A Filipino pork belly adobo recipe that's sure to please. The meat is marinated in a soy sauce and vinegar mix with plenty of garlic then slow cooked.
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Although it's not a very popular recipe on this site, my Filipino chicken adobo is my family's favorite dish. So, I'm hoping a variation of that recipe may get more views.
Adobo is something that I ate a lot of growing up as my father is Filipino and was the one who did all the cooking. Filipinos consider it the national dish of the Philippines although I don't think it is officially.
I'm usually rushed for time, so I don't usually marinate my chicken adobo very long or let it slow cook. However, marinating the meat for several hours along with slow cooking is the best way to make it.
So, I'm adding in a new recipe for Filipino pork belly adobo which is made more in the traditional way. It's marinated in a mix of soy sauce, vinegar, and lots of garlic.
This is one of those recipes that you'll want to allow plenty of time for. The minimum time the meat should be marinated is 2 hours, but it's much better to let it marinate overnight.
My father always used apple cider vinegar in his adobo, but I think that's just because it's so common here. In the Philippines, coconut, palm, or cane vinegar is more commonly used.
We do have some Asian markets that carry the more traditional vinegars, but I like using apple cider vinegar because it's what I'm used to. Plus, I always have a bottle on hand due the benefits of apple cider vinegar.
So, that's why I made this Filipino pork belly adobo recipe with apple cider vinegar. But, definitely feel free change the vinegar and seasoning to your own preferences.
I rarely stick to a recipe as written, particularly with savory dishes. And, if the recipe calls for garlic, I always add at least double as I love the flavor it adds.
I've been known to even eat garlic for breakfast. My keto fried recipe adds loads of garlic and it's a favorite breakfast food for me. In the Philippines, the garlic fried rice is called sinangag.
I've also got a great roasted garlic cream sauce and a garlic cauliflower mash with mashed celery root. And, I add tons of garlic into any simple meat and vegetable dish that I fry up.
A whole head of garlic is used in this Filipino pork belly adobo recipe. Using a garlic press to mince the garlic before marinating and cooking creates a more fragrant dish.
Filipinos love garlic and it's an ingredient that's found in most of the traditional recipes. It's also a key ingredient in the Filipino style eggplant burger and eggplant salad recipes on this site.
Years ago, there used to be a Filipino restaurant in our area, but the business didn't do well. It's unfortunate because it would have been great to go out and enjoy my favorite dishes without cooking.
My parents are long time members of a local Filipino American club. And, I look forward to getting invited to the annual picnic where I can sample tons of traditional dishes from the Philippines.
Another popular Filipino dish that I probably don't eat often enough is pancit. It's similar to Chinese lo mein, but my father makes it with the thin rice noodles.
Pancit is my father's signature dish and he brings it to all the family gatherings. Since I don't eat rice anymore, I came up with a low carb Filipino pancit recipe made with spaghetti squash.
If you are new to Filipino cooking, I'd recommend starting out with a simple adobo recipe. And this pork belly one is perfect for beginners! Another easy recipe is my pork bistek.
Filipino Pork Belly Adobo Recipe
Recommended Kitchen Accessories
Slow Cooker
Garlic Press
Air tight container for marinating (I prefer using glass over plastic)
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Recipe
Filipino Pork Belly Adobo
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS :
- 3 pounds pork belly slab cut ½ inch thick
- 1 head garlic pressed and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 2 to 3 pieces bay leaves Laurel leaves
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- olive oil for frying
MARINADE :
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
SAUCE :
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup chicken bone broth or beef broth
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sukrin Gold optional
GARNISHING :
- 1 teaspoon toasted garlic minced
- fresh parsley minced
Instructions
- Wash pork belly slices with cold running water and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder. Set aside for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Mix Marinade. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce and worcestershire sauce. Pour marinade to pork belly slices. Add bay leaves, half of the head garlic and ½ Tbsp. peppercorns. Marinate in the refrigerator for 5 hours or overnight in an air tight container.
- In a large skillet with oil, slightly fry remaining garlic and set aside.
- In the same skillet, pan fry each pork belly in batches. Slightly brown each side for 2 minutes in low to medium heat. Do not overcrowd. Reserve marinade.
- Soy sauce and apple cider vinegar mixture. In a small bowl, add broth, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce and Sukrin Gold (if using) plus the reserved marinade. Mix well. Pour apple cider vinegar but do not stir.
- In a stoneware pot of the slow cooker, add marinated pork belly slices, remaining peppercorns and garlic. Do this as you layer all the pork belly slices one after the other. Top with 2 to 3 bay leaves used in the marinate. Pour soy sauce and apple cider vinegar mixture. Using a 6quarts slow cooker, you will have two layers of pork belly. Slow cook for 6 hours in High until pork belly slices are "falling off the bones" tender.
- Garnish with toasted garlic and fresh parsley.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
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Sherri
Is the pork belly boneless or it has bones I am confused I think I’ve only seen it boneless does it matter?
Lisa MarcAurele
If you can find it with bones, it adds more flavor. But boneless is fine to use if that's all you can get.
Brenda
My BIL met and married his wife in the Philippines while serving in the navy almost 40 years ago. Ellen has hooked our family on things like lumpia and chicken adobo. I don’t eat the lumpia anymore but anything adobo is a win! If I can find the pork belly, this will be on the menu this weekend. Can’t wait to try it!
Lisa MarcAurele
My father, a Filipino, was in the Navy too but met my mother, an American, while stationed in the US. They only lived in the Philippines for a year or two after getting married then moved back to the US. My father served in the navy for 22 years before retiring.
Nov
Hi can I half the recipe engridients and only use pork belly about half kill or 1 kilo?
Lisa
That should be fine. The recipe is very flexible.
Natalie
Looks fantastic and I will make it next week as I have prepped this week already. What would you serve this with please?
Lisa
I serve it with plain or fried cauliflower rice.
Liz
Hi, just wondering what brand of shoyu you use? I'm half Japanese and prefer Yamasa or Kikkoman, my son in law is Chinese/Hawaiian and likes Aloha brand. As you know, there is a read difference in the tastes of all shoyu! I'm cooking keto lunches for his office staff, we're all trying to stick to the diet and I'm trying to find Asian recipes that fit. I've been craving adobo and this looks so good. Aloha!
Lisa
For this dish, two kinds of soy sauce were mixed – Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce and Silver Swan.
Dena
Have you tried making this in a pressure cooker?
Lisa
I haven't but I'm sure it's an easy recipe to convert.
Alyssa Valenton
Hi, I am craving for this Filipino desert called "Sans Rival" but not sure how to make it keto. Would you mind trying it out?
Lisa
Since it's a meringue cake, it could definitely be made. But, cashews are usually limited on low carb so another nut may need to be used.
Amber
I didn't realize you were half Pinoy! I've made several of your other recipes but never noticed the Filipino food! I'm not ethnically Filipino but I grew up in Manila. There's a lot of Filipino food I miss on the keto diet but I've been experimenting on some keto versions of a few things. Love this!
Lisa
You definitely have to try spaghetti squash pancit if you miss Filipino food! A lot of people don't realize that I'm half Pinoy as I have a lot of features from my mom who is German and Irish.
Village Bakery
Lisa,
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. My wife and I made this tonight for dinner. It came out great! Our kids loved it so much!
Lisa
You're welcome! My kids love this one too.
CJ
Just wondering if the pork belly should be rind off or rind on?
Lisa
We do rind on.
CoCo
This looks amazing! Would this recipe be successful in the InstantPot??
Lisa
It should, but the cooking time would be a lot less under pressure.