KitchenLab Recommends: Pampanga's Best Fatless Tocino

[Disclaimer: Author on a diet.]

Supposedly the inventors of tocino, Pampanga's Best has a fatless variety that does not scrimp on flavor or texture. But don't prepare it the way the package tells you to, which is to fry it in 1/4 cup of oil. (You bought fatless meat to deep-fry? Horrors!)

The alternative? Pan-grill it! Brush the bottom of a large nonstick frying or grill pan with a light coating of cooking oil (I use canola) and crank up the stove to medium-to-high heat. Put the tocino in the pan and turn it over once the side cooking caramelizes or browns (or burns, if you haven't been paying attention). Place on a chopping board, cut into slivers, and serve.

Fans of chunky tocino might find the consistency of this product too soft to the bite, but it's just fine with us.

Tip: serve with salted egg and tomatoes, diced and seasoned with freshly-cracked black pepper. Delicious.