Garlic Pork Adobo

The adobo is considered the national dish of the Philippines. Simply put, "adobo" means stewing in vinegar. There are lots of variations around and they are all delicious. Hubby likes it, and if he goes a long time without it, he acts like he's suffering from a relapse.

This is my version of adobo. Note that I used a ton of garlic - just as we like it. The way I cooked it was very laborious since I used only one wok.

What you need:

1 lb. of pork tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 head of garlic, peeled and crushed
1/3 cup vinegar
3 tbsp. soy sauce (or more, if desired)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
peppercorns (how much or how little you want)

What to do:

Put the pork tenderloin, vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns, half a head of garlic, and bay leaves in a pot or wok. Bring to a boil. Add 1/4 cup of water if it looks dry. Cover the pot and simmer until almost all the liquid is gone. Afterwards, transfer everything to a bowl. Bring the wok back to the heat and add the vegetable oil. Saute the remaining one whole head of garlic. Add the meat and fry for 1 or 2 minutes. Then add the adobo sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.


Best served with steaming, hot rice.

Tips, Tricks, and Tweaks:

1. You can use chicken instead of pork. Just make sure to simmer the meat until it is soft.
2. You can also omit the frying part. If you want a saucy adobo, you can dish it up after simmering.
3. I used cane vinegar for the recipe. If you are going to use distilled vinegar, use 1/4 cup instead.