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ADOBO

No list of Filipino food would be complete without adobo.A ubiquitous dish in every household in the Philippines, it's Mexican in origin.But Filipinos found that cooking meat (often chicken and pork) in vinegar, salt, garlic, pepper, soy sauce and other spices was a practical way to preserve it without refrigeration.This cooking style can be applied to different meats or even seafood.It's best sample it in a Filipino home, but the garlicky version of the lamb adobo can be found at Abe restaurant in Taguig.

Abe Serendra, Serendra Plaza Serendra Plaza, Taguig City, Luzon Philippines

Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs. chicken, cut into serving pieces

3 pieces dried bay leaves

4 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp vinegar

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 to 2 cups water

¼ cup cooking oil

½ tablespoon white sugar

Salt and whole peppercorn

Instructions

In a large container, combine the soy sauce and garlic then marinade the chicken for at least 1 to 3 hours

Place the cooking oil in a pan and apply heat

When the oil is hot enough, put-in the marinated chicken. Cook all the sides for about 5 minutes.

Pour-in the remaining marinade and add water. Bring to a boil

Add the dried bay leaves and whole peppercorn. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender

Add vinegar. Stir and cook for 10 minutes.

Put-in the sugar, and salt. Stir and turn the heat off.

Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!

Nutrition InformationServing size: 4 Calories: 450

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LECHON

The lechon is the most invited party guest in the Philippines.The entire pig is spit-roasted over coals, with the crisp, golden-brown skin served with liver sauce, the most coveted part.In Cebu, the stomach of the pig is stuffed with star anise, pepper, spring onions, laurel leaves and lemongrass resulting in an extremely tasty lechon, which needs no sauce.In Manila, folks can get their piggy from Elar's Lechon, while in Cebu, the best is CnT Lechon.

Elar's Lechon, 151 Quezon Avenue Corner Speaker Perez Street, Quezon City, Luzon 1114 Philippines;

CnT Lechon, 1377 V. Rama Avenue Guadalupe, Cebu City Philippines

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SISIG

Nothing goes to waste in Filipino food.In the culinary capital of Pampanga, they turn the pork's cheeks, head and liver into a sizzling dish called Sisig.The crunchy and chewy texture of this appetizer is a perfect match for a cold beer.Serve with hot sauce and Knorr seasoning to suit the preference of you and your buddies.Credit goes to Aling Lucing, who invented this dish at a humble stall along the train railways in Angeles City, Pampanga.While Sisig can be found in many restaurants, try the original version at Aling Lucing Sisig.

Aling Lucing Sisig, Adjacent to Abacan Bridge Henson Street, Angeles City, Luzon Philippines

Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs pigs's head parts (face, snout, cheeks, and ear)

1/4 lb liver (chicken, pork, or beef)

1 tablespoon garlic; minced

1 medium size onion; chopped

3 chili peppers (siling labuyo) chopped

3 calamansi fruits; sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

For Boiling Ingredients

2-3 cups water

1 cup pineapple juice

1 teaspoon of whole black peppers

Optional Ingredients

1/4 lb tongue

1/4 lb heart

1/4 lb pork belly

Pork Sisig Cooking Instructions

Boil pig's heads parts in water, pineapple juice, and whole black peppers until tender.

Grill pork's head parts, and liver. You can use skewers to grill chicken livers.

Chop the grilled pig's parts and liver into about 1/4 inch sized cubes.

In a sizzler platter or skillet over high heat, sauté garlic.

Add and stir-fry the pig's parts and liver. Quickly remove from fire when meat starts to render fat.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and garnish with chopped onion, chili peppers, and slices of calamansi fruits.

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CRISPY PATA

Not for the easily spooked, this pork knuckle is simmered, drained and deep fried until crisp.The meat is tender and juicy inside, with a crisp, crackling exterior.Served with vinegar, soy sauce and chili.

The Aristocrat, 432 San Andres Street corner Roxas Boulevard, Malate, Manila, Luzon Philippines

Recipe

Ingredients

1 whole pig’s leg (pata; about 3 to 4 lbs), cleaned

6 pieces dried bay leaves

2 tablespoons whole peppercorn

4 to 6 pieces star anise (optional)

6 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder

12 to 15 cups water

8 to 12 cups cooking oil

Instructions

Pour water in a cooking pot then let boil.

Put-in dried bay leaves, whole peppercorn, star anise, and 4 teaspoons of salt.

Add the whole pig’s legs in the cooking pot then simmer until the leg becomes tender (about 45 to 60 minutes).

Remove the tender leg from the cooking pot and set aside until the temperature goes down.

Rub the leg with garlic powder, ground black pepper, and remaining salt. Let stand for 15 minutes to absorb the rub.

Heat a clean large cooking pot (preferably with cover) and pour-in cooking oil.

When the oil becomes hot, deep fry the rubbed pork leg. Continue cooking in medium heat until one side becomes crispy, and then cautiously flip the leg to crisp the other side. Note: Be extra careful in doing this procedure.

Turn-off the heat; remove the crispy pork leg; and transfer it to a wide serving plate.

Serve with atcharang papaya and soy sauce – vinegar dipping sauce.

Share and enjoy!

