag, topped with a runny sunny-side egg and draped in a rich evaporated milk cheese sauce. Filipino breakfast comfort food done right.
Ingredients
Sinangag (Garlic Fried Rice)
- 3 cups jasmine rice day-old, cooked, cold
- 12 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil canola or vegetable
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon MSG
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 stalks spring onions whites and greens separated, chopped
Bacon
- 250 g thick-cut bacon
- 0.25 cup water
Eggs
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon butter or bacon fat
- salt and pepper pinch
Evap Cheese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup evaporated milk unsweetened, warmed
- 0.75 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- black pepper pinch
Instructions
Sinangag
- Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden. Scoop half of the garlic out and set aside for garnish.
- Add the spring onion whites to the remaining garlic and cook briefly for 15-20 seconds.
- Add the cold rice and break up any clumps. Toss to coat evenly in the garlic oil. Season with salt, pepper, and MSG.
- Drizzle soy sauce around the edges of the hot wok, let it sizzle for a few seconds, then mix it into the rice. Stir-fry over high heat until hot and fluffy. Finish with spring onion greens and the reserved fried garlic.
Bacon
- Place bacon strips in a cold pan and pour in 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat -- the water will render the fat slowly and evenly. Once the water fully evaporates, the bacon will begin frying in its own fat. Flip and cook until golden brown and crispy on both sides.
- Drain on paper towels and slice into strips.
Eggs
- Heat butter or reserved bacon fat in a pan over medium-low heat. Crack in the eggs and fry sunny-side up until the whites are fully set but the yolks are still runny. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Evap Cheese Sauce
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the warmed evaporated milk until smooth with no lumps. Add cheddar cheese and stir until fully melted and silky. Season with soy sauce and a pinch of black pepper.
Assemble
- Plate a mound of sinangag. Lay bacon strips alongside or over the rice. Top with a sunny-side up egg. Drizzle cheese sauce generously over everything. Garnish with reserved fried garlic and spring onion greens.
Notes
**Day-old rice only:** Freshly cooked rice holds too much moisture and turns mushy when stir-fried. Cold, day-old rice separates cleanly and fries properly. Not negotiable.
**The water method for bacon:** Starting bacon in cold water with a cold pan renders the fat slowly and evenly. You get consistently flat, crispy strips without the outside burning before the inside cooks. Let the water fully evaporate before flipping.
**Reserve half the garlic:** Scooping out half the toasted garlic before adding the rice gives you a garnish with more crunch and a stronger hit of garlic on top. Don't skip this.
**Soy sauce around the edges:** Drizzling soy sauce on the hot edges of the wok rather than directly on the rice lets it caramelize slightly before mixing in. It adds a subtle toasted depth.
**Evaporated milk cheese sauce:** Evaporated milk is the Filipino move here -- it gives the sauce a slightly caramelized richness that regular milk doesn't. Use unsweetened. Warm it before adding to avoid lumps.
**Bacon fat for the eggs:** If you've got bacon fat left in the pan, use it instead of butter. More flavor, no waste.
