I tried cooking Adobo last night hoping to recreate the Adobo of my mother’s recipe… The end result was… let’s just say, it is different from the taste of my mom’s Adobo, though I’m not saying it’s horrendous, but it is definitely not perfection like my mother’s version. My mother’s adobo has the usual ingredients and stuff, no added secret ingredients nor spices, just the basics, yet her Adobo is one of the finest or if not, the best I’ve ever had, and no, I am not being biased just because she is my mother, she really does cook a mean Adobo. Just a quick note, Adobo is the unofficial national food of the Philippines, it is the quintessential food for Filipinos, it is always partnered with rice. I remember before, outside our University, there’s a mini-canteen that sells two or three kinds of food but Adobo is always present, there are even times that they only sell Adobo. Other than the mini-canteen, during my practicum in one of the hospitals in Mandaluyong, there’s a restaurant called Adobo Republic that sells nothing but different kinds of Adobo. Adobo is part of Philippine culture, and even though it has a Spanish name, the food preparation is indigenous to the Philippines, because even before the Spaniards came to Philippines, Filipinos had been stewing or marinating meats in vinegar, which the Spaniards came to call Adobo, because they share an almost the same process.
Ingredients:
Chicken or Pork
2 Garlics
1 Onion
5 Bay Leaves
½ Tbsp Peppercorns
6 Tbsp Soy Sauce
6 Tbsp Vinegar
1 Cup Water
Cooking Oil
Direction:
Cut the pork or chicken into medium size pieces, marinate the pork/chicken in soy sauce, peppercorns and minces garlic for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
On a pan, saute the onion then add the marinated pork/cjicken and bay leaves. Continue to sauté until the liquid has evaporated and meat starts to condense fat. Transfer the marinade to the pan including bits of garlic and peppercorns add a cup of water. Simmer in medium fire until pork becomes tender. Pour vinegar and continue to simmer until sauce is reduced. Plate it, take picture before eating. Bon Appetit Mes Amis : )
