pork and chicken adobo

the best way to eat adobo, as a rice topping

In the Philippines, adobo is cooked in many different ways and I think it continues to evolve. It's well known as the national dish of the Philippines around the world and makes a presence in various gatherings but remains to be an everyday dish for many Filipino families. I would say it may be considered as a counterpart of the traditional stew in many other countries.

(1) several garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (2) whole peppercorns (3) apple cider vinegar and soy sauce are the basic ingredients which are combined with pork and chicken (4) to make a simple Filipino adobo.

It's also very uncomplicated to cook, using only four basic ingredients, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and whole peppercorns [as shown above]. For our family's favorite adobo version, we like to combine pork and chicken. White vinegar is commonly used but for a milder taste, cane or apple cider vinegar may be substituted. For a cup of vinegar, I add only 1/4 cup of soy sauce and season with more salt if needed. A few dried bay leaves may also be tossed in the mixture. Bring this to a boil then lower the heat and simmer until the pork and chicken are very tender.

Adobo may also be cooked dry [as in photo above] by draining off the sauce and pan frying the meat in a little oil. I prefer to remove the cooked meat from pan and set them aside in a bowl while I simmer the sauce to reduce it. My sister in law introduced us to her adobo version with cubed potatoes and I've been making it that way since. For me, the secret to a good adobo is lots of garlic and patience :-) The longer it simmers, the more flavroful it becomes.

adobo with cubed potatoes