You don’t have to choose between chicken or pork adobo. You can have both, all in one pan.
Pork tends to cook longer than chicken. Slicing your pork belly into smaller pieces helps it cook faster. But by the time you get your pork to fork-tenderness, don't be alarmed if your chicken is overcooked. It's not a bad thing! We think it's even better for your adobo—those loose bits and pieces of chicken become one with the sauce.
The best time to adjust your adobo's flavors is at the end, before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Too acidic or dry? Add water. Missing that extra something? Try sugar—a little goes a long way for a rounder and more vibrant sauce.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork belly, sliced into 1- to 2-inch thick slices
- 1 kg bone-in chicken thighs and legs
- 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 ¼ cup white, cane, or coconut vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce, preferably Datu Puti
- 1 cup water
- 2 bay leaves
Sear meat: Add just enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pot or braising pan over medium heat. Add pork belly slices to the pan, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Sear pork, flipping as needed, until golden brown on all sides. Remove pork belly from pan and set aside.
Working in batches, add chicken thighs and legs to the excess oil and pork fat. Sear chicken, turning as needed, until golden brown on all sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Cook aromatics: In the same pan, add garlic cloves and cook, stirring frequently, until evenly and lightly blistered. Add black peppercorns and toast for about 2–3 minutes.
Simmer chicken and pork: Increase heat to medium-high. Pour in vinegar and soy sauce, stirring with a wooden spoon to gently scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add pork and chicken pieces, water, and bay leaves to the pan. Once liquid is boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, maintaining a simmer. Cover pan and continue simmering until meat is tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings as needed. Discard bay leaves and serve adobo with hot steamed rice.
