Ultimate Pork Adobo
Recipe Source: Manila Spoon
Ultimate Pork Adobo is a rich and flavorful Filipino dish that’s a perfect blend of savory, tangy, and slightly sweet notes. Tender chunks of pork are simmered slowly in a fragrant marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns, absorbing all the bold flavors as it cooks. The slow braising process makes the pork incredibly tender, while the marinade reduces into a rich, savory sauce with a perfect balance of acidity and umami. Often served with a side of steamed rice, Ultimate Pork Adobo is a comforting, satisfying dish that captures the essence of Filipino home cooking and is sure to become a family favorite.
Difficulty: EASY
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Serving Size: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs pork (get the part with some fat on it like pork shoulder, boneless country style ribs or pork belly)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp Brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Soy sauce
- 6-8 cloves of Garlic cloves, minced or crushed or chopped (a small head of garlic may be used)
- 2 Bay leaves
- Freshly ground pepper (or whole black peppercorns), to taste
- 8 oz fresh mini-bella/portobello mushrooms, or 2 - 4 oz shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dry)
- A few drops of sesame oil (Very essential!)
Directions:
- Clean the pork. Cut up the pork adobo style - about 1 1/2 - 2 inch cubes or chunks. They will shrink as they cook so I make it a little bigger.
- In a deep pan or a Dutch oven, mix the soy and oyster sauces, sugar, garlic and ground or whole peppercorns. Coat the pork with the sauce. Insert the bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low until pork is tender between 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
- When the pork is already tender, add in the mushrooms. Continue to simmer until the mushrooms are cooked and tender about 5-10 minutes.
- Add a few drops of sesame oil. Serve hot with rice.