In the house I grew up in, my grandma made two kinds of adobo, none of which had soy sauce. The first one, my favorite, is her crispy adobo—deep-fried pieces of liempo drizzled with a sauce made of vinegar, laurel, garlic and black peppercorns. It is best eaten hot from the stove, when the skin is still crunchy and the meat hasn’t been made soggy by the sauce.
She calls the other one adobong puti—chicken in a sauce that’s also made with vinegar, garlic, black pepper and laurel. But the chicken isn’t fried to a crisp. It simmers in its sauce until the meat is tender and flavorful.
My grandma, now 93, doesn’t spend time in the kitchen anymore—it is Melinda, her trusted cook sin…
Keep on reading: Leave adobo alone!