Adobo is a sauce that is indigenous to the Philippines. When the Spanish colonists settled in the Philippines during the 16th century, they saw this traditional Filipino cooking method and called it adobo (from the Spanish word adobar, meaning marinade). Spanish adobo, however, is not the same as it has a reddish hue due to the addition of paprika.
There are many varieties of adobo in the Philippines however, it is generally accepted that the basic adobo recipe is seasoned only with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, and black pepper.
What does it taste like, you ask? First off, the meat is fork-tender and the sauce — sweet, salty and tangy.
serves 4
2 lbs. pork belly, cut into chunks
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 dried bay leaves
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon peppercorns
My recipe uses an Instant Pot (a combination pressure cooker/slow cooker). If you don’t have one, don’t fret as you can braise the meat. The braising method will produce the same result but the cooking time will be a bit longer (roughly one hour).
Trim any excess fat from pork and season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Plug the Instant Pot in and select the sauté button. Add a splash of olive oil then place the pork in a single layer and lightly brown all over. Drain excess fat if any. Repeat this step if you have more meat to brown. Add sugar and garlic; stir to combine. When garlic is fragrant, add remaining ingredients and stir.
Close the lid in the locked position and make sure the sealing valve is on. Press the pressure cook button and set the timer for 15 minutes. When the time is up, allow the pot to rest 10 minutes before releasing the steam valve. If the sauce seems too thin, mix one tablespoon of cornstarch and one tablespoon of water and add to the sauce. Press the sauté button and let the mixture bubble away until desired consistency (about 5 minutes). Serve on a bed of rice.
The Culinary Chase’s Note: If you’re not a fan of pork, you can also use poultry or fish. Enjoy!
- 2 lbs. pork belly, cut into chunks
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 dried bay leaves
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- This recipe uses an Instant Pot (a combination pressure cooker/slow cooker). If you don’t have one, don’t fret as you can braise the meat. The braising method will produce the same result but a bit longer (roughly one hour).
- Trim any excess fat from pork and season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Plug the Instant Pot in and select the sauté button. Add a splash of olive oil then place the pork in a single layer and lightly brown all over. Drain excess fat if any. Repeat this step if you have more meat to brown. Add sugar and garlic; stir to combine. When garlic is fragrant, add remaining ingredients and stir.
- Close the lid in the locked position and make sure the sealing valve is on. Press the pressure cook button and set the timer for 15 minutes. When the time is up, allow the pot to rest 10 minutes before releasing the steam valve. If the sauce seems too thin, mix one tablespoon of cornstarch and one tablespoon of water and add to the sauce. Press the sauté button and let the mixture bubble away until desired consistency (about 5 minutes). Serve on a bed of rice.
- The Culinary Chase’s Note: If you’re not a fan of pork, you can also use poultry or fish. Enjoy!
