Adobo is one of the first dishes I had to learn when I first moved to Seattle,WA. It takes practice to get it right, and even now, I still can't make it like my dad does. Everybody seemed to have their own way of making the dish, sometimes with added secret ingredients or extenders. If you make it incorrectly you can essentially turn it into a whole different dish. The Adobo way of cooking things can be extended to more than just chicken and pork. You can even have a mostly vegetable adobo dish, like Adobong Sitaw. For this version, we will add pineapples, since we have some left over from when we made Pininyahang Manok a few days ago. Both dishes are similar in a sense that they both require a souring component. I can also share and talk more about Pininyahang Manok or Pineapple Chicken next time, so subscribe if you are looking for a new pininyahang manok recipe.
As usual, I called my dad for his expert help. He may not be a professional chef, but he studied under my Lola (grandmother). He's the 9th out of 10 siblings, and growing up they all had assigned tasks, whether it was at home or at the farm. He grew up in the small town of Penaranda in the province of Nueva Ecija in the Philippines. He followed old recipes but also made dishes his own by adding things he liked on his own. I could never copy my dad's recipe, even if I ask for help multiple times, but in the end, I also make it my own.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Pork sirloin cubed (doesn't have to be precise)
1/2 to 3/4 cup soy sauce (to taste)
1/2 cup Cane Vinegar
1 tbsp Patismansi or regular Patis (Fish Sauce)
1 Whole Garlic crushed
Optional 1 medium sized onion (preferably red)
or 3 shallots diced
1 tbsp peppercorn crushed
1 to 2 tbsp of crushed black or white pepper (to taste)
4 Bay Leaves
2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 cup diced or crushed pineapples (from can ok)
Optional 1/2 cup of pineapple juice drained from can
2 tablespoons coconut oil or similar
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinate the pork in the Soy Sauce, Pineapples (and juice), patis, pepper, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Leave it to marinate in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes
DO NOT ADD WATER my dad emphasizes all the time.
Drain pork from marinade, but save the sauce.
Heat the oil in the pot before adding garlic, saute, then add the onions after the garlic starts to show a more golden brown color.
Add Turmeric and let it infuse in the oil
Fry the pork on the sauteed onion and garlic until half cooked
Add the marinade
Lower the flame and cover the pot. Check it once in a while to see if the pork is tender.Once the pork is tender, add the vinegar
Uncover the pot
DO NOT STIR UNTIL THE VINEGAR HAS SIMMERED FOR 10 MINUTES
Lower flame once done simmering.Give it a taste! Add soy sauce or vinegar if you prefer it saltier or sourer. Remember, when you add more vinegar, always "cook" it before stirring. I encourage you to make it your own.