Whenever someone says that they have never tried Filipino food, pork adobo is the first thing that comes to my mind.
What is Pork adobo?
Adobo is a cooking method in which the protein is braised in soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves and peppercorn. The word adobo comes from the Spanish word “adobar” which translates to “marinate.” Adobo is distinct from other braising or marinating process because it involves vinegar.
What you marinate is up to your choice! Aside from using pork meat, you can also use chicken or steak. We love making pork adobo using pork belly because the fat gives that extra aroma and flavor which we enjoy. If you are using chicken, make sure to add chicken broth instead of water!
Marinating the Pork Adobo
90% of the cooking process for our pork adobo consists of marinating and braising/simmering the pork. First, you would want to marinade the pork meat with onions, garlic, soy sauce and brown sugar. This gives the pork meat a balance of sweet and umami taste which blends perfectly with the vinegar that we will use later.
Seal the pork belly with the marinade in an airtight container or in a zip lock bag. Marinade for at least 30 minutes – but if even better if you can marinade it overnight to allow the meat to fully absorb the sauce and spices.
Time to Cook the Pork Adobo
After the pork belly is fully marinated, it is ready to be braised. Sear the pork belly on medium-high heat along with the garlic and onion on a pot – cook for about 6-8 minutes until it turns light brown. Then, add water, black peppercorn, bay leaves and vinegar. Stir until it boils and then turn the stove to low heat and cover the pot.
I’ve had folks ask us what kind of vinegar to use for cooking adobo. If you are looking for that authentic taste, definitely go for the cane sugar vinegar. However, we use rice vinegar in this pork adobo recipe because of its versatility (we use rice vinegar a lot in our dishes). If you don’t have either of these vinegars, don’t worry, you can use any vinegar you have in your kitchen 😉 You might notice a slight change in the taste, but it will still give that tangy flavor you want in a pork adobo.
Remember to stir occasionally while it’s simmering to prevent any meat or spices sticking at the bottom of the pot and burning. If you find that the meat is sticking to the pot, add extra water. Let it simmer for about 30-40 minutes.
Optional Adobo Toppings / Ingredients
Egg – Boiled eggs are our favorite add-ons when cooking pork adobo! If you want to add some eggs, simply boil 2-3 eggs in a separate pot. Then, once the egg is done cooking, submerge it into cold water for easier peeling. Add the peeled boiled eggs into the pork adobo pot on the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.
Tofu – Adding tofu to your pork adobo is another way to enjoy this dish! We would recommend using fried tofu instead of the regular uncooked tofu blocks. The fried tofu will absorb the flavorful adobo sauce which you will love. Similar to adding add, place the tofu in the same pot about 10-15 minutes before the simmering process is finished.
Potato – Yes, we do love our carbs! When eating pork adobo, we would usually serve it with rice, but doesn’t mean that you can’t add potato. We love our potato extra tender and soft, so we usually place them in the pot a little longer – around the last 20 minutes mark.
Enjoy your pork adobo!
For a popular dish, I think this pork adobo recipe is really simple. You don’t need to do a lot of cooking on your end – you only need to trust the simmering process 😉 Serve it with a bowl of rice and enjoy it with your loved ones.
Don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe!
ingredients:
- 1 lb pork belly (preferred choice, but can use any other cuts of meat)
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 3 tbsp of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of vinegar (any vinegar works)
- 1 tbsp of uncrushed black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cups of water (more if needed)
- 2 boiled eggs (optional)
steps:
- First, slice the pork belly to rectangular cubes to be marinated.
- Next, place the pork belly, onions, and garlic in a bowl. Add the soy sauce and brown sugar. Thoroughly mix until the pork belly cubes are evenly coated with the marinade.
- Then, transfer the pork belly into an airtight container or a zip lock and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes or more in the fridge. The longer, the better and we recommend marinating it overnight.
- Once the meat is finished marinating, remove it from the fridge. Then, heat up a cooking pan on medium to high heat.
- Pour the marinated meat along with the onions and garlic into the pan. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until lightly seared and it turns light brown.
- Once the pork has been lightly seared, add roughly 2 cups or more of water into the pan.
- Then, add the uncrushed black pepper, the bay leaves, and the vinegar. Make sure to stir around intermittently. Let it simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add extra water to prevent the meat from sticking to the pot. If you are adding eggs, add the boiled eggs and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the pork is tender.
- Once the pork is tender, take it out off the heat and serve with hot rice. Enjoy!
Filipino Pork Adobo
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pork belly or any other meat
- 1 onions sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vinegar any vinegar type
- 1 tbsp black peppercorn
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cups water if needed
- 2 boiled eggs optional
Instructions
- First, slice the pork belly to rectangular cubes to be marinated.
- Next, place the pork belly, onions, and garlic in a bowl. Add the soy sauce and brown sugar. Thoroughly mix until the pork belly cubes are evenly coated with the marinade.
- Then, transfer the pork belly into an airtight container or a zip lock and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes or more in the fridge. The longer, the better and we recommend marinating it overnight.
- Once the meat is finished marinating, remove it from the fridge. Then, heat up a cooking pan on medium to high heat
- Pour the marinated meat along with the onions and garlic into the pan. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until lightly seared and it turns light brown.
- Once the pork has been lightly seared, add roughly 2 cups or more of water into the pan.
- Then, add the uncrushed black pepper, the bay leaves, and the vinegar. Make sure to stir around intermittently. Let it simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add extra water to prevent the meat from sticking to the pot. If you are adding eggs, add the boiled eggs and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the pork is tender.
- Once the pork is tender, take it out off the heat and serve with hot rice. Enjoy!
