2 hours ago
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Lacquered cubes of tender pork belly and caramelised chunks of pineapple are the stars of this twist on adobo, the unofficial dish of the Philippines. A slow-cooked stew spiked with pepper, garlic and floral bay leaves, adobo’s signature flavour combination is vinegar and soy, giving it lick-smacking depth and complexity. There are 16 (yes, 16!) garlic cloves to give it some oomph, but if you are anti-peeling, reduce that number to eight.
Pork and pineapple adobo
Prep 20 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 4
1 tbsp oil, such as vegetable, sunflower or peanut
800g boneless pork belly slices, cut into 2cm cubes
16 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised
2 brown onions, peeled and chopped into 1cm chunks
40g ginger, skin-on and minced or grated
4 long red chillies, finely sliced
240ml apple cider vinegar
160ml soy sauce
8 dried bay leaves
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 large pineapple, skinned, cored and cut into 2cm chunks (about 500g)
4 spring onions, finely sliced, to garnish
Put the oil in a large, heavy-based pot on a medium-high heat. Cook half the pork in a single layer, turning occasionally, for eight to 10 minutes, until golden brown all over, then transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining pork.
Return all the seared meat to the pot, add the garlic, onion, ginger and chillies, and cook, stirring occasionally, for eight to 10 minutes, until the onion has softened. Add all the remaining ingredients apart from the spring onions, bring to a boil, the turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for an hour and 20 minutes, until the pork is tender.
Remove the lid, cook for a further 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened, then take off the heat. Garnish with the spring onions and serve with steamed rice and vegetables.
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Lara Lee is the author of A Splash of Soy, published by Bloomsbury at £22. To order a copy for £19.80, visit guardianbookshop.com
