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Eggplant Adobo

Eggplant Adobo

A weekend Filipino dinner. Ready in about 3 hours 11 minutes. Difficulty: more effort.

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Ingredients

How many people?

− 5 people +

Changed from 4 to 5 people · Back to 4

Main ingredient

  • 5 oz ground pork

Fresh & other

  • 1 ¼ lb egg plant
  • 2 ½ tbsp sugar
  • 1 garlic

Sauces & oils

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
Spices & seasonings (3): salt, pepper, bay leaves
  • 1 ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 ¼ tsp pepper
  • 3 bay leaves

How to make it

Steps in our own plain words.

  1. Slice 1.2 lb.

  2. Little Japanese or Italian eggplant (around 3) into quarters lengthwise.

  3. Cut crosswise into 2"-wide pieces.

  4. Place in a medium bowl.

  5. Add 1 Tbsp.

  6. Sugar, 1 ¼ tsp.

  7. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp.

  8. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp.

  9. Freshly ground black pepper.

  10. Toss to coat eggplant.

  11. Let sit at room at least 20 min and up to 2 hours, 2.

  12. Peel and thinly slice 10 garlic cloves.

  13. Add 4 tbsp.

  14. Vegetable oil plus half of garlic to a medium big heavy pot or other heavy pot.

  15. Cook over medium-high heat, till light golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.

  16. Stir the whole time with a wooden spoon.

  17. Move garlic chips to a plate using a slotted spoon.

  18. Season lightly with salt, 3.

  19. Place 5 oz.

  20. Ground pork in same pot plus break up in small pieces with wooden spoon.

  21. Season with ¼ tsp.

  22. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt.

  23. Heat, undisturbed, till deeply browned underneath, about 5 minutes.

  24. Move to another plate, leaving fat behind in your pot using a slotted spoon, 4.

  25. Place eggplant on clean kitchen towel plus blot away any moisture your salt has drawn out, 5.

  26. Working in batches plus adding more oil if needed.

  27. Heat eggplant in the same pot till lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side.

  28. Move to a plate with pork, 6.

  29. Pour 1½ cups of water in the pot and scrape up brown bits from the bottom using a wooden spoon.

  30. Add remaining garlic, 4 tbsp.

  31. Coconut vinegar or unseasoned vinegar, 2 ½ tbsp.

  32. Soy sauce, 3 bays leaves, 1 ¼ tsp.

  33. Freshly ground black pepper, and rest of the 1 Tbsp, sugar.

  34. Bring to a simmer.

  35. Return pork and eggplant to pot.

  36. Turn the heat down to medium-low, partially cover.

  37. Simmer till eggplant is tender plus silky plus sauce is reduced by half, 20–25 min, taste.

  38. Season with more salt and pepper.

  39. Add a little more sugar if needed.

  40. Top with garlic chips.

  41. Serve with cooked white rice.

On the side: Cucumber salad

A side we added to round out the meal. It is not part of the original recipe.

How to make it (10 min)
  1. Thinly slice the cucumbers.
  2. Toss with the rice vinegar and a pinch of salt. Let it sit a few minutes.

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Recipe from TheMealDB, adapted from the original. Steps rewritten in our own words. Times are estimates.