Adobo—both a style of preparation as well as the name of a dish—is one of the most widely known foods of the Philippines, often referred to as its national dish. As Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad write in I Am a Filipino: And This is How We Cook, adobo originated as a preservation technique and “can be broadly defined as anything cooked in vinegar. […] Depending on the region, the province, the city, or even the cook, the dish changes due to the Philippines’ own ocean-to-farm-to-table foodways.” To make adobo, which can be wet (very saucy) or dry (crispier and less soupy), pork, chicken, tubers, vegetables, squid, lamb, shrimp, or even duck, is simmered in vinegar, often with soy sauce, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. This recipe channels the same flavors of bright vinegar and dark soy sauce, using eggplant as the base, with the addition of ground pork for extra richness. Although this dish will work well with any eggplant, try it in late summer when they reach their peak at the farmers market. Serve alongside plenty of steamed rice to sop up all the sauce.
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What you’ll need
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Measuring Cups
$18 At Bon Appétit Market
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Chef's Knife
$61 At Amazon
Medium Bowl
$29 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$100 $94 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$8 $7 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
2 main-course servings or 4 side-dish servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Slice 1 lb. small Japanese or Italian eggplant (about 3) into quarters lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 2"-wide pieces. Place in a medium bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Toss to evenly coat eggplant and let sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Step 2
Peel and thinly slice 8 garlic cloves. Add 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil and half of garlic to a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until light golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic chips to a plate; season lightly with salt.
Step 3
Place 4 oz. ground pork in same pot and break up into small pieces with wooden spoon. Season with ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt and cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned underneath, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to another plate, leaving fat behind in pot.
Step 4
Place eggplant on a clean kitchen towel and blot away any moisture the salt has drawn out.
Step 5
Working in batches and adding more oil if needed, cook eggplant in same pot until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate with pork.
Step 6
Pour 1½ cups water into pot and scrape up browned bits from bottom with wooden spoon. Add remaining garlic, 3 Tbsp. coconut vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, and remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar. Bring to a simmer, then return pork and eggplant to pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until eggplant is tender and silky and sauce is reduced by half, 20–25 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper and add a little more sugar if needed.
Step 7
Top with garlic chips and serve with cooked white rice.
Recipe notes
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