Filipino Style Adobo Recipe

Origin of Adobo

Filipino-style adobo is a dish originating from the Philippines. It came from the Spanish word adobar which means “marinade”, “sauce”, or “seasoning”. The existence of this tangy flavorful dish was first recorded in 1613 by the Spaniard Pedro de San Buenaventura. This cooking method is indigenous in the Philippines, it is one of the most common way of how Filipinos preserve pork. It utilizes the acid in the vinegar and the high salt content of soy sauce to prevent the presence of bacteria. It is not yet official, but most Filipinos consider adobo as the national dish of the Philippines. Though this dish has a lot of varieties now which differs from region to region, the basic ingredients of this recipe consistently involves vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and black pepper. The meat, whether chicken or pork is mixed then stewed in this mixture.

When is Adobo Typically Served?

Filipino-style adobo is commonly served in a Filipino table in a typical meal, breakfast, lunch, and most specially on dinner. It is considered as the main course which is best paired with a fluffy hot rice to absorb its mouth-watering tangy sauce. However, aside from a typical meal, you can also eat this dish during fiestas and birthdays. This dish is surely rice-consuming because of its flavorful taste specially the sauce.

Kitchen Utensils You Need

You will be needing the following kitchen utensils in preparing and cooking Filipino-style adobo:

• Chopping board
• Chopping knife
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Spatula
• Frying pan
• Serving platter

Adobo’s Primary Ingredients – Vinegar & Soy Sauce

Two of the most important and primary ingredients of an Adobo dish are vinegar and soy sauce. These two are the heart of adobo and it plays a very essential role in this cooking method. It helps in the preservation of the dish since vinegar and the high salt content of the soy sauce are the ones responsible in making the dish an undesirable place for bacteria. The two are the perfect combination that bring your adobo a delicious and tangy sauce which you surely can’t resist. It is because of its flavorful and preserving qualities which makes adobo popular and most recommended dish in Filipino tables.

You surely can’t make adobo without vinegar and the most common king of vinegar used in adobo is the cane vinegar, but there are others that can do the job as well. However if you want to use a vinegar which is best for health, you may use white vinegar which has a lot of health benefits including blood sugar control, weight management, reduced cholesterol and antimicrobial properties.

Aside from the fact that soy sauce gives a flavorful taste when combined with vinegar, it also helps balance the acidity of the vinegar. Just the perfect amount of the two and you can never go wrong with your adobo dish.

Interesting Facts About Adobo

• The perfect adobo lies on the perfect balance of the soy sauce and vinegar.
• Before the Chinese introduces soy sauce to the Philippines, adobo was believed to have been marinated using vinegar and salt only.
• There are a lot of varieties of adobo but the most popular one is the Chicken adobo. You can use pork or beef as well or even vegetables.

Tips and Tricks

• You can fry any leftovers of this delicious adobo until crispy and you will have what’s famous also in the Philippines called Adobo flakes.
• Marinade everything first in a bowl and set for an hour to allow the vinegar to soften the meat and allow it to absorb the flavors.
• Simmer this dish, do not boil. Since boiling or too much heat can make the dish dry. Better keep the heat in medium temperature so you can get the desired tenderness of the meat.

Humble yet packed with so much flavor. Adobo is always a guarantee if you want to make sure your guests go home full and satisfied. And this is also the comfort food by most Filipinos. Better prepare it with a lot of rice, hot rice would be an extra because the tangy and sweet and sour taste of this dish is a perfect combination to rice. Each household kitchen has its own variation of this dish and you can absolutely do yours in the comfort of your home. Just never forget to balance the proportion of the liquid ingredients. Then you will indeed satisfy the hunger of your loved ones and guests!