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Photo: Yana Gilbuena
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:2 hrs 30 minsServings:8Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:2 hrs 30 minsServings:8
Active Time:30 mins
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings:8
Servings:
8
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
For me, a Filipino immigrant, adobo is not just a dish, it is an identity.
I immigrated to the United States in 2004, a fresh college grad with a fresh new country to call home. I didn’t realize how much I would miss the home I left. I was homesick. Desperate for a lifeline, I cooked. My lola (grandma) and tita (aunt) started teaching me to cook when I was 3 years old. I was quite resentful being sent to the kitchen to help prepare meals, because obviously I wanted to play instead. But all that kitchen training came in handy when I needed to dig deep in my memory bank to re-create the flavors of home.
To understand adobo, one needs to understand the historical timeline of the Philippines. In precolonial times, indigenous cooking methods relied on salt, vinegar and sugar not just as flavors, but also as preservatives. Vinegar is a particularly effective food preservative since it prevents bacterial growth, making it a very useful tool especially in high-humidity places like the Philippines. The most-used vinegars there are cane, palm and coconut, but rice, wine and distilled white vinegars are also used, depending on the flavor a cook wants to impart to the dish.
It has been embedded in the Filipino palate to lean on the vinegary flavor profile. Historians have traced the foundations of our indigenous cuisine to the appearance of kilaw in the 10th century, a method that uses a souring agent to “cook” food without fire, similar to Latin American ceviche. Other dishes and cooking styles feature sourness too, like a soup called sinigang. And there’s paksiw, which is another style of cooking food in vinegar.
Adobo has evolved and morphed with the times. Before the Spanish colonized the Philippines, we were already trading with China, Malaysia, Indonesia and India via the Maritime Silk Road. With those interactions came spices, fruits and vegetables and cooking methods that have since become integral to Filipino cuisine. Adobo became an umbrella term, usually paired with a descriptor to distinguish the kind based on the type of vinegar, ingredients, meats and where it is from.
To say that there is one adobo to rule them all would be a disservice. Within the 7,641 islands in the Philippine archipelago, no one adobo is like another. Each is deeply rooted and dependent on the place, terroir and the palate of the person cooking it. And that’s really the beauty and draw of this dish, isn’t it? Adobong puti (white adobo) was thought to be the original form, with just vinegar, salt, garlic and bay leaves. Adobong dilaw (yellow adobo) gets its distinct yellow hue from turmeric. Adobo sa gata (adobo in coconut milk) is more popular in the southern regions of the Philippines where coconuts are more abundant. Adobong itim (black adobo), the most familiar adobo, has a dark sauce full of umami from soy sauce.
Adobo continues to evolve as Filipinos are flung to different parts of the world in search of better opportunities. Within this diaspora of overseas foreign workers, the need to feel a connection to our homeland is partnered with a desire to assimilate and adapt to our new environment. Adobo once again is adapted to place, terroir and palate, yet will always connect Filipinos like me to home.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients¾cupplus 2 tablespoons 50%-less sodium tamariorreduced-sodium soy sauce½cupplus 2 tablespoons cane vinegarorcoconut vinegar (see Note)⅓cupgranulated sugar3poundspork spareribs (about 8 ribs)2tablespoonscoconut oilorcanola oil1cupdiced red onionorshallot¼cupchopped garlic1tablespoonblack peppercorns3bay leaves1scallion, thinly slicedFried garlic for garnish (see Note)
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
¾cupplus 2 tablespoons 50%-less sodium tamariorreduced-sodium soy sauce
½cupplus 2 tablespoons cane vinegarorcoconut vinegar (see Note)
⅓cupgranulated sugar
3poundspork spareribs (about 8 ribs)
2tablespoonscoconut oilorcanola oil
1cupdiced red onionorshallot
¼cupchopped garlic
1tablespoonblack peppercorns
3bay leaves
1scallion, thinly sliced
Fried garlic for garnish (see Note)
Directions
Whisk tamari (or soy sauce), vinegar and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook half the ribs, flipping once, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (Adjust the heat to prevent the bottom of the pan from burning.) Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining ribs.
Add onion (or shallot), garlic and peppercorns to the pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Return the ribs to the pan along with the tamari mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook, turning the ribs once, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
Using tongs, transfer the ribs to a serving platter. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl (discard solids). Carefully skim off and discard the fat. Pour the sauce over the ribs and sprinkle with scallion and fried garlic, if desired.
Tips
To make ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Althoughcane vinegaris made from fermented sugarcane syrup, it’s not sweet. It is fresh, light and less sharp than other vinegars. Made from the nectar of flowers from the coconut tree,coconut vinegaris mild, with a slightly sweet, coconutty aftertaste. It’s a staple throughout Southeast Asia and parts of India. Use it in marinades and dressings or to make pickled vegetables. Find both at Asian markets or online.
To prepare fried garlic: Place a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/3 cup canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add 1/4 cup sliced garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Pour the garlic and oil through the strainer. Transfer the garlic to a paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve the oil to use on salads. Store fried garlic airtight in a cool dark place for up to 1 month; refrigerate the oil for up to 2 months.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, October 2022
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)376Calories24gFat11gCarbs21gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
