Adobo Crazy!

Hello everyone! How is your weekend going so far? Finally after feeling that posting this might not be good enough i just decided to put it out there. You can ask me questions anytime if you cant seem do get this recipe right.

Now i must give you a fair warning that this adobo recipe maybe already in your recipe cards and notebooks but no matter how you have memorized the techniques, precise weight and taste throughout the whole process, it may not be as good as what mum is cooking.

We can go on and on about whos mum makes the best adobo but let me brag a bit. My mum's adobo has been creating a stir here and there. Always a hit in fiesta's, when my mum had a little catering and eatery back in the day, adobo was always there. The saucy and watered down version was always sold out. It has traveled throughout the world, as long as my mum has been there and cooked it for you in person. In England, Thailand, i think it has been tasted in China and in Singapore. I have tried to replicate it and was able to do it 80% percent successful in the US. But everyone loved it! And from all those hundreds of people who have tasted it, i have never heard one single complaint about it. So bragging time is over, and i can say that my mums adobo seems pretty legit! Haha

My mum was so kind to sit down and explain to me step by step how its made. She herself has perfected it throughout the years so don't go on and complain why you didn't get this on the first try. You may think adobo is such an easy and quick dish to make but if you are a connoisseur of adobo (there must be a job like that!) you would understand and appreciate a adobo and its complicated being.

Sorry i had no pictures of the cooking process. I photographed all of these while I was preparing for a friend's birthday party hosted by our familia! So i was so busy and i just saw mum bringing in the end product. But i'll make this as easy to understand as I can! Here it goes!

 You'll be needing:

Sorry i forgot to put the garlic in the photo as i was making a "guess what im cooking photo" on instagram! 

 Level of difficulty is easy to intermediate. If you have the patience to make it than this might be easy for you!

Ingredients:

1/8kg (125g) of pork liver

The livers marinade:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons vinegar

7 grams garlic

1 bay leaf

For the pork:

1kg (1000g) belly pork diced. (If you're in the Philippines, ask your butcher to adobo cut it) 

Mum says its the part near your liempo (where they cut the slices for bacon) 

A good amount of fat to pork is to be considered so watch out for that.

60ml (1/4 cup) of soy sauce (mostly preferred kikkoman soy sauce)

110ml (1/2 cup) vinegar

60ml (1/4 cup) chinese cooking wine (rice wine)

1/2 tsp pepper

2 bay leaves

1 clove of garlic. Minced. But this varies. Mum strongly appeals in using the local garlic which is small like this

Cause she says it packs so much more garlicky flavor. So if you cant find this you should use more. Especially if you are using the big type of garlic. All in all this clove weighs to 7-10 grams. So best to use around 20g when you are using the big garlics. 

Boiling water for stewing/semi braise

Oil for frying

So first is get two bowls. One small and one large bowl. In the small bowl add your liver. Add the livers marinade all at once, mix well and set aside.

That also goes for your pork. Just add everything in and mix well and set aside.

Marination should take at least 3 hours but the longer the better. If you can marinade for 12 hours or a day (of course in the refrigerator) than great! But three hours can really hit the spot!

Looks so filipino!

Now here comes the battle.

Drain the liver marinade then heat up a semi deep pan, crock pot or a wok anything that you would use for braising or casseroles, add oil and sauté the liver til it becomes grayish in color. Take it out of the pan. Set it aside and remove the oil.

On high heat, Add oil again, now add the pork, set aside the marinade though, we will use it in a bit.  

Sear the pork till all sides are brown then add the marinade. 

Then add the liver.

You can add a cup of boiling water and low heat to medium. Let it simmer or maybe just a small rolling boil going on then cover the pot. 

Check it every 20 mins. And take a fork and check if the pork is tender. 

This will take around 40 mins to an hour. Depending on the pork you get.

Now a tip, In the 40 minute mark and your sauce is ready, saucy and shiny at sight but the pork is still not tender, You can take the sauce out, and add water to the pork let it braise til tender.

Once the meat is tender. Take out the meat and sauté in two batches so every piece of meat can achieve that golden color. Add the sauce back and the other batch of meat to the pot, mix well and on low heat let all the flavors marry for around 3 mins. Turn off heat, put the lid back on and leave for 5 mins before serving.

And there you have it. Saucy or in tagalog "masarsa" adobo. Not too dry and not too soupy. Just right. Great anytime of the day!

I had no photo taken as i was busy with Our guests. Grabbed this from my sisters friend Jec!

Filipino food usually takes a lot of time to make but it is always worth it! I bet all of the Filipinos around the globe will enjoy this and it will take them straight back home! Something as simple as adobo can put a smile on one's face. It may not be official but definitely adobo is the nations food. All ingredients are available anywhere in the world! So i do hope you try this recipe and practice makes perfect! I'm craving for adobo now! Happy weekend guys!

Toodles!

To Jet, Ej and Aldrin who celebrated their birthdays this August! And a fan of mum's adobo this post is for you guys! And once again Happy Birthday to all of you!

Xxx