In a shallow bowl or a plastic bag, combine the pork, soy sauce, and garlic. Marinade for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
2 lb Pork shoulder, 4 cloves Garlic, ½ cup Soy sauce
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. Allow your oil to get hot before moving to the next step.
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
Add in the marinated pork belly. Cook for a few minutes on all sides, about 3-5 minutes total.
Pour in the remaining marinade. Then add water, whole peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
4 Bay leaves, 1 tablespoon Peppercorns, 2 cups Water
Remove the lid to taste, add vinegar, and add brown sugar if desired. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (do not place the lid back on the pot)
1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Black pepper, 4 tablespoons White vinegar
Serve immediately over rice, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
The longer you marinate the meat, the better! You can marinate it overnight and it'll be all the more tender and delicious.
If you like a more silky sauce and tender meat, use pork belly. The high fat content will make for an incredibly creamy, silky sauce and the meat will be falling apart soft.
You can easily swap the pork out for cubed or cut up chicken and make Filipino chicken adobo! You can leave in bones if you want; the long cook time will make all the meat fall off.
If you can wait, cooking the pork for longer will make it even more flavorful. You can also cook it longer for even more flavor and the best possible texture. For the best pork adobo, pack it into the fridge and leave it overnight; it'll gain more flavor as it rests!