It’s the last week of Filipino Food Month and I haven’t made nearly as many things as I was hoping to. I guess that means I’ll just have to stick in some random Filipino Food posts here and there. There are so many things I want to try my hand at.
Today’s dish is Filipino Pork Adobo. It’s really nothing like Spanish or Latin American Adobo, although Wikipedia tells me that the name comes from Spain. Apparently sometime during Spain’s 300+ year occupation of the Philippines, the Spanish started referring to this dish as adobo due to its vinegar content, which is really the only similarity between the dishes.
This is really simple to make, and the pork can easily be switched out for chicken, if you prefer. Both pork and chicken versions of this dish are common in the Philippines. In this house, Hubs makes pork adobo. Easy for me– I only had to take pictures this time. 🙂
Start out with 2 lbs pork, cubed. We’ve made this with multiple cuts of pork (this is boneless rib meat, but we’ve used boneless chops and tenderloin before) and really, everything works. Often in the Philippines, pork is chopped up, bone & all– which lends more flavor, but is also a bit harder to eat.
You’ll also need 4 cloves of minced garlic.
In a large pot or wok, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Sauté garlic and pork in oil until pork is browned on all sides.
Add to this 3 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 bay leaf and a few whole peppercorns. Bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for at least 20 minutes. I say “at least” because depending on your cut of pork, it may be done by then or it may not. After 20 minutes, taste your pork. If you find that it’s a bit tough, simmer it a bit longer and it should become more tender. It might take more like 30-45 minutes depending on your meat.
We don’t generally cover the pot, but if you find you have to simmer it much past 20 minutes, you might want to cover it so you don’t lose too much of your sauce to evaporation.
Taste your sauce and tweak it with more vinegar, soy sauce, or brown sugar based on your preference. I personally like mine a little more on the vinegar side.
Once your pork and sauce are to your liking, put about 2 Tbsp flour in a small bowl. Take 1/4 cup of sauce out of the pot with a measuring cup or ladle.
Whisk the hot liquid into the flour, and continue whisking until there are no lumps in the mixture.
Pour the mixture back into the meat and stir. Simmer for a couple minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. If you like thicker sauces, you can increase the flour a bit in the step above.
Serve over rice and enjoy!
Pork Adobo
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp oil
2 lbs pork, cubed
4 cloves minced garlic
3 cups water
1/2 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
whole peppercorns
2 Tbsp flour
Heat oil in a large pot or wok. Sauté garlic and pork together until pork is browned on all sides. Add water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, salt, bay leaf, and a few peppercorns. Bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for at least 20 minutes and up to 45, depending on your meat. Check meat at 20 minutes and if it is still a bit tough, continue simmering until tender.
Taste sauce, and tweak with more vinegar, soy sauce, or sugar based on your preference.
To thicken sauce, put 2 Tbsp flour in a small bowl, then whisk approximately 1/4 cup of the hot sauce into the flour. Continue whisking until there are no lumps. Pour flour mixture into the meat and stir. Simmer for a couple of minutes until sauce is thickened slightly.
Serve hot over rice.
0 comments on Pork Adobo {Filipino Food Month}