How to cook adobo and other classic Pinoy dishes

Learning how to cook adobo is a rite of passage for almost all Filipinos. And for mothers, particularly stay-at-home moms, being able to cook adobo and other classic Pinoy dishes is an important skill to have — even something to boast about.

That's why we compiled a list of the most delicious and most popular Filipino recipes that your family will absolutely enjoy!

How to cook adobo, the Philippines' unofficial national dish

One of the most well-known Filipino recipes in the entire world is adobo. There are countless variations of this delectable dish that you may taste since almost every family has its own uniquely crafted adobo recipe.

Step on how to cook adobo

Adobo is considered by many Filipinos as the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. Every Filipino, even those who were born abroad, knows the taste and craves the taste of perfectly cooked and seasoned adobo.

Filipinos even brag about how their mother's adobo is the best adobo there is! That's how big of a role adobo plays in Filipino culture.

But how exactly do you prepare this wonderful dish? What are the ingredients of Filipino adobo and what are the procedures in cooking this delectable dish? Here's how:

How to cook adobo | Pork adobo recipe ingredients

• 1 kilo pork liempo (cubed, with fat)
• 1 head of garlic
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 cup sugarcane vinegar/coconut vinegar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• Bay leaves
• Whole peppercorns
• Rock salt/sea salt

  Image from shutterstock

Pork adobo recipe: How to cook adobo step by step

How to cook adobo step by step? The key to a good adobo is getting pork with a good amount of fat on it. Adobo is a hearty dish, and most of the flavor actually comes from the pork fat that melts during cooking. So it's a good idea to add some pieces of pork fat when you're cooking adobo.

Here's the step on how to cook adobo:

1. The first step would be to take the kilo of pork and place it fat side down in a medium-sized pot.
2. Pour 1/3 cup of water on the pork to prevent it from sticking to the pot once you start cooking.
3. Next, take your head of garlic, peel off the outer layer of skin, and separate them into individual cloves. Place them on top of the pork that's already in the pot.
4. Now pour your vinegar and soy sauce on top of the mixture, add the bay leaves, and the peppercorns.
5. Place it on medium-high heat until the strong acidity of the vinegar starts to burn off. Once you can't smell the strong vinegar smell anymore and the mixture starts to boil, put the heat on low, cover it, and let it simmer for at least a couple of hours to make sure that the pork is nice and tender.

The key to a great adobo recipe is the ratio of soy sauce to vinegar, so it's really up to you on how much vinegar and soy sauce you want. The important thing to remember is to let the acid in the vinegar burn off first since it can give your adobo a very sour and acidic taste.

Make sure to also taste your dish every so often during cooking so that you can adjust the flavors according to how you like it.

Additionally, you can also use chicken instead of pork when cooking your adobo. The recipe is largely the same, but the cooking time should be a bit shorter since chicken cooks much quicker than pork.

Now that you know how to cook adobo, it's time to turn our sights to other Filipino specialties.

The history of Filipino adobo

The word "adobo" is derived from the Spanish word "adobar," which in English is translated as "marinate." Spanish invaders brought the word "adobo" to the lands they took over, so depending on where you are in the Spanish diaspora, adobo has a different connotation. Adobo can occasionally be used as a dry rub to season food. In other instances, the spices, vinegar, and fresh ingredients are combined to create a marinade called adobo.

However, even the word adobo came from the Spanish word adobar, the process of making adobo in the Philippines existed even before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1521.

Salt and vinegar have traditionally been used by indigenous people in the Philippines to preserve proteins. Chinese traders brought soy sauce to the Philippines in the ninth century, and it was soon a part of the marinade.

When Spanish invaders arrived and saw the similar method of preservation, they named the Filipino method "adobo" in honor of their own cuisine.

Recipes for other classic Pinoy dishes!

Of course, adobo isn't the only dish that Filipinos love. Learning how to cook adobo is only the start. Since the Philippines is an archipelago, there are a lot of regional cuisines that utilize different ingredients and flavors.

Here are the recipes for other Filipino specialty dishes:

Bulanglang

Bulanglang is a dish that's not only tasty, but also healthy for your family since it consists of different vegetables! It's also a very easy dish to prepare! Here's the recipe:

Beef Caldereta

Beef Caldereta is a luxurious dish that's sure to make any occasion much more special. Though, you can also cook it to give your family a special treat! Watch the video below for the recipe:

Seafood Sinigang

Seafood Sinigang is simple to cook, but very delicious. It's also a great alternative to the traditional sinigang na baka. Check out the recipe below:

Updates by Jobelle Macayan

READ: WATCH: Marian Rivera shares easy-to-make baby food recipe!