Everything you love about Filipino adobo is here! Meltingly tender pork with rich, thick, and glossy sauce cooked using the "twice-cook technique". Learn the not-so-secret secret method of making the best pork adobo.
Place pork, vinegar, and half of the chopped garlic in a pot. Turn on the heat and set it to medium-high. Bring to a simmer until the pork is no longer pink, around 5 minutes.
Add soy sauce, brown sugar, water, black peppercorn, and bay leaf. Cover with a lid. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cook until the pork is tender. This could take 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the pork. If the liquid evaporates too quickly and the meat is still tough, just add more water.
Separate the meat and sauce using a colander. Set aside.
2. Frying and thicken the sauce
Heat vegetable oil in the now empty pot. Fry potatoes until the edges are brown. It doesn't need to be cooked through.
Push potatoes to the side of the pot. Add garlic and stir-fry until lightly toasted. Be careful not to burn it or the sauce may become bitter-tasting.
Add back the pork. Don't include the sauce yet. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn the heat to medium-high. Pour the adobo sauce all over the pork. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency and until the potatoes are cooked through. Do a taste test. Add sugar or a few teaspoons of soy sauce if preferred. I didn't need to add any to mine
Add boiled eggs and gently toss until covered with the adobo sauce. Remove from heat. Serve with rice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Pork - I prefer using a combination of pork belly and pork shoulder/butt. Using pork with fat makes a richer and more flavorful sauce.
Vinegar - I use white rice vinegar (not seasoned). Cane vinegar, coconut vinegar, and white wine vinegar work well too.
Soy Sauce - I used Filipino soy sauce. If using regular soy sauce e.g. Kikkoman, use 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons.
Potatoes - the starch in the potatoes helps further thicken the sauce. It also mellows down the saltiness and tanginess of the sauce.
Eggs - Use soft-boiled eggs or hard-boiled eggs.
Cooking Time - to reduce cooking time, slice pork and potatoes into small chunks about 1/2 inch.
Nutrition - Pork belly cut is used in the calculation. Calories should be lower if using pork butt or shoulder. Potatoes and eggs are also included in the calculation.
Variations:
Sweet Adobo. Just add more sugar! Use white or brown.
Spicy Adobo. Add red-eye chili to make it hot and spicy or green chili to make it mildly spicy.