Embrace tangy, salty balance of Filipino adobo
Filipino adobo, a stew known for its pungency — from vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and peppercorns or chiles — is an incredibly adaptable dish. The proportions of its key ingredients can be added in varying ratios to suit the tastes of the cook, meaning that no two adobos are exactly alike. It’s traditionally made with cane vinegar and light soy sauce; sometimes lime juice or sugar is added, as well. This version, adapted from “The Filipino Cookbook” by Miki Garcia and “I Am a Filipino” by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad, uses onions for a touch of sweetness and can be made with chicken or tofu. If you have time, you can marinate the protein overnight, but it’s not necessary.
If adobo is unfamiliar to you, make this recipe as written before playing around with it. Here are a few suggested variations:
Instead of chicken or tofu you can use an equal weight of pork belly, cut into 1-inch cubes. You also can use a whole cauliflower, cut into eight roughly equal chunks — or combine two of these options in one pot.
The onion isn’t as crucial as the garlic so skip it if you must. If you enjoy garlic, use more than the recipe suggests.
Cane vinegar or coconut vinegar, available at Asian markets or online, are traditional here but white or rice vinegar work, too.
In addition to the onions and garlic, you could add: sliced mushrooms, chopped tomatoes or slices of fresh sweet or hot peppers.
To spice things up, consider adding: more peppercorns, a cinnamon stick, a star anise pod and/ or a couple of cloves.
Filipino Adobo
1 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or legs, patted dry OR 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed (see notes), cut into 4 or 5 thick slices and patted dry
¼ teaspoon fine salt (optional)
2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
½ cup cane vinegar (see notes)
½ cup light or low-sodium soy sauce (see notes)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
Steamed white rice, for serving
If using chicken, season it with the (For The Washington Post/Rey Lopez) salt. If using tofu, there’s no need to season it with salt before searing.
In a large, lidded pot or Dutch oven over high heat, heat the oil until you see a few wisps of smoke. Using tongs, transfer the protein — if using chicken, skin side down — into the pot. Cook, undisturbed, until the protein has browned and the chicken skin has rendered some of its fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the pieces over, and reduce the heat to low.
Add the onion and garlic, and allow the garlic to slightly brown, about 2 minutes (the onions may not be browned at this point, and that is fine). Add the vinegar, soy sauce, ½ cup water, peppercorns and bay leaves, taking care as the liquid may sputter. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil before lowering the heat to maintain a steady but gentle simmer.
Cover and cook, stirring and turning proteins over once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through or the tofu has taken on the dark color of the sauce, 30 to 40 minutes. If the liquid appears to be evaporating during cooking, add water, ½ cup at a time, to compensate. The finished sauce should be thin but pungent.
Taste, and adjust the seasonings, if desired; discard the bay leaves. Spoon some rice into plates or shallow bowls and divide the stew, sauce, any rendered chicken fat and peppercorns among each dish before serving.
Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Notes: Wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel and microwave on high for 1 minute. Unwrap, rewrap with a fresh towel and repeat. (This gets rid of excess liquid and is faster than pressing the tofu.) Unwrap, and slice the tofu as directed.
If you don’t have cane vinegar, use white or rice vinegar plus 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. Instead of soy sauce, you can use liquid aminos. If using coconut aminos, which are sweeter, add ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt, or more to taste.
Loosely adapted from “The Filipino Cookbook” by Miki Garcia (Tuttle, 2017) and “I Am a Filipino” by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad with Rachel Wharton (Artisan, 2018)