• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cooking On The Ranch logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Roundup
  • Contact Me
  • Join Community
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Soups, Stews, & Chilis
  • About
  • Recipe Roundup
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home > Uncategorized > Pork Filipino Adobo with Pineapple

    Pork Filipino Adobo with Pineapple

    Published: Jul 30, 2021 · Modified: Aug 18, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Filipino Pork Adobo Recipe

    Pork Filipino Adobo is a very well known dish in the Philippines. Somewhat of an effortless recipe where pork shoulder is slow simmered in a combination of pineapple, vinegar, soy and oyster sauce. The end result is tender bites of pork with a stunning sweet yet savory flavor. Let’s take a look.

    Fillipino pork adobo with pineapple served over white rice

    This recipe landed on our dinner table after I discovered it in Bon Appetit Magazine. The ingredients listed to flavor the pork roast seemed far too tempting for me to let this one pass me by.

    With my love for preparing Mexican food recipes, I’m no stranger to slow roasted pork dishes…and I’m a big fan of Mexican Adobo recipes.

    What’s the difference between Mexican and Pork Filipino Adobo? Filipino adobo uses an Asian marinade consisting of soy sauce and vinegar as a base. Whereas Mexican Adobo makes use of chile peppers, Mexican oregano, garlic and cinnamon.

    Due to its popularity there some say Adobo is the national dish of the Philippines. And with that popularity comes the many variations. Chicken Adobo, Pork Adobo with Tofu, Pork Belly Adobo. After trying this recipe, I’m determined to try them all.

    It’s simply crazy with flavor. Slightly sweet, slightly tangy and so savory with tender chunks of pork roast.

    Before I made this recipe, I studied many versions of Pork Filipino adobo. What I liked about this one is that it’s a pork adobo recipe that doesn’t require marinating the pork. A quicker fix without compromising flavor.

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    Ingredients to make filipino pork adobo
    • Pork: A pork shoulder roast, or pork butt, is always a smart choice for slow simmered pork dishes. It’s a fatty cut of pork that won’t dry out and will soak up any flavors you throw its way. You’re going to chop it up before cooking, so purchase a bone-in or boneless roast.
    • Pineapple: It’s the key to bringing the famous sweet component to Filipino Pork Adobo, so please purchase a whole fresh ripe pineapple for this recipe.
    • Onion: Sweet or yellow onion.
    • Oyster Sauce: When it comes to building flavor quickly, Oyster sauce is a dream ingredient. Made from oyster juices that are long simmered and caramelized, you end up with a thick syrupy sauce that reminds one of a combination of soy sauce and bbq sauce. Don’t skip this ingredient.
    • Soy Sauce
    • Vinegar: Again a key ingredient in making pork adobo. Seasoned or unseasoned Rice Wine Vinegar is the preferred choice.
    • Garlic
    • Peppercorns: Using whole peppercorns in this recipe brings little pops of heat to the experience.
    • Dried Bay Leaves

    Ingredients Swaps and Substitutions

    • Pork: A top loin pork roast or pork tenderloin is a good substitution for pork shoulder. However, these cuts are leaner, so may be dryer after the cooking time.
    • Pineapple: Only if you must, substitute canned chunk pineapple for the fresh pineapple. Drain the pineapple before using in this recipe.
    • Soy Sauce: Substitute Tamari sauce for the Soy sauce to make this a gluten free Pork Adobo.
    • Vinegar: If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can substitute apple cider or red wine vinegar.

    How to make this Pork Filipino Recipe

    A simple recipe with simple ingredients, this recipe does take some time to make, so let’s get started.

    chopped fresh pineapple for pork adobo
    Step 1

    Step 1: We’ll start with chopping the pineapple. Half of the pineapple will be fine chopped and half will be in chunks. The smaller pieces will be cooked in a sauce pan until soft and broken down. Then blended to become part of the sauce. The larger chunks will be part of the final dish.

    Cooking diced pineapple in a saucepan
    Step 2

    Step 2: Place the diced pineapple in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and broken down and nearly all juice is evaporated, 15–18 minutes. 

    Pureed cooked pineapple in a food processor
    Step 3

    Step 3: Transfer the pineapple to a blender or food processor and add ¼ cup water; purée until smooth.

    Browning pork shoulder pieces in oil in a Dutch Oven
    Step 4

    Step 4: Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Lightly season pork with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, cook pork until well browned on all sides, 5–8 minutes per batch. Transfer pork to a plate.

    Sauteeing sliced onion and garlic in a dutch oven
    Step 5

    Step 5: Reduce heat to medium-low and add onion to same pot. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

    Cooking pineapple pork adobo is a Dutch Oven
    Step 6

    Step 6: Return pork to pot and stir in pineapple purée. Add vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, peppercorns, bay leaves, and ¾ cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cover pot. Reduce heat so adobo is at a very gentle simmer and cook until pork is tender, 45–50 minutes.

    Frying pineapple pieces in a skillet
    Step 7

    Step 7: Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook reserved bite-size pineapple pieces, tossing occasionally, until golden brown all over, 5–8 minutes. Gently stir the caramelized pineapple into the pork adobo. Serve the dish over rice.

