Pork Belly Adobo

Pork belly adobo is already pretty hard to mess with. Fatty pork, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and bay leaves simmered until everything gets salty, tangy and ridiculously good over rice.

I sometimes add oyster sauce for color but this time I added Calamansi Barbecue Sauce right into the sauce to finish. It gives the adobo some citrusy calamansi flavor, a little sweetness and helps the sauce reduce into that dark, glossy coating you want clinging to every piece of pork belly.

The method is inspired by the style of pork adobo I love from Maui’s very own Chef Sheldon Simeon. Instead of cooking the pork until it completely falls apart, I like keeping a little bite to the pork belly, then reducing the sauce separately until it gets concentrated and sticky.

Ingredients

2 pounds pork belly, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil

8 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup cane vinegar

2 to 3 tbsp Calamansi BBQ Sauce (or oyster sauce)

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional

Steamed white rice, for serving

1Pat the pork belly dry. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

1. Add the pork belly and sear until browned on multiple sides. Work in batches if needed so the pork browns instead of steaming.

2. Lower the heat slightly and add the smashed garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

3. Add the soy sauce, cane vinegar, sugar, Calamansi Barbecue Sauce, bay leaves and peppercorns.

4. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the pork belly is tender but still has some structure.

5. Remove the lid and pork, and continue simmering for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and becomes dark, glossy and slightly sticky.

6. Taste the sauce. If you want the adobo a little sweeter, stir in more brown sugar. If you want more tang, add a small splash of cane vinegar.

7. Toss the pork belly in the reduced sauce until every piece is completely coated.

8. Serve hot over steamed white rice and make sure you spoon some of that sauce over the top.

Adobo is one of those Filipino dishes where everybody's version is a little different