ADOBO

TRADITIONAL ADOBO (Pork in Vinegar and Soy Sauce)

1-1/2 lb. pork shoulder or butt cut into 1-1/2″ cubes

1/3 cup vinegar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. salt

3 cloves garlic. minced

1 small bay leaf

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp. cooking oil

1. Combine all ingredients except cooking oil, in a pot and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

2. Simmer covered for 1 hour or until meat is tender. Drain and reserve sauce.

3. Heat cooking oil in skillet Brown meat on all sides. Transfer to a serving dish.

4. Pour off all remaining oil from skillet. Add reserved sauce and cook for a minute or two scraping all browned bits sticking to pan. Pour sauce over meat and serve.

Variation: May be done with chicken or a combination of chicken and pork. Beef or chicken livers may be added too if desired.

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus marinating time

Cooking time: 1 hour. 15 minutes

Serves 4-6

OVEN-COOKED ADOBO

1. Use the same ingredients and amounts as in above adobo recipe. In place of 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup red wine or Chianti may be used.

2. Combine all ingredients and marinate overnight in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

3. When ready to cook. arrange pork cubes on cookie sheet, pour marinade ” over it and bake at 350 F. for 45 minutes or until pork is done. Turn oven to broil last two minutes to brown meat

4. Or drain pork cubes (save marinade) and arrange them on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F. for 30 minutes. Transfer pork cubes to a pot, pour marinade over them and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.

Preparation and cooking time: 45 minutes plus marinating time

Serves 4-6

PRESSURE COOKER ADOBO

Use the same ingredients and amounts as in adobo recipe above.

1. Heat pressure cooker on medium high setting and add oiI. Add the rest of the ingredients. Close cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe and return cooker to high heat.

2. When pressure regulator begins to rock, lower heat to medium or medium high and cook for 15 minutes with pressure regulator rocking slowly. Remove from heat and let pressure drop of its own accord.

3. When cool, drain and save sauce; place meat on a rack in a roasting pan and brown under the broiler for a few seconds on each side. Transfer to a serving dish and pour sauce over the meat.

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Serves 4-6

VARIATIONS WITH COOKED ADOBO

1. For a truly garlicky adobo, brown 2 crushed garlic cloves in 2 tbsp. oil. Add finely sliced medium onion; cook until clear. Set garlic and onions aside. Brown adobo in oil. Pour sauce over it and add sauteed garlic and onions. Simmer until almost dry.

2. Saute adobo in garlic, onions and tomatoes. Add 1/2 green and 1/2 red sweet peppers, sliced. Pour sauce over mixture and simmer for a few minutes.

3. In the sauteed adobo above. sliced peppers may be omitted and fried plantain bananas may also be used as a garnish with in place of or fried potatoes.

4. Adobo may also be served with a sauce of sauteed garlic (1 clove. minced), onion (1 medium, sliced) and tomatoes (3 medium, sliced) cooked until mushy. One tbsp. bagoong may be added to the tomato mixture, if desired.

5. Shred or cut adobo into small pieces and cook with plain fried rice. Season the rice with some of the sauce in place of salt.

6. Slice adobo thinly, pan fry or broil until crisp and serve with fried eggs and rice for breakfast or slice thinly and use as filling for a grilled sandwich.