Why Adobo is Really Summer Food

sunro.nl

Summer is outings and what better food to bring along in a picnic outing than adobo? In fact, to me, summer has become synonymous with adobo! It's easy to cook--doesn't need much attention when cooking (pork or chicken)--and it lasts long with its vinegar content which is a natural preservative. You can cook it the night before and even if you have to eat it at lunch or supper time the day after, it's still good!

Dry Adobo or Adobo Fry

The tip here is to cook it dry. If you have to eat it a long time after cooking it, adobo should be cooked dry. So, with the usual ingredients (a measure of soy sauce and vinegar, chopped garlic and onions, pepper powder or crushed seeds. laurel leaves, some water, and the meat), boil it until cooked, drain the stew (you may make soup out of it), and fry till dry with a little cooking oil. It tastes like adobo barbecue! Dry adobo lasts longer than stewed or sauced adobo.

It will last even longer if you heat it before eating. And dry adobo goes so, so well with chopped tomatoes and salted and peppered sliced cucumber. I love it with steamed camote tops, boiled okra, and chopped Indian mangoes and onions with fish sauce (bagoong).

Adobo is the choice for cooking quick rice meals. For instance, you traveled 4 hours and reached your destination at past 12 noon and you still need to cook lunch because you love freshly cooked meals. Adobo is it! Just mix everything into the pot and boil for 45 minutes in low fire. In some cases, 30 minutes would do if the meat is really fresh.

I like mixing adobo with lots of potatoes when cooking it. Put in the potato chunks with everything and boil till cooked. Potatoes taste something else when cooked in adobo. The potatoes in themselves are enough for a meal.

A vital tip here--when vinegar is poured into the mixture, NEVER stir it. Never touch it again until the concoction boils. After it boils, then you can stir or do anything to it.

Adobo Grill

Instead of frying adobo after boiling it, grill it. This is better smelling and tasting than marinated meat. Just keep turning the meat after a few seconds to prevent burning it black. And adobo takes only a few moments to grill. Don't overcook it.