Adobong Bisaya

My husband is an adobo fan--and I mean FAN.

He absolutely loves the adobo I learned from my Batanguena mother which uses soy sauce: fall-off the bone tender, lots of garlic with whole pepper corns and bay leaves. Sauce reduced until thick, with a coating of pork fat.

I also immensely enjoyed a college friend's adobo which she calls adobong bisaya. And I thought, i'd make this one based on taste bud memory. So it's the "mestiza"one, cooked till dry, a mix of tender and crispy bits. Best for breakfast...

heck great for lunch and dinner,too.

Liempo is really the best part but is a killer-- so kasim will do. My version sort of throws caution to the wind. For those who just have to watch their cholesterol, stick to kasim or make it all chicken. (But...where's the fun in that?)

1/2 k liempo cut into big cubes (get the one with the least fat all the same)

1/2 k kasim cut into big cubes

1 kilo chicken cut into pieces

1 to 1/2 cups vinegar

3-4 T salt

1 head garlic finely chopped

2 T whole peppercorn

6-8 bay leaves

2 T oil

1 T annato seeds (achuete) for color
1 c water

Marinade meat and chicken in vinegar, salt,garlic and peppercorn for at least 15 minutes. Drain and set aside the marinade.

In the meantime, put oil in pan and heat the annato seeds. Remove annato seeds.

Put on high heat and use this oil to quickly sear the meat/chicken until the pink flesh turns white. Add the marinade and water,tear the bay leaves, turn to low heat and slow cook adobo till tender.

By the time it is cooked, the liquid would have dried up and the fat from the meat already rendered. Now put on medium-high heat. The oil will now "toast"the garlic to light brown, giving off an aroma that begs for rice!

Keep stirring to avoid burning the garlic. Turn down the heat if you have to, because burnt garlic is bitter.

A little patience and arm power will result in crispy bits on the sides of the meat and skin.

This is the type of adobo that gets better with age. Won't spoil so it's the best to take for picnics and out-of-town trips.

What about you? What's your version of the adobo? I'd love to hear from you.