A Filipino Classic: Chicken & Pork Adobo
Based on the NYT Recipe by Angela Dimayuga
Ingredients:
2-3lb of bone in, skin on Chicken thighs (if you shop at Costco it is approximately 2 of the smaller packages)
2lb of pork belly (also purchased at Costco)
1-2heads of garlic
1 can of Unsweetened Coconut milk (This is just shy of 2cups)
1 1/2 - 2 Cups of Coconut Vinegar (if you do not have an Asian Market near you, try a health food store)
1-3 Tablespoons of Peppercorn
2-4 Tablespoons of Coconut oil
Bay Leaves…10-20leaves
1/4 to 1/2 cup of Soy Sauce (this will increase the NaCl content of the dish, so mind your seasoning)
Note: I am cooking for a household of 3 adults, 3yr old and a voracious teenager. In addition to the people eating, I try to cook in an over abundance to make cooking throughout the week more manageable as I am the personal chef for The Motley Crew.
Instructions:
Peel and coarse chop the garlic…if you cut it thin, they may burn!
Cube the pork belly and trim the excess fat off of the chicken thighs
Heat up a put big enough for the meat and liquid. For some reference, I used a 7qt Dutch Oven.
Temp should be at medium
Add 1-2 Tablespoons of coconut oil
Sear the pork belly.
Do not over crowd the cooking surface. The fat will render out assisting in the cooking process.
Place the pork belly in a circle formation, clockwise, so you can keep track of the pieces of meat cooking. Make sure all the sides are browned.
Once you are finished searing the pork, sear the chicken thighs, skin side down first.
Once finished searing, remember all sides should be brown.
The meat should not be cooked all the way through!
Sauté the garlic and peppercorns
The garlic should come to a nice toast (do not burn!)
Add the seared chicken, skin side down and then the pork belly
Add the coconut milk, soy sauce
Break bay leaves in half and add
Let it come to a simmer
Add Vinegar
Lower the heat to low and let it work its magic with an occasional stir to make sure things do not stick to the bottom
cook until the chicken falls off of the bone with minimal effort
Taste and adjust, if needed
You can also simmer down (reduce the liquid) to thicken the sabaw, sauce. The sauce should be like most Filipinos…silky and smooth.
Serve with fresh rice!
Where is the meat?
Just finished cutting the pork and rinsed off the chicken.
Everyone into the POOL!
I finished searing the pork belly and seared the chicken thighs, skin side down only. Everyone was getting antsy and I needed dinner sooner rather than later.
Note, the toasted garlic bits. Toast the garlic in the oil…it will infuse the oil enhancing the flavor of the dish.
Coconut Milk…adds a delicious richness
Also bought at Costco in a case of 6.
The Acid…
Can be difficult to find. Look for it in your Asian Market or gourmet grocery stores. If those two option come up with nothing, try a health food store like Vitamin Shop or other natural/organic stores in your area. You will need acid for this dish for that tangy flavor. As a sub, you can use the ole reliable, white vinegar.
Sauce is getting there..
Everyone is in the pool and the sabaw (sauce/liquid) is not quite at its optimal silkiness. 15-20 more minutes and then everyone can eat.
This is definitely a keeper, according to MBW and Anak 1. This is essentially a braised dish where you sear the meat then slow cook in a liquid. Somethings that I would like to try when I make Adobo again is slow cooked in the oven with different types and cuts of meat. I would also like to play with the texture…maybe air fry the meat to a crisp maybe even encrusting the meat in panko, breadcrumbs or even a lechon kawali style of crunchiness pork belly.
Adobo is a dish that is found throughout the Philippines and every household has at least 1 relative that makes “The BEST” Adobo. Growing up in the states, it was difficult to find the coconut vinegar. The Adobo dishes that I grew up with had mostly white vinegar.
If you are the type of set it and forget it chef, for sure this dish as any braise dishes can be done in an Instapot. Most Instapot has a sauté setting where you can sear the meat and or sauté the aromatics. I SLAVED over the stove as this was my first time cooking this dish, so i wanted more control in the taste and texture. With an overwhelming yes, this will be added into the rotation of dishes here.
As with all the recipes I have posted, these are just guidelines. Push the boundaries of your creativity and make it your own!
T
