Day 20, Deo Inspired Adobo

Yesterday, went to one of the oldest butcher in town, Idsoe in Stavanger center and bought a few kilos of oxtail for a test kitchen with a partner on Monday. Got extra that I can cook for today´s meal.  wanted to do oxtail stew but I change my mind instead opt to try this recipe from a previous colleague at TGIF Ortigas.  Inspired with his Adobo recipe, and below is the final product.  Adobo is really good with a fatty pork but an oxtail is definite alternative since it is also fatty and when you cook it longer, it produces same gelatinous substance as a pork fat does. Which helps when you make adobo reduction.  According to Deo, the secret to his Adobo is loads of garlic, vinegar and fat.  Thank you to Deo for sharing his recipe in FB.  

DEO INSPIRED ADOBO

3     tablespoons    olive oil

2     bulbs              chinese garlic, minced

750  grams            oxtail

2     teaspoon         ground pepper

1      cup                vinegar 

1/2   cup                soy sauce

1      teaspoon        sugar

1      cup                chopped broccoli

1/2   cup                mushroom

Slow cook the oxtail in water for a few hours or until its fork tender.  If you have pressure cooker, you may cook the oxtail for about 30-45 minutes.

Once the oxtail is tender.  Take it out of the broth and set aside.  Saute garlic in olive oil until slightly golden brown.  Then add the oxtail and sear for a few minutes.  Pour in the vinegar in until about half of the meat is covered.  Add a generous amount of freshly grounded pepper.  Cover pan and simmer slowly under low heat.  Make sure not to stir the meat while vinegar is cooking.  In the process, the vinegar will simmer and reduce, once reduced to a quarter of its original volume.  Stir the meat and add soy sauce (amount depends on you, but as a guide, pour enough until vinegar and soy sauce mixture is brown in color).  Cover pan and increase the heat to medium and simmer until the adobo sauce has reduced or caramelized.  Added a few tablespoons of the broth from earlier to the mixture to lighten the saltiness from the soy sauce.  Also added sugar to balance the taste.  

Serve with steamed rice and garnish with blanch broccoli and mushrooms.

Day 12, Chicken Adobo

This classic dish is not entirely Filipino because the origin is Hispanic (mexican in the word "adobo").  Adobo is a main staple in our household when were growing up.  My mom would always prepare this dish with pork ribs or pork belly.  But I loved it when she prepared it with pork ribs (buto-buto), since you can slowly cook the adobo until the meat almost falls off from its bone.  The other variation that she would do is mixed pork and chicken or just like what I did in this recipe, just had chicken only.  If you asked a Filipino what is the national dish, they would normally answer, "ADOBO".  Adobo is consistently in the regional dishes, be it from north to south of the country.  Even though there are various ingredients and styles of this dish, the fact remains that the main recipe like the use of vinegar or any types of acids, salt and pepper, laurel (bay leaf) and garlic are consistent in every adobo that a Filipino would prepare.  Some like it traditional, and some like it jazzed up or fused with other ingredients.

1     kg     chicken legs (drumsticks)

1/4  cup soy sauce (used kikoman in this recipe)

1/4  cup   water

CHICKEN ADOBO

1     tbs coarsely ground pepper

3/4cup   vinegar 

5     cloves garlic, crushed

2-4 pieces laurel (bay leaf)

2     tbs oil

2     pieces onions, sliced

3     tbs liver pate

In a casserole, combine chicken, vinegar,pepper, soy sauce, water, laurel and garlic.  You may marinate for 30 minutes or overnight before cooking.  Take out the marinated chicken, cover and cook for about 30 minutes in medium heat or until the chicken is done.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove chicken pieces, set aside and strain sauce.  Put the sauce on the side to be used later.

In the same pan, heat oil.  Saute onion tip translucent and add the liver pate.  Add the reserved sauce and simmer till reduced and slightly thickened.  Then add the chicken pieces and re-heat for 3 minutes.

To serve:  put the chicken pieces in a bowl and then pour over the reduced sauce on top of the chicken . And garnish with ruccula, minced parsley or chopped leeks.