Pork Adobo Recipe
Try this melt in your mouth Pork Adobo Recipe using pork belly with a perfect balance of saltiness, acidity, and garlicky goodness! 
Adobo has become the iconic dish that represents Filipino food worldwide. It is always present and usually takes the top place in all the Filipino food list you can find. There was even a movie called ‘American Adobo’ back in 2002. Which is not about Adobo really but about the lives of five Filipinos living in the USA. They used Adobo as the title and a dish in the film as a symbol that reflects the clashing characters and their different struggles in life living abroad. But despite the conflicts in their characters, in the end, everything ended up well, just like in cooking Adobo that is acidic (vinegar), salty (soy sauce), meaty and full of spices, all ingredients are thrown together to create such a unique and delicious dish.
Although it seems that Chicken Adobo is more popular on the international scene, you should also give the pork version a try. You can even mix them if you like. As a Filipino, I cannot say which one is more popular in the Philippines. I think both are equally loved as they are equally delicious. Adobo is Adobo, regardless of the meat you use. We also have the veggie version like Adobong Sitaw (string beans) or Adobong Kangkong (water spinach).
My way of cooking Adobo is a bit different than the others. However, you will also learn that a lot of them have different ways of cooking Adobo. Some people just boil it and prefers a thinner sauce. I, however, cook mine twice! In addition to the regular boiling part, I then separate the meat from the sauce and saute it in garlic. The sauce is, finally, added back and simmered until it is reduced to a caramelized sauce. This is the way my Mama thought me and most of my relatives do it the same way. Now I do it a bit in between, because Armin, like all true Swabians, needs his sauce, especially when eating rice. Same twice cooking procedure but I make sure I have enough of sauce to make Armin’s rice swim in it!????
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Pork Adobo Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 pounds pork belly - - cut into 1x1 or 1x2 inches (1x2,5 cm or 1x5 cm)
- 1/3 cup dark soy sauce
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 10-12 pieces peppercorn
- 3 pieces bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 big onion - - chopped coarsely
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 4 cloves garlic - - minced
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place pork belly in a pot. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, water, peppercorn, bay leaves, brown sugar, and onions. Bring to boil over high heat.
- Cover the pot with the lid and lower heat to low. Let it cook for about an hour or until the meat is really tender and liquid is reduced to half. Separate meat from the sauce.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium-low and add the minced garlic. Cook garlic until golden. Remove some of the garlic from oil leaving about 1/4 in the pan and transfer the rest to a small bowl.
- In the same skillet with oil, add the meat and cook for a minute or two. Add the sauce again and let it simmer for some minutes until the sauce is reduced some more and becomes thicker.
- Transfer the Pork Adobo to a serving dish and top it with the fried garlic.
have you tried this recipe in a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot or even a slow cooker? If so what are the times you would suggest for each appliance?
Hi Mary Jo, I usually cook Adobo the traditional way so I haven’t tried it in a pressure or Instant Pot and I am not entirely sure if you can as you need the time to cook the vinegar. I will let you know once I am able to cook it successfully with the same result.
Hey there – just wondering does it matter what vinegar you use?
Thank you
Hi Mercy, I usually just use what I have on hand. I’ve tried coconut, cane, apple, vegetable even red wine vinegar and so far they all worked fine. Each leaves a subtle distinct taste which is also good. The sourness or acidity should be gone anyway once it is cooked.