Cook’s notes
Yes, Filipino adobo is versatile. So long as you have the correct combination of spices and seasonings, you can pretty much cook anything into an adobo dish.
In this recipe, ground pork is combined with green beans or what we call Baguio beans in the Philippines. They’re just regular green beans, the kind that needs to have the “string” pulled off and discarded. If you want to cut down on prep time, go for haricot vert.
Tip: Go for fatty ground pork — at least 20% fat (30% is even better) — if you want a really luscious adobo. If cooked ground meat that resembles mashed cardboard is okay with you, then go ahead and use lean ground pork. I’m not joking. And I’m not being sarcastic. There’s vinegar in adobo — a copious amount — and acid does things to meat. Without fat, the meat muscle can easily turn dry during cooking.
Ground pork and green beans adobo
Ingredients
- 300 grams ground pork (about 10 oz) preferably with at least 20% fat
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and pounded
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs oregano leaves only (or two pinches dried)
- 3 tablespoons cane vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 300 grams green beans stringed and cut into two-inch lengths
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick pan and spread the pork.
- Add the garlic, pepper, bay leaves and oregano.
- Cook over high heat, stirring, until the ground pork has lost its raw appearance.
- Pour in the vinegar and soy sauce, and stir.
- Cook, uncovered, until almost dry, about seven minutes.
- Stir in the green beans.
- Drizzle two tablespoons of water around the edges of the meat and vegetables.
- Cover the pan and cook for about two minutes or just until the green beans are done but still lightly crisp.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed, before serving with rice.
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