Delicious Chicken, Pork and Chicken Pork Adobo Recipes

Adobo is Spanish for marinade. However, here in the Philippines, adobo is the process of cooking food in soy sauce and vinegar, among other spices.

Foods that are cooked adobo-style are mainly chicken and pork, but we can also cook beef, goat (or lamb), fish and squid, even veggies! Weird foods like frogs or the extremely infamous balut can be also be cooked adobo-style.

What's great with adobo is that it is great tasting, very easy to cook, and you can find the ingredients within reach. The staple: vinegar, soy sauce and a few spices.

Another great thing about adobo is that you can adjust all the ingredients to your personal taste. You might want the sour taste to dominate a little bit, or you want the salty taste to be emphasized a little more, it is all up to you.

Adobo lasts really long when stored, because the vinegar prevents bacteria from growing.

FOR THE CHICKEN ADOBO RECIPE, YOU WILL NEED:

* 1 kilo chicken pieces. Drumstick, wings, breast, any cut will do.
* 1 head garlic, finely chopped
* 1 large onion, diced
* 8 grams ginger (about the size of a matchbox), finely chopped (or 1 tbsp. powdered ginger)
* 1/2 cup vinegar
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 2 tbsp sugar
* 2 tbsp. olive oil (or canola or plain cooking oil)
* a few peppercorns (paminta)
* a few bay leaves

HERE'S HOW TO COOK CHICKEN ADOBO:

1. Place the chicken pieces in a large skillet. Pour the vinegar and put over medium heat, until the vinegar boils.
2. Turn over the chicken to cook the other side. Sprinkle the peppercorns, garlic, onion and ginger.
3. Cook it uncovered, and wait until the vinegar is absorbed by the chicken.
4. Set to medium low fire. Stir the chicken until it starts to give out oil.
5. Add the olive oil, then fry until golden brown.
6. Remove excess oil, then add the soy sauce and sugar
7. Simmer for 15 minutes, occasionally checking if it had dried up. Add around 1/4 cup water if it is too dry. (To your preference.)

Serves four to six people.
Total estimated cooking time: 45 minutes to one hour.

* The saltiness or sourness is to your preference. Add vinegar and soy sauce according to taste.
* Moisture is also yours to decide. But remember that this dish is not a soup. So do not add too much!
* You can add potatoes or peeled hard boiled-eggs (chicken or quail), or both! Just add them in step 6.
* For a variation, you can add pineapple chunks (in can), add the syrup, too! I personally add this to my adobo.

FOR THE PORK ADOBO RECIPE, YOU WILL NEED:

* 1 kilo pork, cut into cubes
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup white vinegar
* 2 tablespoon sugar
* 1 head garlic, crushed
* 1 head onion, diced
* a few bay leaves
* ground black pepper or a few pieces pepper corns

HERE'S HOW TO COOK PORK ADOBO:

1. Put the vinegar and the pork in a casserole, then put over medium heat, until the vinegar boils.
2. Add the soy sauce, garlic, pepper and onion. turn the fire low. Do not cover.
3. Simmer for around 15 minutes, or until pork is tender, occasionally stirring to avoid sticking and over drying.
4. Add the sugar. Then let the remaining sauce dry up to desired moisture.

Serves four to six people.
Preparation time: 30 minutes to one hour.

* You can add potatoes and hard boiled eggs (chicken or quail) here too! Add them together with the soy sauce.
* Try adding coconut milk for a variation. Add a cup during step 3.

OK, what do you get when you mix both chicken and pork meat together? A riot of flavors!

More hilariously commonly termed as CPA (apologies to accountants), this is the like the mommy of all adobo. The marriage of chicken and pork is just plain awesome. One of my friends who married an American (or Canadian couldn't tell) guy, says that this is her hubby's favorite. Can't blame him. I forget I am on a diet when this is on the table.

FOR THE CHICKEN PORK ADOBO RECIPE, YOU WILL NEED:
* 1/2 kilo pork cut in cubes
* 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into pieces
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 1 onion, diced
* 8 grams ginger or 1 tbsp powdered ginger
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup vinegar
* 2 tbsp. sugar
* 2 cups of water
* a few bay leaves
* 4 tablespoons of cooking oil or olive oil
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* ground pepper

HERE IS HOW TO COOK CHICKEN PORK ADOBO:

1. In a large skillet, put the vinegar and the chicken and pork. Turn on the heat to medium high.
2. When the vinegar is absorbed, add the oil then fry the meat until brown.
3. Add the soy sauce, the garlic, onions, ginger, bay leaves and pepper.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring to avoid over drying.
5. Melt the corn starch in 1/4 cup water then add it to the pan. Add the sugar.
6. Simmer again for another 5 minutes occasionally stirring to avoid over-drying.
7. Serve hot.

Serves four to six people.
Estimated cooking time: one hour

You can also add coconut milk. Add a cup together with the soy sauce. Alternatively, you can also add pineapple chucks and syrup. Add it also together with the soy sauce. But do not combine the two options. I tried. Did not come out good.