Pork Belly Adobo- Filipino Recipe

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Authentic Filipino Pork Adobo

Pork Adobo is the national dish of the Philippines, a flavorful and beloved stew that reflects the country's rich culinary heritage. This dish features tender pork braised in a savory and tangy sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and peppercorns.

Adobo isn’t just the national dish of the Philippines 🇵🇭; it’s also one of the most popular Asian dishes worldwide.

Every Filipino family has their own recipe, this one is Nana’s (from my sister’s in-law side). This is a very similar preparation to Vietnamese braised pork belly but what I like about this is its signature tang.

Many families have their own preferred ratio of soy sauce to vinegar. Some use a 1:1 ratio, while others prefer a tangier taste with a 2:3 ratio.

Nana usually makes this flavorful dish with chicken for the boys, but pork is just as amazing. It’s slowly braised in a savory, tangy sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and peppercorns. So, so good!

Adobo Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds pork belly, cut pork belly into about 1 1/2”strips, then into about 1” slices

• ½ cup soy sauce

• ½ cup white vinegar

• 2 tbs oyster sauce

• 1/2 cup water

• 10 whole peppercorns (lightly smashed)

• 3 bay leaves

• 6-8 cloves garlic, smashed/rough chopped

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• Optional: 1 teaspoon brown sugar (for sweeter Adobo)

• Optional: Red Thai chili peppers

Instructions:

1. Marinate the Pork: In a large bowl, mix marinade ingredients together (except red chilis). Toss well to coat the pork and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight, for deeper flavor.

2. Brown the Pork: Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown.

3. Simmer the Adobo: Pour in the reserved marinade. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, add optional red chilis for extra heat, cover, and simmer for 1-2 hours, or until the pork is tender (when cooked through you should be able to easy poke through pork belly skin with a fork or chopstick). Remove lid and let simmer until sauce thickens to your desired consistency.

4. Adjust the Flavor: Taste and adjust seasonings with additional soy sauce or vinegar as desired.

5. Serve and Enjoy: Transfer the adobo to a serving dish and spoon the sauce over the pork. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Tips:

• Traditionally, pork belly is used for adobo. You can substitute pork shoulder for a slightly leaner option.

• Adjust the amount of vinegar based on your preference for a more tart or savory flavor profile.

• Leftover adobo tastes even better the next day! The flavors continue to develop as it sits.