My husband, Marvin, is the cook in our family. He prepares simple dishes everyday and my kids love eating them. After the first spoonful, they ( my eldest and second children, at least, coz the youngest is still 6 months old) would always say “this is yummy, papa!” But, mind you, those are either just plain fried fish and scrambled egg or beef loaf and noodles. In their young age, they already appreciate their father’s cooking and I appreciate that in them.

Marvin cooks Adobo, may it be pork or chicken. There are once-cooked and twice-cooked versions of it. I prefer the latter even if it requires more time because I like my meat fried. Here are the ingredients and procedure for Pinoy Pork Adobo (my version) :

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo pork (fat included), cut in cubes
• 2 pcs. Medium-sized potatos, peeled and quartered
• 2 ½ cups water
• 5 cloves garlic, pounded
• 1 medium-sized onion, sliced
• 3 dried laurel leaves
• 1 spoonful whole black pepper
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup vinegar
• 1 level spoon brown sugar
• salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch diluted in ¼ cup water

Method:

Boil pork in 2 cups water for 1 hour or until meat is very tender, all the water have evaporated and the meat’s oil have come out. Let it fry and turn each cube until all sides have browned.

While leaving the meat to fry : in a separate saucepan or wok, saute the onion and then the garlic. Add the potatoes until brown. Pour in 1/2 cup water, add the laurel leaves, whole black pepper and bring to boil for 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, salt and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fried pork. Stir in the diluted cornstarch. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Try this recipe and taste an adobo that melts in your mouth. The potatoes serve as meat extender. It goes best with rice or bread. Me, I dip the bread in the adobo sauce. Yummy!

Happy cooking!