Adobo Recipe Please

Ok, the "machete" topic has got me drooling for some adobo.  My wife's recipe just doesn't match the adobo I had when we lived in Hawaii.
So - calling all Pinoys - give up your secret recipe please!

The thing about adobo is that every Filipino makes it differently.  Heck, I even make it differently sometimes than other times.

Basic ingredients:
   meat
   vinegar
   soy sauce
   garlic

I like to do pork (a good fatty cut is key) and chicken mixed, about 2 pounds of each.  Cut the meat down to about 2"x2" chunks.  I use about 3/4 to 1 cup of vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar, but you can use just about any type) and about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of soy sauce.  And 3-4 cloves of garlic.

Start by boiling the pork with the vinegar, soy, and garlic and enough water to submerse it.  You're going to boil for about an hour until it starts becoming soft.  Don't boil too much longer as you still need to add the chicken and boil it down the rest of the way.  You may have to add water at some point before the hour is up but be careful not to add too much.  Add the chicken and boil down until the broth is almost gone.  That's why you don't want to have too much water after the hour of boiling the pork.

You'll see some recipes call for a higher amount of soy than vinegar.  You can adjust the ratio to your liking.  More soy just becomes more salty.  You can start with less and add more towards the end if you desire more saltiness.  The vinegar does't end up really being sour.  It ends up savory once it's cooked out.  Some recipes call for bay leaves.  I do crack some pepper into the mix.  Some recipes call for marinating the meat in the vinegar/soy for a few hours.  I never bother.  You can cut the pork boiling time by using a pressure cooker.

And let me tell you, day old leftover adobo is the bomb.  And so is adobo fried rice!

-Allen

The way I was introduced to this dish called for a similar recipe. My friend boiled two whole chickens in the vinegar/soy mix. Once they were cooked through she removed them and pulled off the meat from the carcs. She then added saifun noodles to the mixture and added the chicken back to the noodles and sauce. After the noodles absorbed most of the liquid she then served it over jasmine rice.

Your method seems to make more sense to me. I think I figured out dinner for tonight.

I thought I would revive this thread. Allen, I'm going to adopt your recipe for tonight's dinner. I think surprising my girlfriend with chicken adobo and a clean house should lessen the blow when I let her know I'm going to start my 'fishing for salmon every day' season a couple weeks early

My girlfriend hated me by about mid October last year. Wish me luck!

Hooked up your Adobo recipie this weekend Allen... Thank you for the recipie! It was fantastic! It was just like I was back in the P.I.! Served over egg noodles though. Bummer there wasn't any leftovers. I guess I'll just have to make some more this week.

Erik

This seems quite different from Mexican adobo.