I've been cooking regular adobo since I was young, the classic version with soy sauce, vinegar, and bay leaves. Everything changed when I tried this salty, garlicky version during a trip to Bicol in 2018.
I became obsessed and kept trying to recreate it at home. While I never quite matched that Bicol version, I love my own version of it. This is my favorite adobo sa asin recipe. I make it whenever I'm craving that Bicol adobo.
My Ingredients
- 5 strips of pork belly, about 1 kilo (I always use liempo for the fat)
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped fine (I use a lot because I love garlic)
- Rock salt (My secret. It tastes milder and better than regular salt)
- ¼ cup vinegar (I use Datu Puti brand)
- 1 cup water
Optional Flavor Boosters:
- Whole peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 spoonful of chili garlic sauce (When I want it spicy)
How I Make My Adobo Sa Asin
- I wash my pork belly strips and cut them into 1-inch cubes. I also chop my garlic finely. I use a lot of garlic because it's what makes this dish so delicious.
- I put the pork cubes in a pan with just enough water to cover them. I boil until all the water evaporates completely. Then I keep cooking until the pork starts browning in its own rendered fat. No need for oil because the pork cooks in its own fat.
- I let the pork get nice and golden brown. I then remove it from the pan and set it aside. All that beautiful rendered fat stays in the pan for the next step.
- In the same pan with the pork fat, I cook my chopped garlic until it's slightly golden brown. I just love the smell of that garlic!
- I add about a cup of water, a pinch of salt, the vinegar, the browned pork, peppercorns, and bay leaves. I stir gently just to coat everything with the vinegar mixture.
- I cover the pan and let it simmer slowly until almost all the liquid has evaporated and turned into a rich sauce. I make sure there's no raw vinegar smell left. Then I season with more salt to taste.
- If I want it extra special, I toast the meat a bit more for those crispy edges. Sometimes I add a spoonful of chili garlic sauce for heat.
- Serve and enjoy!
My Personal Tips
- Don't rush the browning process. That's where all the flavor comes from.
- Use rock salt if you can find it. It really does taste better than regular salt.
- Make extra. Adobo Sa Asin tastes even better the next day.
- I sometimes use this for fried rice the next morning.
- If you can't find pork belly, any fatty cut of pork will work.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Adobo Sa Asin
My adobo sa asin is pork belly slowly cooked in salt, vinegar, and loads of garlic until the meat is tender and coated in a rich, salty sauce from the rendered pork fat.
Ingredients
Method
- I wash my pork belly strips and cut them into 1-inch cubes. I also chop my garlic finely. I use a lot of garlic because it's what makes this dish so delicious.
- I put the pork cubes in a pan with just enough water to cover them. I boil until all the water evaporates completely. Then I keep cooking until the pork starts browning in its own rendered fat. No need for oil because the pork cooks in its own fat.
- I let the pork get nice and golden brown. I then remove it from the pan and set it aside. All that beautiful rendered fat stays in the pan for the next step.
- In the same pan with the pork fat, I cook my chopped garlic until it's slightly golden brown. I just love the smell of that garlic!
- I add about a cup of water, a pinch of salt, the vinegar, the browned pork, peppercorns, and bay leaves. I stir gently just to coat everything with the vinegar mixture.
- I cover the pan and let it simmer slowly until almost all the liquid has evaporated and turned into a rich sauce. I make sure there's no raw vinegar smell left. Then I season with more salt to taste.
- If I want it extra special, I toast the meat a bit more for those crispy edges. Sometimes I add a spoonful of chili garlic sauce for heat.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Don't rush the browning process. That's where all the flavor comes from.
- Use rock salt if you can find it. It really does taste better than regular salt.
- Make extra. Adobo Sa Asin tastes even better the next day.
- I sometimes use this for fried rice the next morning.
- If you can't find pork belly, any fatty cut of pork will work.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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