Pork adobo

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ pounds Boneless pork, in 1-in cubes
½ cup Rice vinegar
6 Cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons Soy sauce, or fish sauce
¼ teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
1½ cup Water
1 Bay leaf

Directions

1. In a bowl combine pork cubes, vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, and pepper; marinate 1 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Transfer all ingredients to a non-aluminum saucepan, add 1 cup of the water and bay leaf, and bring to a boil, uncovered. Adjust heat so meat cooks at a lively simmer but does not boil too rapidly.

3. Cook until liquid is nearly gone, then reduce heat further.

Mixture will sizzle and pop as the last bits of water evaporate; then the pork cubes will begin to brown in the remaining fat. Turn cubes to brown evenly and remove from heat if mixture shows signs of scorching. 4. Remove pork cubes to serving dish. Add ½ cup of the water to pan and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape browned bits from pan. Pour over pork. Serve with rice.

Variation: Follow Pork Adobo recipe. Use a mixture of chicken, cut into braising pieces (1 to 2 inches with bones), and boneless pork.

Cook only until liquid is reduced ½ cup, then brown meats in a separate pan: In large skillet, add 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (enough to coat bottom of pan). Heat oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken and pork pieces well. Transfer browned meats to a warm platter and cover with sauce.

Comments:

The famous adobo is a classic dish of the Philippines. Like the curries of other countries, adobo probably originated as a way of preserving meat. In this case the preserving agent is vinegar, not chiles or other spices. This version calls for boiling cubes of pork in vinegar and garlic mixture until the liquid evaporates and the cubes begin to fry in their own rendered fat. Use pork with some visible fat, either from the shoulder or the nearby section of the loin (usually sold as "country-style+ spareribs).

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