Post #70 - Adobo

I found free-range antibiotic-free chicken legs and thighs for a ridiculous price at Sprouts. That means adobo.

Now, this adobo recipe comes from my husband, from his Filipino great-grandfather. However, it has tomato sauce and ginger in it, which I have never seen in any "traditional" adobo recipe. But it's scrumptious. So don't be mad.

I apologize in advance for the lack of proportions. Hubby's always (and therefore so have I) gone simply by look and smell to determine the correct amounts of vinegar and soy sauce.

Adobo:
chicken legs and thighs (this time, 6 legs and 6 thighs)
ground pepper
veggie oil
white vinegar
soy sauce
minced garlic
minced ginger
tomato sauce
pickling spice
water

Put about 2 tablespoons of pickling spice in a tea ball (or cheesecloth).

Season the chicken pieces with pepper. Brown over medium-high in a very small amount of hot oil in a very large pot, in batches if necessary. Return all the chicken to the pot, and mix in the garlic and ginger. Lower the heat to medium-low.

Stir in some vinegar, maybe about 1/4 cup, and some soy sauce, also 1/4 cup. Let simmer, tossing the chicken occasionally, until the liquid is slightly reduced.

Add half of a small can of tomato sauce, and toss around. Add water to come about 2/3 of the way up the chicken. (No, it doesn't seem like enough, but it really is.) Place the tea ball of pickling spice in the pot, submerging it as much as possible. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat.

Simmer about an hour, shaking the pan every now and then. Don't worry about moving the chicken around, it'll be fully cooked since the pot's covered and the steam is all over the place. Add a little more soy sauce if you think it needs it.

Serve chicken with rice, with some of the sauce ladled on top.