Savory Pork Adobo
Skip the plate lunch restaurant and make pork adobo at home.
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 4-quart stainless steel pan or larger
- 1 tongs
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder, cut into 2 pieces, fat trimmed
- ½ tbsp salt
- ½ tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 head garlic peeled
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 bay leaves dried or fresh
- ¼ cup vinegar
Instructions
- Cut pork butt into 2” cubes. Trim as much of the pork fat as possible.
- Heat a 4-quart stainless-steel saute pan in medium high heat. Season the pork butt with salt and pepper.
- Add the pork to the dry pan and sear for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. The pork will naturally loosen from the pan once it’s seared enough to flip. You may have to do this in two batches so it sears and doesn’t steam.
- Return all the seared pork into the pan. Add black peppercorns, garlic, soy sauce, water, and bay leaves. Turn the heat to high. When the pan comes to a boil, turn the heat to low-medium, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add vinegar to the pan, stir, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more until the pork is tender.
- Serve on steamed white rice with sauce poured on the rice.
Video
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Can I use other protein to make adobo?
Yes, chicken adobo is very common and inexpensive. Cook bone-in, skin on thighs to add more flavor to your chicken adobo dish. Chicken breast meat doesn’t have enough fat to make the sauce flavorful and savory.
What if I don’t have white vinegar?
Rice wine and cider vinegar would be a good last-ditch swap for white vinegar that wouldn’t change the flavor of the sauce.