A Filipino cooking method of braising meat (or vegetables) in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and bay leaf — the technique behind the country's best-known dish.
The word "adobo" comes from the Spanish word for marinade or seasoning, applied by Spanish colonizers to a vinegar-based cooking technique that already existed in the Philippines long before contact — using vinegar and salt to preserve meat in a hot, humid climate. The name stuck; the technique is entirely Filipino in character.
At its core, adobo is simple: meat is browned or simmered directly in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and bay leaf until the liquid reduces into a dark, savory sauce. From that base, nearly endless variations exist — adobong puti (no soy sauce, so it stays pale), adobo sa gata (finished with coconut milk), and versions built around pork, chicken, squid, or vegetables instead of the classic chicken-and-pork combination.
Recipes on Pancit.com that call for adobo.
