Adobo (Filipino)

Adobo

Adobo is a basic and flavorful braised dish from the Philippines.

The essence of the dish is the interplay between these crucial ingredients:

• Garlic
• Soy Sauce
• White or Rice Vinegar
• Black Pepper
• Bay Leaf

Cram them together and that's it, you're done. Thanks for coming by!

Well there's more to it than that. Adobo is primarily the domain of home cooks, so the ratios of the ingredients vary widely by the recipe and taste preferences of the chef and their families. Some use garlic cloves in the double digits, some call for a higher soy sauce and vinegar ratio to water. Some use a lot of water or stock. Some barely use water at all. Some add a sugar, or some onion etc. etc.

Traditionally Adobo is a meat dish made with either Pork or Chicken, but it can be made with just about any protein you'd like. Beef, mushrooms, eggplant and water spinach are all popular. Duck and quail would also work well.
Meats can be cooked with or without bones. Cooking with bones will lend their flavor to the broth.

Browning can be done before or after braising. Traditionally it was after. Most recipes now suggest before. The difference is whether the browning flavors get added to the braising sauce.

Generally: The vinegar and soy sauce are in a 1:1 ratio, but that can be tweaked to taste. The amount of water or stock used is not tied to this. The broth can be thickened with a roux if desired.
Some recipes serve in-broth like a roast, others call to drain the liquid, brown the rest then re-add or serve sauce on the side.

It is usually served with white rice, but can be served with other starches. I prefer French bread especially for meat-based Adobo.

Bay leaves are removed after cooking, as per usual.

Pepper is not optional, it shouldn't overpower the dish but its contribution is essential to the flavor balance.

Examples below:-

Pork Adobo

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs pork belly or pork shoulder, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup white or rice vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2/3 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 cup or more of chicken, vegetable stock or water.
- 1/2 white or yellow onion, sliced. (optional)

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet; rotate to coat sides of skillet. Add pork pieces and cook until meat is browned.
2. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaf, pepper and water.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until pork is tender. (Watch it carefully. Don't let it dry out.)
4. Add stock or water ½ cup at a time until pork meat is tender and the desired amount of au jus/flavor balance has been reached.
5. Shred meat with fork, simmer for 5 or so minutes 6. Serve with white rice, or toasted French bread (my preference).

I find that pork adobo in particular tastes like a variation on a vinegar-based barbecue sauce, so you can easily eat it like you would pulled pork.

Eggplant Adobo

Ingredients:
- 5 medium size Chinese eggplants, ends trimmed
- ½ cup vegetable oil or more as needed
- ⅓ cup white or rice vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp sugar

Instructions:
1. Prepare the eggplants by cutting in half lengthwise and then cutting each half into 2-inch pieces.
2. Heat vegetable oil on wok or non-stick frying pan. Fry eggplants in batches until brown on both sides, adding more oil as needed. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
3. Pour off excess oil from pan. Add vinegar, soy sauce, ground pepper, garlic and sugar to the pan; bring to a boil.
4. Add fried eggplants, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until eggplants are soft.
5. Gently stir to coat eggplants with the sauce. Turn off the heat and leave the covered pan on the stove for couple more minutes (the eggplants will continue cooking). Transfer to a serving plate.
6. Serve with steamed rice or toasted French bread.

Mushroom Adobo

Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 1 1/2 lbs whole button mushrooms
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice or white vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp sugar

Instructions:
1. Lightly rinse mushrooms with cool water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Heat wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, rotate to coat sides of skillet.
3. Add garlic and mushrooms; stir-fry until mushrooms are slightly browned, about 2 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add soy sauce, vinegar and bay leaf. Without stirring, bring the mixture to a boil
6. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer
7. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.
8. Add sugar and stir to combine.
9. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with steamed rice or French bread.