Adobo

ADOBO – is a traditional Filipino dish of beef and veggies simmered in vinegar. You can make this dish with either chicken or pig.

WHAT IS ADOBO?

Cooking meat and veggies with vinegar in the Philippines result in a flavorful stew, Adobo.

This dish can be made with either chicken or pork, and soy sauce is used to flavor it. This dish comprises the following ingredients: Adobo, bay leaves, black pepper, and garlic.

Then again, we have adobong pusit, long beans, and water spinach varieties as well (adobong kangkong). Baby back ribs and catfish, for example, have both been seen to be used in Adobo.

There will never be a universally accepted recipe for Filipino adobo.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN INGREDIENTS FOR ADOBO?

• Chicken (legs, drumsticks, thighs)
• Pork belly
• Black peppercorns
• Laurel leaves
• Soysauce (Toyo)
• Vinegar

Because I prefer my Adobo to be black, I use soy sauce. Contrary to popular belief, I like to combine pork and chicken in my dishes.

I’ve made Adobo with both pork and chicken, but the latter is the only time I’ll do it. The addition of pork gives the dish, especially the sauce, a richer flavor. Therefore, I believe the act of removing the pork from the chicken halfway through the cooking process to have been well worth it.

USEFUL TIPS:

• Make the butcher chop the pork belly into chunks with the bones and skin still attached — this will ensure that you get the most flavor out of the meat (I like big pork chunks in my Adobo).
• The skin and bones will help your sauce take on a richer texture. Even though frying the chicken and pork is a messy process, it truly does make a difference. Thanks to the crispy shreds of pig and chicken skin caramelized in the pans, cleaning an oil-strewn kitchen will seem like a minor price to pay.
• Traditionally, you should not mix adobo sauce until the vinegar has burned off most of its “acid” content. Always keep the garlic skin on when cooking with it.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

• Give your soup pot a Chinese taste by adding one-star anise to it.
• You can add a peeled hard boiled egg at the very end of the cooking process if you like.
• To sweeten the dish, toss in a peeled sweet potato.
• Let your imagination run wild with vinegar! Alternatively, I use lamb shanks and peeled pear quarters instead of chicken and pork in my version, which uses red wine vinegar.
• While the Adobo is cooking, add a few peeled pearls or spring onions to the mixture; they will become melty and enrich the sauce.
• Take care of household tasks while your Adobo simmers away in the oven for hours on end.
• Fried rice made with Adobo is a great way to use leftovers.

With this recipe, what are its complementary dishes?

The ideal way to serve this meal is as the main course. The following recipes are great for a quick weeknight dinner or a hearty Filipino meal.

• BRAISED PORK BELLY (FILIPINO HUMBA)
• LUMPIA (FILIPINO SPRING ROLLS)
• FILIPINO FRIED CHICKEN
• FILIPINO CHICKEN SKEWERS

INGREDIENTS:

• 350-400 g of pork belly, the part with the bone, skin on, cut into generous chunks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 8-10 cloves garlic, just slightly bashed, and do not peel
• 2 laurel leaves
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup white cane vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 – 1 cup water
• 3 chicken legs, drumstick, and thighs 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To marinate, put all ingredients except the water in a Dutch oven or big pot and set aside 30 to 40 minutes before serving.
2. Mix in 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. When most of the vinegar’s acid is cooked out of the dish, lower the heat to a simmer. It will no longer smell as sharp or “stingy” when this is complete.
3. For approximately 40 to an hour, cook the chicken over low heat until it’s very soft. It’s time to eat the sauce. Add some of the leftover water if it’s too salty or too sour for your liking. Typically, I’ll use about 3/4 cup of liquid.
4. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside when it’s done cooking. You can also mash some (but not all!) of the garlic cloves against the pot edges to incorporate it into the sauce at this time, as it will be incredibly soft.
5. The pork should continue to simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes to an hour, or until it is fork-tender.
6. Set aside the fork-tender pork after removing it from the pot.
7. Simmer until it reaches your preferred consistency. To add a touch of sweetness, I like to add a pinch of brown sugar to the sauce, although this step is optional.
8. Cook oil in a large skillet over high heat using hot oil, brown chicken, and pork chunks.
9. Add the browned chicken and pork to the sauce and simmer until the sauce has thickened to your liking. Toss the pan gently once it has been removed from the heat.
10. You can enjoy it as-is at this stage, but the flavors are enhanced when left to rest for at least one day.