Nutrition InformationServing size: 4

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CHICKEN INASAL

Yes, it's grilled chicken.But in Bacolod, this is no ordinary grilled chicken.The meat is marinated in lemongrass, calamansi, salt, pepper and garlic and brushed with achuete (annatto seeds) oil.Every part of the chicken is grilled here from the paa (drumstick), pecho (breast), baticulon (gizzard), atay (liver), pakpak (wings) and corazon (heart).It must be eaten with a generous serving of garlic rice, with some of the orange oil used to marinade the chicken poured over the rice.You can go chicken crazy at Manokan Country where there is a row of authentic Inasal restaurants.

Aida's Chicken, Fr. M. Ferrero St Manokan Country, Bacolod, Negros Occidental Philippines;

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BULALO

Despite the perennial heat, Filipinos often enjoy sipping piping hot bulalo soup made with from freshly slaughtered Batangas beef.The broth is rich with flavors seeped from the beef after boiling for hours.The bones are big, meaning more bone marrow to enjoy.In Santo Tomas, Batangas, there's a row of restaurants along the highway serving bulalo.

Rose and Grace Restaurant, Maharlika Highway Batangas, Santo Tomas, Luzon 4324 Philippines

Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs beef shank

½ pc small cabbage, whole leaf individually detached

1 small bundle Pechay

3 pcs Corn, each cut into 3 parts

2 tbsp Whole pepper corn

½ cup Green onions

1 medium sized onion

34 ounces water

2 tbsp fish sauce (optional)

Instructions

In a big cooking pot, pour in water and bring to a boil

Put-in the beef shank followed by the onion and whole pepper corn then simmer for 1.5 hours (30 mins if using a pressure cooker) or until meat is tender.

Add the corn and simmer for another 10 minutes

Add the fish sauce,cabbage, pechay, and green onion (onion leeks)

Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!

Nutrition InformationServing size: 4

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ARROZ CALDO

While chicken soup soothes sick Westerners, Filipinos turn to arroz caldo, a thick chicken rice porridge.Cooked with ginger and sometimes garnished with a hard-boiled egg, toasted garlic and green onions, this Filipino food is sold in street-side stalls.

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KARE-KARE

This stew of oxtail has the most delicious sauce made from ground toasted rice and crushed peanuts.Banana blossom, eggplants and string beans add more interesting textures, making it a complete meal on its own.It's eaten with steamed rice and bagoong (shrimp paste).While mom's kare-kare is always best, the version at Cafe Juanita is authentic.

Cafe Juanita, 2 United St Kapitolyo, Pasig, Luzon Philippines

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SINIGANG

Sinigang is a stew of fish, prawns, pork or beef soured by fruits like tamarind, kamias or tomatoes.Often accompanied by vegetables like kangkong, string beans and taro, this stew is eaten with rice.A modern, but delicious spin on Sinigang is Sentro 1771's version called Sinigang Corned Beef.

Sentro 1771, 2/F Greenbelt 3, Makati, Luzon Philippines

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TAPA

Filipinos are huge rice eaters, and breakfast is no exception.A tap-si-log consists of thin slices of dried marinated beef served with fried egg and garlic rice.While it is breakfast fare, it's also a quick, satisfying meal you can eat anytime and available in most places.

Making it accessible all the time and even available for deliveries, Tapa King serves it in the classic, sweetish and spicy versions.Tapa king, #13 Ano 96 Street, Brgy. Hagdang Bato, Libis Mandaluyong City 1552, Manila, Luzon Philippine.

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DINUGUAN AT PUTO

It may not look appetizing.But this black dish of pork and pig innards -- stewed in fresh pig blood seasoned with garlic, onion and oregano and eaten with a white puto (rice cake) or steamed rice -- is a comforting dish for many Filipinos.

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LAING

This dish of taro leaves cooked in rich coconut milk is an everyday staple in Bicol.Morsels of meat and chili are added to give punch to the Laing.It's eaten with steamed rice.The authentic versions from kitchens in Naga and Albay are most delicious.

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PINAKBET

Up north in Ilocos, the vegetable dish of okra, eggplant, bitter gourd, squash, tomatoes and bagoong (shrimp or fish paste) called pinakbet is a favorite.And now, this healthy, cheap, and easy to cook dish has made its way around the archipelago.It is cooked in most households and local restaurants.

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BAGNET

The lechon kawali, the deep fried pork, is a popular Filipino food all over the country.Meanwhile, bagnet, a siimlar dish from the northern province of Ilocos, is coveted for its irresistible crunchy skin dipped in the sweet-sour vinegar sukang Iloko.Buy it from the markets of Ilocos, or try it at Cafe Juanita.

Cafe Juanita, 2 United St Kapitolyo, Pasig, Luzon Philippines;

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PORK BARBECUE

In a country where almost everything is marinated, skewered and grilled in the street corners, everyone has their favorite barbecue meat.Pork is the most popular.Cebu is known for barbecue stalls along Larsian Street just off Fuente Osmena Circle.

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LONGANISA

Every province has their version of the pork sausage called longaniza.It varies from sweet to garlicky to spicy.Usually eaten for breakfast with garlic rice, fried egg and a dipping sauce of vinegar.

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LUMPIANG UBOD

The fruit, leaves and even the pith of the coconut tree is used in Filipino food.The pith makes a sweet and tender filling for the fresh lumpia, our version of the spring roll.A delicate egg wrapper contains a savory filling of ubod (the pith of the coconut tree), shrimps, pork, onions and a garlicky sweet sauce.Bacolod city is known for its petite version of this spring roll.