The People's Pharmacy® with Joe and Terry Graedon

My ex-husband is Filipino and I do still make Chiken Adobo and Pork Adobo, but I don't use ginger root or brown sugar. I also cook it on the stove top and add Bay leaf instead. I know chicken is good for colds and so is ginger, if you can take the taste. Those are the 'magic' ingredients. Adobo is just GOOD eatin' !!!

Chicken Adobo

There was a Philippine student in the house when I was in college and he cooked it on top of the stove with a bay leaf

I agree on the adobo with either chicken or pork butt.

I cook it for a long time.

I use a whole head of garlic minced. I mince a good two inches of Ginger as well. I brown it in olive oil, remove, and put back after the chicken is browned a bit on the outside, then add everything together and basically walk away.

To the chicken I add sage, sugar, 1-3 bay leaves, and I have heard adding peppercorns in a cheesecloth is a great addition as well. The sugar is sprinkled over the chicken, and then you use either white-cider or balsamic vinegar or sherry and mix with water and soy sauce, I believe about equal parts of all, and in this land of cooking you have to watch the family cook to get the recipe for yourself. I like to cook it for a long time on very low heat after the initial boil, and near the end I cook it down--remove the lid and let it evaporate a bit until it turns to a gooey sauce for the rice. I serve it with saffron rice.

As soon as I have browned the chicken and barley and cooked the garlic, I add all the vinegar, water and soy sauce, bring to a boil, and we are talking a kettle full of 12 legs or so, and then simmer slow for the afternoon, or about 3 hours.

This in our white Hispanic and former Filipino husband household is a staple and the entire family loves it.

I was a SeaBee stationed in a Mobile Construction Battalion building Cubi Point in the Philippines some 55 years ago. I learned to love Adobo and we have been eating it ever since. And I'm still going strong.