Pork Adobo

Serves 6.

Ingredients

1 kg/2 lb pork loin or leg chops
8-10 cloves garlic
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup white vinegar
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 -1 teaspoon ground black pepper
lard or oil for frying

Directions

Cut skin from pork and discard. If chops are large, cut into serving pieces. Put pork and all other ingredients except lard or oil into a heavy non-aluminium saucepan and marinate for 1 hour. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until pork is tender. Remove pork from pan, boil liquid over high heat until reduced and thickened. Strain into a small bowl. When fat rises to the top, spoon it into a frying pan. Add lard or oil to cover base of pan with 6 mm (1/4 in) fat and fry the pork until brown and crisp on both sides. Transfer to a heated serving plate and pour the sauce over. Serve hot accompanied by white rice.

Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)