My Favorite Filipino Delicacy

Adobo

Description:

Adobo or Adobar (Spanish: marinade, sauce, or seasoning) is the immersion of raw food in a stock (or sauce) composed variously of paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar to preserve and enhance its flavor. The Portuguese variant is known as Carne de vinha d'alhos.

The practice is native to Iberia, namely Spanish cuisine and Portuguese cuisine. It was widely adopted in Latin America and other Spanish and Portuguese colonies, including the Azores and Madeira.

In the Philippines, the name adobo was given by the Spanish colonists to an indigenous cooking method that also uses vinegar, which although superficially similar had developed independent of Spanish influence. 

In Filipino cuisine, adobo refers to a common cooking process indigenous to the Philippines. When the Spanish first explored the Philippines in the late 16th century, they encountered a cooking process that involved stewing with vinegar. The Spanish referred to it as adobo due to its superficial similarity to the Spanish adobo. The Filipino adobo is an entirely separate method of preparing food and is distinct from the Spanish marinade.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lb. pork, cut into serving pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. pepper or 1 tsp. peppercorns
• 1 tbsp. sugar (optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• oil, for frying

Cooking Procedures:

1. Combine all ingredients in a big pot except the oil and let stand for at least 30 minutes.
2. Place pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.
3. Lower the heat and simmer covered until meat is tender for about an hour (checking occasionally for the water not to get dry, just add a little water each time you see its almost dry up). You may adjust the seasoning according to your taste and liking. Drain and reserve sauce. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the meat until lightly brown on all sides. Set aside and keep warm.
5. Pour off all remaining oil from the pan. Pour in back the meat and reserve sauce. Mix for about a few minutes while scraping up the bits on the bottom of pan.
6. Remove from heat. Serve hot.

Reason in Choosing Adobo:

     Adobo is very famous in the Philippines. The reason why I chose adobo is that its very delicious. Its also the main dish which my mom cooks and  its really good. Its also like a symbol for Filipinos. For example I saw one movie that showed 1 Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) eating adobo then suddenly 1 guy approach him and figured out he was a Filipino because he was eating adobo in his lunch box.