The Happy Home Cook: Pork Belly Adobo

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Pork Belly Adobo (Photo by Ivan Kevin Castro)

Ingredients

5 pounds pork belly
2 ½ cups chicken stock
2 ½ cups adobo marinade
4 ounces Adobo Jus (finishing sauce; braising liquid that is strained and simmered in a pot until half in volume)
1 ounce pan-sauteed onions
salt and pepper

Portion size: 18 to 20 4 ounces pork-belly pieces

Procedure

Cut belly in half, season generously with salt and pepper. Sear whole belly to achieve a golden-brown color on the whole surface of the exterior.

Place seared belly with the chicken stock and adobo marinade

into a braising pan. Cook in 275 F-degree oven, low-fan oven, covered with foil for 3 hours or until tender.

Once tender, taste a small chunk of your creation. Then, remove belly from the pan and allow to cool on a parchment-lined sheet pan. When cool, cut the sides of the belly to achieve a uniform rectangle. Next, cut the belly into even-sized 6 inches long by 1 inch-wide pieces, each weighing 4 ounces.

Strain the braising liquid and simmer in another pot until half in volume. This liquid, now reduced in half, will become the finishing sauce Adobo Jus.

For plating, sear 2 4 ounces pieces of belly in a splash of oil, using a cast-iron plan. When one side is golden brown, flip and sear the other side. Once properly seared, mix a little bit of onions and add the 4 ounces of Adobo Jus. Allow the Adobo Jus to simmer and penetrate the belly, but do not allow to evaporate. Take off the heat and taste for seasoning.

Place onion into your desired plate, put belly on top of the onions, and ladle Adobo Jus over the belly and plate. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice. Eat and enjoy!

Serves 20

Adobo Marinade

3 liters white-distilled all-purpose vinegar
4 liters Kikkoman Soy Sauce
905 grams dark-brown sugar
½ liter rice-wine vinegar
225 grams minced garlic
112 grams cracked black peppercorns
15 grams bay leaves

Combine and mix. Bring to a boil, cool down, taste, save and use for marinade.

*Video follows

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