Adobo is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. Typically Adobo consists of chicken or pork marinated in soy sauce, vinegar and garlic, braised in its marinade, and then browned in a pan and served over rice. It is intensely flavorful, savory and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork belly, skin off, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
• 1 pound pork shoulder-butt, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sugarcane vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 whole peppercorns, cracked
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Step 1

Pat pork pieces dry and slip them inside a gallon-size ziplock bag. * After the first simmering, you can stop at this point and cool the adobo. I do this to allow the fat to solidify. Cool the adobo completely. Chill in the refrigerator. After three to four hours, the fat will solidify and form on the surface. Skim this off and discard, be careful not to include the marinade that may have gelled.

Step 2

Prepare the marinade: In a small bowl, combine garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaf and peppercorns. Pour marinade over meat. Before zipping bag, press out air. Massage bag to evenly distribute the marinade over the pork. Place sealed bag on a plate or small tray. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours inside the refrigerator.

Step 3

Cooking adobo: Pour the contents out (meat and marinade) into a medium size saucepot. Add the water. Cover pan and bring to a boil. Once it boils, lower heat to a gentle simmer (only a few small bubbles should be breaking the surface). Simmer for 40 minutes. *See note

Step 4

Carefully strain the meat, reserving the marinade. Take out bay leaf and discard.

Step 5

Heat a large sauté pan over low heat for a few seconds, add the oil and heat for another minute.

Step 6

Brown the pork, laying the meaty side down the pan. Get it nicely seared and crusty brown. Turn and sear pork sides. (The pan may crackle and pop oil, so be careful - if you have a splatter shield use it to cover the pan.)

Step 7

Add the reserve marinade and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Step 8

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Recipe courtesy of Melanie Cecilio.