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When asked about my heritage from someone I've met for the first time and I tell them that I'm of Filipino descent, the follow-up question is almost always, whether or not I am familiar with another random Filipino person of whom they know. A distant second is if I know an easy pork adobo recipe that I'm willing to share.
I'm a New Yorker and I'd get questions such as, "Do you know Rubin Alonzo? He's this Filipino guy I knew when I lived in Seattle. Nice guy, you remind me of him". It shouldn't irritate me, because I know most people are only trying to make conversation. However, it does get to me a bit. Do you believe this shit?
Adobo is the Filipino National Dish
The pork adobo conversation, on the other hand, is a conversation piece I enjoy. It seems to always be the one thing people often find as an easy common thread in which to relate. I think, we can attribute this to my figure. It doesn't take long for people to realize, I like to eat.
I love this conversation whenever it happens, simply because in recent years I've found myself becoming more proud of being Filipino-American; and equally as proud that I know how to cook adobo pork. And for the record, I do wish I knew a Filipino guy named Rubin Alonzo from Seattle. I bet, he, like me, also knows how to cook pork adobo. It is, after all, our national dish.
Everyone's adobo is different
I like talking about my easy pork adobo recipe as much as people from Bologna are of their Bolognese (or Ragu) recipes. They take pride when being asked about their regional treasure, and they will gladly have your ear for the next hour telling you of their secret approach to making it the best way.
I have secret techniques as well, and unlike a most bolognese recipe, my dissertation on my pork adobo is much shorter. My pork adobo recipe itself, is quite quick. Making it the perfect dish to serve the family for an Easy Weeknight Meal. Below you'll find the easy recipe.
Easy Pork Adobo Recipe
An Easy Pork Stew recipe from the Philippines that's easy to make for the family in less than an hour.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Pork
- Method: Stew
- Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients
3 lbs. of Pork Butt
3 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
Black Pepper
1/2 cup of Light Soy Sauce
1 cup of white vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup of cold water
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of Annato oil
Instructions
Dice the pork butt in large squarish pieces. We use a purveyor named, Butcher Box.
In a bowl, marinate the pork with the Annato oil, cracked black pepper, sugar, and garlic (either finely diced or crushed).
After 20 minutes of marinading, transfer the pork to a dutch oven or any large pot that has a lid.
Then add the vinegar, chicken stock, bay leaves, and water in the pot over high heat.
Bring to a boil lid off, then bring the flame down to medium-high and cover for half an hour.
Take the lid off and bring the heat back up to high and render the liquid down for the last 5+ minutes.
Notes
Serve over white rice and side of spinach. Make the rice during the marinading time. Flash fry the spinach right before serving dish. Perfect when paired with a leathery cabernet sauvignon.
Keywords: pork adobo, easy pork adobo, pork stew, Filipino pork adobo
What makes pork adobo so special, is that few recipes speak to the culture it belongs to as strongly. Not only does it encapsulate the Filipino palate but also its anthropology. In this dish, represented are the indigenous Malay people, the Spanish conquerors, and the Chinese immigrants that make up the land. It is quite simply the Philippines' History in every bite, and an Easy Weeknight Meal.
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