Adobo is a Spanish rub or marinade typically made with paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar to flavor meat before cooking. It comes from the word, adovar, which means ‘to marinate.’ There’s Spanish adobo (the original adobo from Spain), Mexican adobo, Filipino adobo, and others.
In the Mexican version, crushed chilies, spices, and vinegar are used to make a marinade and sauce that is red, thick, and spicy. It’s used as a marinade before meats are grilled, but it is also used to simmer meat to flavorful tenderness. Basic Mexican adobo uses the traditional Spanish spices but indigenous ingredients such as tomatoes and chilies are added.
So, there are Southeast Asian-style adobos and Latin versions. Both are highly flavored, versatile, and easy to prepare. The former is characteristically salty and sour, with a sweet taste. On the other hand, Spanish and Mexican adobos are spicier, infused with chilies and oregano.
In the Philippines, adobo is the national dish using meat, seafood, or vegetables, marinated in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. The food is browned in oil and simmered in the marinade. Though it originated in the Philippines, colonialism also had a hand in this version’s name and description. The Philippines are 7,000 islands in a hot, tropical latitude. The Filipinos relied on the acid in the vinegar and high salt content of the soy sauce to deter the growth of bacteria in their food.
When Magellan and his Spanish crew colonized the Philippines in 1521, they observed how the people preserved meat and seafood. They saw it as ‘adobo’ (marinade with vinegar). Filipino adobo is an indigenous dish that wound up with a Spanish name because it reminded the Spaniards of how they marinated and preserved meat with vinegar and spices. Though the Spanish, Mexican, and Filipino versions vary from one another, the similarity is that each cuisine needed to prevent the growth of bacteria in a hot climate. The rest is culinary history.
Chicken Adobo Famoso | Serves 6
This classic adobo recipe is a bit more saucy than traditional Filipino adobo. Serve it over rice and add some Asian vegetables such as baby bok choy or snow peas.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. avocado or other vegetable oil
1 3-lb. chicken, cut into pieces
1 large onion, sliced and quartered
2 Tbs. minced garlic
1/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 dried whole bay leaves
2 scallions, sliced for garnish
Instructions
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Cook chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides, then remove. Stir in the onion, cook until they soften and brown, about 6 minutes; add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Pour in vinegar, soy sauce, honey and season with black pepper and bay leaves.
4. Add the browned chicken, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 35-to-40 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
5. Garnish with the sliced scallions and serve over rice.
For more Adobo recipes you can try this holiday season go to: Adobo! A Delicious Dish Heard Round the World – FoodTrients
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