Ever since I discovered the wonders of Chicken Adobo (check out our chicken adobo recipe here), it was just a matter of time before it was time to make another adobo recipe! Today, it’s all about Pork Adobo!
Note: This recipe was originally published in December 2016. We’ve updated it here with additional detail and metric measurements. Enjoy!
What Is Filipino Adobo?
Adobo is really a kind of cooking method, originating in the Philippines. IT involves simmering meat and even seafood in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic.
The result is a tangy, savory dish that changes slightly with whatever protein you decide to cook.
In this case, I decided to make pork adobo. Once again, we all agreed that this mixture of flavors is a definite winner.
This recipe is more of a classic adobo, in that it doesn’t have coconut milk like in our chicken version. (Coconut milk is a non-traditional adobo ingredient, or a specific variation.)
I like how mellow the coconut milk makes the sauce. But here, we’re using pork shoulder, which has plenty of fat to balance out the acidity of the vinegar.
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!
Tip!
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.
You can then easily remove this flavor packet (the fancy word for it is sachet) 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 (tied in cheese cloth if desired), 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!
Great recipe. I added baby carrots and baby potatoes cut into quarters and added them in with the rest of the ingredients to cook in order to take on all the flavor. Makes a simple and amazing meal!
Thank you Aaron!
The most real recipe I have been able to find of real Filipino Adobo. Thank you.
Pork short ribs or pork country ribs are great in adobo. We just had it a few minutes ago with pigtails. They work best if you pressure cook them about 30 minutes first before you adobo them. Stay away from the pork loin, it gets much to dry and the texture is not great. It works fine without the sugar if you are unable to have that in your food. Many people consider a mixture of pork and chicken thighs the absolute best combo, and we cook that often. If we don’t have access to Filipino vinegar we use apple cider vinegar. It works great.
When our daughter was in college in a small, southern university she taught many of the girls in the dorm how to cook adobo down in the dorm kitchen. They would wander down even from the third floor, wanting to know what that wonderful odor was. Once they tasted it, they were hooked. I am sure there are many young kids down south right now wondering how and where their mommas learned to cook such an exotic dish.
thanks for this. I cooked this up with a side dish of bok choy. We are currently in a bad situation with the virus in Henan，Zhengzhou so all restaurants are closed. So I decided to make this today. God bless your family and stay safe.
Thank you Eric! You stay safe as well!
Hi Sarah,
How long would you reccomend for me to cook the pork in a slow cooker? Thanks!
Hi Cade, I don’t have a lot of experience with slow cookers, but I think 2-3 hours on high might do it? The pork shouldn’t be so tender that it pulls apart like pulled pork immediately.
About 2 hours is what I was thinking too. Thanks, Sarah, I’ll let you know how it goes :)
These recipes looks so delicious. I am sorry Sarah that I kept on downloading the Top 25 Recipes because my download before got lost and I don’t know where it goes. You see, I am not literate enough in using my iPad. And now, I wanted again to download the Top 25 Recipe Cookbook. I am hoping you will allow me to do it. I love cooking and I am happy to cook all your recipes for my family. Thanks.
Will email you another copy!
I use slightly smashed garlic for my adobo then pick them out and make fried rice with them together with some of the fat and the sauce. Steamed okra and eggplant salad are my adobo’s favorite buddies. Love your site btw.
Thank you! That sounds delish!
I would love to make this for my filipino bf but he is vegetarian…. can we do tofu adobo??
Hi Vicky, that would probably be tasty! Just pan-fry the tofu first! Maybe try it with my chicken adobo sauce, which has coconut milk and will add richness to the dish: https://thewoksoflife.com/chicken-adobo/
This looks really good, it goes onto the to-do list. Do you have any recommendations for vegetable sidedishes for it? Thank you for tipps!
Hi Gerda, some quick garicky broccoli or bok choy are tasty and simple! Here are the recipes:
https://thewoksoflife.com/garlicky-broccoli/
https://thewoksoflife.com/garlic-baby-bok-choy/
Both sound delicious, Thank you!