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October

FILIPINO ADOBO PORK TENDERLOIN with APPLES

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When I was in college and living in the dorm, my parents sent me food often. One of the best dishes Mom used to send was ADOBO. There was nothing more soothing than to open that big brown box of homemade goodies and a large brown jar of ADOBO. It was filled with the fragrant morsels of chicken and pork swimming in a stewed sauce of soy, vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaves and lots of garlic. There was so much garlic that the scent of it rolled all around the dorm dining hall, and made heads turn.

 

 

Adobo is the Philippine’s national dish. There are various ways to cook it. And you can use either pork, chicken or both to cook in adobo. You can use different cuts of meat, too.  Different versions are cooked, depending on what region or province you are from in the Philippines. But one thing is universal. The Filipino Adobo is one of the most comforting, go-to dishes we run to when our hungry souls long for the familiarly delicious.

Mom sent ADOBO frequently. I knew I was the envy of other dorm residents when I strutted around the dining hall, with my huge brown jar of this adorable pork stew, the garlicky smells trailing me.

One day, my ADOBO was stolen. I was grief-stricken. I had not yet had the chance to eat it. It  had been a long day of exams, endless all-nighters and term papers. All I could think of was that I had a jar of Mom’s ADOBO waiting for me in the dorm refrigerator, with my name on it, and I couldn’t wait.

Somebody  envied  my Adobo too much. When I got to the ref,  ready to eat my Adobo, I noticed something odd.

The jar was EMPTY. The Adobo was gone. A mean, cruel person left a note “Ha, ha, it was delicious!” That vicious vixen (yes, I knew who it was) had the gall to leave a note on the empty jar.  My eyes got teary and felt a lump in my throat. I was  hungry, tired, sleep-deprived, homesick and wanted Mom’s ADOBO. I was so angry.

I looked around me to see if anyone was watching. It was a college dining hall. There were more unfamiliar faces than friends. I was still a college freshman then. It was a whole new daunting world for me. And I wanted my ADOBO so badly.

 

I have always loved ADOBO through the years. Even today, as a Mom myself, I  cook this pork-chicken garlic stew often several times a month. There is no other dish I trust more, to give my family the nourishment and good flavors . This is why for this month’s October Blog Hop, I decided to add a twist to my Pork Tenderloin Adobo….by adding an APPLE to the broth while it was simmering.

The tart, sweet flavors of a big juicy Fuji apple made the soy-vinegar based sauce even more desirable.  The strong garlicky & sweet aromas that came from the kitchen stove stopped everyone in their tracks when this pork stew was cooking. It was easy to cook , it was fun to add an apple…and most of all, it brought back ADOBO memories…of my youth, those college freshman years, and how everything became alright when Mom sent me ADOBO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FILIPINO PORK TENDERLOIN ADOBO with APPLES

1 whole pork tenderloin , approximately 1 lb.

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ cup soy sauce

½ cup vinegar

1 cup water

1 bouillon cube

5-6 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bay leaves

1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 whole Fuji apple (or any type apple), peeled and sliced thin

Steamed jasmine white rice, to serve with meal

1.      Marinate the long piece of pork tenderloin overnight with the following: vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated till ready to use.

2.      The next day, over medium high heat in a skillet, pan-sear the pork tenderloin till all sides are brown. This should only take about 10 minutes.

3.      Then pour the broth, marinades and the rest of the ingredients, except the rice.

4.      Let the pork mixture boil, then lower the flame. Continue simmering adobo for about 1 and ½ hours over a low fire.

5.      While the pork tenderloin is simmering in the adobo broth, add the apple slices. Cook the apple slices together with the adobo. The dish is done when the pork tenderloin is soft and tender when pierced.

6.      Serve with steamed jasmine rice. Pour the adobo sauce and apples over the pork tenderloin. Let the sauce cascade over the meat.

COOK’S COMMENTS: Filipino adobo is cooked in different ways. You can also use different types of meats. A popular combination is chicken  cuts and pork belly cubes. Or sometimes  it is an all-chicken or all-pork dish. I chose to use a whole pork tenderloin because it is leaner than other pork cuts.

TIPS: For leftovers, flake the pork tenderloin into little bits and deep fry in hot oil to make crisp Adobo Flakes. For this flakes, I pair it with garlic fried rice or Filipino Sinangag, which has been cooked in the same adobo pan drippings.

 

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