Adobong Puti

There really is no right way to cook adobo, it is such a national dish that there are a lot of variations in different parts of the country. My lola would cook adobo without the soy sauce, and I found out that this was the classic way to cook adobo. Just with vinegar, garlic and peppercorns. The soy sauce version came later when the Chinese arrived in the Philippines and brought it with them. Then the bay leaves came into play as well. This is the Ilonggo version of that era, with annato oil (Atsuete oil)

ingredients

Pork (I use pork belly or pork ribs) or chicken
Vinegar (coconut vinegar is preferred)
Salt (be generous, since there is no soy sauce)
Cracked peppercorns
Lots of Garlic
Annato seed oil (Atsuete)
Fresh Bay Leaves (paminta) (Fresh bay leaves instead of the dry ones brings another dimension to our favorite dish)

directions

1
Saute the garlic in a little bit of oil.
2
Add the meat and brown it.
3
Add Salt and Peppercorns. Add Vinegar.
4
Add Water, just enough to cover the meat.
5
Bring to a boil, till the strong vinegary aroma dissipates.
6
Reduce heat and simmer.
7
Once the meat is tender, take out from the pot and in a separate pan, fry it till it’s brown and crispy on the outside.
8
Reduce the remaining vinegar mixture and add a tablespoon of annato oil.
9
Put the meat back to the pot and and mix together.
10
Serve hot!