Ever since I discovered the wonders of Chicken Adobo (check out our chicken adobo recipe here), it was just a matter of time before I “adobo-ized” something else.
What Is Filipino Adobo?
Adobo is really a kind of cooking method, originating in the Philippines, which involves simmering meat and even seafood in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic.
The result is a tangy, savory, and ever so slightly sweet dish that changes slightly with whatever protein you decide to cook. In this case, I decided to make pork adobo, and once again, we all agreed that this mixture of flavors is a definite winner.
A Quick Recipe Note
This is a super short post, and a super short recipe, because while this Pork Adobo dish does take some time to simmer on the stove, it only takes a few minutes to throw together!
A quick cooking tip before we get on with the recipe: If you don’t want the black peppercorns free-floating in your pork adobo, you can place them (along with the bay leaf) in a piece of cheesecloth tied with kitchen string.
This flavor packet (the fancy word for it is sachet) can then be easily removed before serving.
Pork Adobo Recipe Instructions
In a medium dutch oven or pot over medium high heat, add the oil and sear the pork until browned on all sides.
Add the vinegar, low sodium soy sauce, garlic, bay leaf, black peppercorns, sugar, and water, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the cover and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.
Serve over rice!
Pork Adobo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds pork shoulder (cut into chunks)
- ¼ cup cane vinegar or white vinegar
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- In a medium dutch oven or pot over medium high heat, add the oil and sear the pork until browned on all sides.
- Add the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, sugar, and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the cover and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.
- Serve over rice!
nutrition facts
Looks super legit, very similar to my recipe! I toast finely sliced garlic in oil to sprinkle on afterwards too – not only does it up the garlic if you’re a garlic lover like me, but it adds a bit of bite to it too.
Thank you Nicola! Will have to try that crispy garlic addition one day!
Love it! Best adobo recipe I’ve found, thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Ben!
If I need to make a larger batch, can I simply double everything?
Hi Stephen, if you hover over the number of servings in the recipe card, there is a handy slider to scale the recipe up or down. Sorry we missed your comment back in May!
Hi. Your recipes look good. I am disappointed because I followed your recipe verbatim and it looked nothing like your picture and it tasted plain. Mine was brown and yours looked a reddish color. Ugh.
Hi Rachel, it sounds like you just needed to reduce the sauce down (simmer it a bit longer, uncovered), both to darken the color, and to concentrate the flavor.
So goood!
Thanks Chris!!
Try tossing the pork in a little bit of flour before browning it, and add strips of red bell pepper in the last 10 minutes of cooking. That’s how my grandmother always made pork adobo. :)
Thanks for sharing, Brandi!
Tried this recipe with your suggestion of coating the pork in flour when I saw some other comments where people had trouble reducing the liquid. Ended up with a really great, thick consistency. Thanks for the tip!
Killer recipe too, this one is a keeper for sure.