What was the first dish you ever made? I remember when I was young , adobo was my favourite dish and I wanted to eat it all the time but it wasn’t what was prepared for dinner. So I figured if I wanted to eat it, I should learn how to make it. Thus, the first recipe I ever learned to cook was adobo. Now, it’s part of our weekly meal plan! My favourite versions are chicken wings adobo and pork adobo.
At first I wasn’t sure if I could share my recipe because I don’t have exact measurements for how I make my version of adobo- the measurements differ every time I make it. I will try my best and here are a few pointers:
- I put a whole lot more garlic than what most recipes dictate
- Instead of using whole peppercorns, I add freshly ground pepper whenever I can. I learned that for the best flavour, you should season in every step of the cooking process
- I let the meat absorb vinegar during the first phase of the cooking process
- I don’t like a soup-y adobo so towards the end, I let the dish simmer uncovered until the meat has absorbed most of the liquids
Ingredients:
- 1 Kilo pork belly, cut into cubes
- 8 cloves garlic (at least), minced
- 1/2 cup Soy sauce
- 4 TB Vinegar
- 3 pcs Bayleaves
- Salt
- Pepper (freshly ground from peppercorn)
- Garlic Powder
Instructions:
- Cut the pork belly into cubes.
- Prepare the marinade by mixing together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 5-6 cloves of minced garlic, and freshly ground pepper. Pour marinade into a ziplock bag. Add pork belly and marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
- In a saucepan, saute the remaining 2 cloves garlic until fragrant. Add in the marinated pork belly (setting aside the liquids). Season with freshly ground black pepper and saute uncovered until meat is browned (around 5 minutes).
- Add in 4 TB vinegar with 4 TB water. Season with ground black pepper. Mix well and saute for 15 minutes.
- Pour in the remaining marinade, adding 1/4 cup soy sauce and enough water for 3/4 of the meat to be submerged. Season and add in the bay leaves. Cover and let boil.
- Simmer covered for 45min – 1 hour or until meat is tender.
- Uncover and continue to simmer until the meat is very brown, adding a drizzle of soy sauce to taste and letting the meat absorb all the liquid until just a little is left. Season with salt, pepper and garlic, and even brown sugar if you’d like.
Best served over garlic rice.
