It’s the Filipino national dish. It’s very tasty when done right, and keeps very well. It’s a lot like a German pork stew using vinegar. In a pot, you put pressed cloves of garlic at the bottom, whole pepper corns, and a small mound of salt. Then you put in cubed pork shoulder or belly. I think the cut should be from one part of the pig so that cooking will be uniform. Then you put in maybe 3 quarters cup of mild vinegar for ever kilo of pork. Cover and simmer until the pork is done and the vinegar is nicely reduced. No seasoning, no chance of changing ratios. You either did it right or you didn’t. Also, you shouldn’t mind your entire house smelling of vinegar while it’s cooking.
If done right, the vinegar is fully neutralized, no stinging taste, just a rich pork flavor in the sauce. I also discovered that soy sauce is just optional; meant to color rather than flavor. There’s lots of melted fat; unhealthy but addictive. As an added touch, some Filipinos take out the meat after stewing, drain, then fry it in lard to caramelize the surface. They then put back the reduction for an unbelievably rich dish.
Don’t know if this thread will survive the OP’s quick exit, but I’ll chime in anyway.
I make adobo often. It’s versatile and tasty, and not too difficult. I sometimes make it Bicol-style using chicken thighs, and with the addition of coconut milk to temper the vinegar. More often, I make it with spare ribs or baby back ribs or beef short ribs and no coconut milk.
I don’t think soy sauce is optional, but I add no other salt. I do add some brown sugar, maybe a tablespoon, when cooking pork. I take an extra step of defatting the sauce at the end, though I may be the only person in the world to do that with their adobo. I brown my meat first and deglaze the pan with the vinegar/soy sauce, because fond is awesome. Lastly, in another move that almost no Filipino would do, I cook in the oven, covered, for even, all-around heating.
Serve with jasmine brown rice and top with some green onion and a vegetable on the side.
If you’re making chicken adobo, then a lot of fat is going to be rendered out. Skimming that off is simply prudent. Don’t forget to put in a bay leaf or two while you’re simmering in vinegar. You might also want to add some star anise. Not the whole “star”, as that would be too overpowering, but just one “arm” should do the trick.
I find it a bit ironic that you don’t like certain vinegars for being too sweet, but then add sugar to your mix. Myself, I don’t use sugar but rather dribble the soy sauce down the sides of the wok to allow it to caramelize. I also use a dark, Chinese-style soy sauce rather than a light, Japanese-style soy sauce.
I guess I could try cane vinegar and no sugar for my pork adobo. Main difference is that it is easier to control the sweetness (not too sweet) when using sugar. I use not only Japanese-style soy, but reduced sodium - Mrs. D_Odds needs to limit her sodium intake. I do have an awesome recipe for cane vinegar braised chicken. Not a traditional Filipino recipe, but definitely in the Filipino-style of cooking.
I’ve also never noticed any discernible sweetness from apple cider vinegar. It’s all sour to me. Maybe it has some sweet fruit notes to it, but nothing I would ever call “sweet.”
Same with cane vinegar. It has no residual sugar. See here.