If you’re looking for a hearty and flavorful dish from the Philippines, look no further than Pork Adobo. This classic Filipino recipe is a simple, yet delicious combination of pork, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Which is all simmered low and slow until the pork is super tender. Perfect for a weeknight meal, it’s sure to be a hit with the entire family. So get ready to experience the deep, savory flavor of Pork Adobo!
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- What cut of pork to use?: When it comes to Filipino pork adobo 2 cuts of pork are typically used. And these are pork belly, or pork shoulder. Both are great options because of their high-fat content which results in a rich flavor. And because they are tough cuts that do well with long cooking times.
- Chicken instead: That’s right you can easily make this dish with chicken instead if you’re not a big fan of pork. And I recommend that you use bone-in skin-on pieces, preferably dark meat due to the higher fat content. And the recipe will be exactly the same.
- Can you make it in an Instant Pot?: Of course! First, you need to use the sautee setting to brown up the pork, garlic, and onion. Then press cancel and add/mix in the sauce ingredients. Follow this up by pressure cooking everything on high for 15 minutes, and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then use the sautee function once again to simmer the sauce so that it can thicken.
- Adjust it to your taste: One thing that a lot of pork adobo recipes fail to mention is that you can easily adjust the sauce to your taste. And best of all it can be done right at the end of cooking. So when the dish is almost done I highly recommend you taste the sauce. Then you can add soy sauce (for more salt), vinegar (for more tang), brown sugar (for more sweetness), or water (to mellow it all out). Just add a tiny amount of any of those ingredients at a time until the sauce tastes how you like it. It’s really that easy!
- Serving suggestions: Pork adobo is commonly served over a bed of white rice. However, if you want to make this a full Filipino meal you can also pair it with Achara (Filipino Pickles), Ensaladang Pipino (Filipino Cucumber Salad), or Lumpia (Filipino Springrolls).
Other Pork Recipes You Might Enjoy
Pork Adobo (Filipino) Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon of neutral-flavored oil
2 Lbs of Pork shoulder or pork belly, cut into 1 to 1½ inch sized chunks
6 Cloves of garlic, minced
1 Small onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1¼ Cups of water
¼ Cup of Soy sauce
⅓ Cup of white vinegar
1 Tablespoon of dark soy sauce, or sub with regular soy sauce
3 Bay leaves
2 Teaspoons of whole black peppercorns
2 Teaspoons of brown sugar
Instructions
- Brown up the pork: Pour the oil into a heavy bottom pot and place it over medium high heat. Once hot toss in the chunks of pork and cook them until they are nicely browned.
- Add the garlic and onion to the pot and saute it with the pork for a couple of minutes or until the onions begin to soften.
- Make the braising sauce: Add the remaining ingredients (water, soy sauce, vinegar, dark soy sauce, bay leaves, black pepper, & brown sugar) to the pot. Stir everything together until thoroughly incorporated. Let the liquid come to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid.
- Simmer it: Let everything simmer with the lid on for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the pork is very tender.
- Reduce the sauce: Take the lid off the pot and give everything a good stir. Then let it simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Or until the sauce has reduced and become rich and thick.
- Taste and adjust: Once the sauce is thick to your liking taste it and adjust if needed. So if you want it to be a bit saltier, then add a pinch or two of salt. If you want it tangier then add a teaspoon of vinegar. If you want it sweeter then add a teaspoon more brown sugar. Or if you’d like it mellower on all accounts just add a splash of water.
- Serve the pork adobo over a bowl of rice and enjoy!
Pork Adobo (Filipino) Recipe
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon of neutral-flavored oil
- 2 Lbs of Pork shoulder or pork belly cut into 1 to 1½ inch sized chunks
- 6 Cloves of garlic minced
- 1 Small onion thinly sliced (optional)
- 1¼ Cups of water
- ¼ Cup of Soy sauce
- ⅓ Cup of white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon of dark soy sauce or sub with regular soy sauce
- 3 Bay leaves
- 2 Teaspoons of whole black peppercorns
- 2 Teaspoons of brown sugar
Instructions
- Brown up the pork: Pour the oil into a heavy bottom pot and place it over medium high heat. Once hot toss in the chunks of pork and cook them until they are nicely browned.
- Add the garlic and onion to the pot and saute it with the pork for a couple of minutes or until the onions begin to soften.
- Make the braising sauce: Add the remaining ingredients (water, soy sauce, vinegar, dark soy sauce, bay leaves, black pepper, & brown sugar) to the pot. Stir everything together until thoroughly incorporated. Let the liquid come to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid.
- Simmer it: Let everything simmer with the lid on for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the pork is very tender.
- Reduce the sauce: Take the lid off the pot and give everything a good stir. Then let it simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Or until the sauce has reduced and become rich and thick.
- Taste and adjust: Once the sauce is thick to your liking taste it and adjust if needed. So if you want it to be a bit saltier, then add a pinch or two of salt. If you want it tangier then add a teaspoon of vinegar. If you want it sweeter then add a teaspoon more brown sugar. Or if you’d like it mellower on all accounts just add a splash of water.
- Serve the pork adobo over a bowl of rice and enjoy!
){kind=link}