If You Love Bacon and Ceviche, This Killer Sinuglaw Recipe Is For You
No matter if you’ve loaded up the freezer with yellowfin this spring, or you’re still slaying the blackfin now, this tuna Sinuglaw recipe is a must try. While it tastes best with fresh caught tuna, you can thaw out any tuna you already have to prepare this smoky, fatty, and tart dish in a jiff.
But…
Since there’s no replacement for fresh caught tuna, you may need to head offshore to catch some… and It’s well worth it!
Here’s how we catch ‘em:
We troll a five-line spread of Tuna Darts. Four lines on the riggers and one shotgun. We put the short rigger lines back 75 and 100 feet, with the long riggers out 150 and 200 feet.
Our shotgun line goes waaaay back. At least 300 feet, and we troll for tuna at 6-7 kts.
Keep your eyes on the skies and find the birds. Chances are, that’s where the tuna will be. Try to stay ahead of the birds (don’t run through them) and watch that shotgun line. It’s usually the first to get bit.
Now, both blackfin and yellowfin tuna love to strike these Tuna Darts, so be sure your fish box is loaded with ice before you head out.
Alright… now that you’ve loaded up the box with tuna, it’s time to head in and make some Sinuglaw.
What is Sinuglaw?
Sinuglaw is an Asian cousin to ceviche. It’s a combination of pork belly (or thick cut bacon) and vinegar-cured fish with fresh veggies and herbs. But unlike ceviche, the addition of pork in Sinuglaw offers you a much more savory bite.
While there are quite a few ingredients in Sinuglaw, you’ll see it’s actually pretty easy to make.
Here’s what you’ll need to make enough for four people.
½ pound of fresh yellowfin or blackfin tuna, cut into squares ½ pound grilled pork belly or thick cut bacon
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons sliced red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 cup diced cucumber, skin removed
¼ cup tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 medium avocado, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon, or lime zest
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Since Sinuglaw is a cold dish, you’ll want to cook your pork belly first, then refrigerate it. But don’t overcook it, you’ll want plenty of that savory, salty fat to pull it all together.
In a large bowl, toss your raw, fresh tuna with the white vinegar and a little bit of sea salt and pepper. Mix it up good and place it in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours.
The longer the tuna sits in the vinegar, the more it “cooks.”
As your tuna is curing in the fridge, get another bowl and stir together the coconut milk, lime juice, onion, jalapeno, fish sauce and ginger.
Once your tuna is ready, remove it from the vinegar mix and add it to a serving bowl. Now pour the coconut milk mix in, and top the fish with your cooked pork belly, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and cilantro.
Toss it all together, zest with lemon or lime and enjoy!
Now, if you aren’t catching enough tuna to make this dish, you’re using the wrong lures. We suggest trying our Tuna Darts, because like we said earlier, the yellowfin and blackfin can’t resist ‘em.
