My Best Version of Adobo

As I promised from my last post, I’ll be posting something more light-hearted on my next post. Today, I will be sharing my recipe of a dish that never fails to warm my family’s heart: my best version of adobo.. This is also my first time posting on 3speak. I hope you guys would like my video, a presentation of my recipe. As always, I am grateful to my husband @marcusen who served as my camera man and sound editor. With that out of the way, let’s get started.

Adobo is probably the most well-known Filipino dish. In the Philippines, though, every family has their special way of cooking this beloved dish. With the Philippine government set to standardize the recipe for adobo, it’s best to share my recipe for this sooner rather than later before it becomes off-standard by government specs. Seriously, Philippine government, #HandsoffMyAdobo :)

This recipe I'm sharing with you combines my family's recipe and some nuggets of technique from Filipino cooking blog favorites, Panlasang Pinoy and Kawaling Pinoy. If followed step by step, you will end up with the right combination of sweet, sour and savory with a garlicky taste that will surely whet your appetite. My husband @marcusen loves this recipe, and I hope you will too.

Ingredients
1 tbsp cooking oil
½ head garlic (minced)
1 piece tomato (chopped)
½ kg pork belly (chopped into 2-inch cubes)
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 pieces dried bay leaves
1 ½ tbsp. oyster sauce
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 ½ cup water
2 tsps brown sugar
4 tbsp vinegar (cane)

Procedure

In a cooking pot, saute half of the garlic in one tablespoon of cooking oil until golden brown. Set aside.

Yes, I definitely need to learn how to cut garlic more evenly. For tips and tricks, feel free to comment down below.

Saute the other half of the garlic and all the onions. Cook until softened, then saute in the tomatoes. This is my family’s secret. My great-grandmother loves adding tomatoes to every dish. Aside from adding a sweet fruity taste, the tomato is a healthy addition to adobo.

Add the pork belly. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes or until the color turns light brown. I like to use pork belly only in this recipe. For me, it’s the best pork part for adobo.

Pour in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and water. Sprinkle the ground pepper. I always use ground pepper in my dishes because my little one might accidentally bite whole or cracked peppers. Stir and add bay leaves before covering the pot. Let boil in high heat.

Upon boiling, lower the heat and simmer until the meat gets tender. This usually takes around 30-45 minutes depending on the pot and the heat.

Stir in the sugar and pour in the vinegar. Simmer, with the pot uncovered, until there is little liquid left.

Turn off the heat. Serve on the platter. Then, sprinkle that golden garlic on top.

Voila! There you have it! Your mouth-watering adobo. Well, writing that made me hungry.