    Pork Filipino Recipe FAQs

    A Pork Roast Contains A Lot Of Fat – Don’t Panic

    The reason that a pork roast is the choice for slow braised recipes like this one, is that it’s a fatty piece of meat. Which accounts for its flavor and tender texture. When cutting the pork roast into chunks, remove as much fat as you can. But don’t cut it all off. A little fat will add flavor to this recipe.

    Is Pork Filipino Spicy?

    The only spice you’ll encounter in this recipe is when you bite into one of those earthy spicy black peppercorns.

    Crispy and Caramelized

    Before you serve this Filipino Pork Adobo over the rice, place a couple of large ladles of the pork adobo mixture on a sheet pan and pop it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. That extra heat will crisp and caramelize the pork for that char flavor that we all love. Then serve over rice and top with the caramelized pineapples.

    Change it Up

    Pork Adobo With Potatoes is a popular version of Filipino Pork Adobo. Add cubed russet potatoes to the pork the last 20 minutes of cooking. Since we’ve added a starch, you may omit serving the pork adobo over rice.

    Pair it Up

    Given the burst of tart, sweet and salty, balance is what you’re looking for. Try a versatile light-bodied Chenin Blanc.

    Pork Filipino Recipe

    I hope you give this Pork Adobo with Pineapple a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a message about your experience with the recipe.

    And if you have a favorite filipino pork recipe, let me know, I’m always up for a culinary adventure.

    And if you’re looking for more Pork Recipes, don’t miss my pork category. You’ll find lots of recipe ideas, including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chile With Pork.

    Fillipino pork adobo with pineapple served over white rice

    Pork Filipino Adobo with Pineapple

    Filipino Pork Adobo is a very well known dish in the Philippines. Somewhat of an effortless dish where pork shoulder is slow simmered in a combination of pineapple, vinegar, soy sauce and oyster sauce. End result is tender bites of pork with a stunning sweet savory flavor. Let's take a look.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course Pork
    Cuisine: Philippines
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 257kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium pineapple ripe
    • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil Plus 2 teaspoons
    • 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder cut into 1½” cubes
    • Kosher salt to taste and fresh ground pepper
    • 1/2 sweet onion thinly sliced
    • 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
    • 1/2 cup Seasoned rice vinegar
    • 1/3 cup Soy sauce
    • 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
    • 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns
    • 5 dried bay leaves
    • Steamed white rice and thinly sliced scallions for serving
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Peel and core pineapple. Cut half of pineapple into bite-size pieces (about 1″); set aside. Chop remaining pineapple into small pieces and transfer to a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and broken down and nearly all juice is evaporated, 15–18 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add ¼ cup water; purée until smooth.
    • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Lightly season pork with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, cook pork until well browned on all sides, 5–8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
    • Reduce heat to medium-low and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
    • Return pork to pot and stir in pineapple purée. Add vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, peppercorns, bay leaves, and ¾ cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cover pot. Reduce heat so adobo is at a very gentle simmer and cook until pork is tender, 45–50 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook reserved bite-size pineapple pieces, tossing occasionally, until golden brown all over, 5–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
    • Uncover pot and skim off any fat from surface. Increase heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until sauce is thick and shiny, about 15 minutes. Gently stir in caramelized pineapple. Remove and discard bay leaves.
    • Serve pork adobo over rice, topped with scallions.

    Notes

    The reason that a pork roast is the choice for slow braised recipes like this one, is that it’s a fatty piece of meat. Which accounts for its flavor and tender texture. When cutting the pork roast into chunks, remove as much fat as you can. But don’t cut it all off. A little fat will add flavor to this recipe.
    Wine Pairing: Given the burst of tart, sweet and salty, balance is what you’re looking for. Try a versatile light-bodied Chenin Blanc.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 728mg | Potassium: 629mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Pork Filipino Adobo with Pineapple …. It’s Whats for Dinner

    More Braised Pork Shoulder Recipes

    • Cochinita Pibil, Yucatan Style Pulled Pork Enchiladas
    • Carne Adovada, Pork with Red Chile
    • Achiote Shredded Pork Tacos
    • Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sliders

    More Uncategorized

    • Black Cod with Miso Glaze Served over Coconut Ginger Rice

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      August 04, 2021 at 8:32 am

      Love Filipino adobo! Such great flavor. Not one of those dishes I make that often — I should. Thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
    2. Larry says

      July 30, 2021 at 6:24 pm

      Looks delicious and bout time you posted. After you retired and went to Cheffin school, I was expecting 3-4 new recipes per week :-).

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad bringing you Wild West Colorado inspired recipes. You'll find lots of Southwestern, and Mexican food recipes, and some favorites from Culinary School along with pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration and reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

    More about me →

    Reader's Favorites

    • Thick and Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe
    • Savory Oven Roasted Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes
    • Broccoli Cheez Whiz Rice Casserole
    • Crispy Baked Wings in Santa Fe Sauce

    Soups & Stews

    • Sherried Black Bean And Ham Soup
    • Easy Turkey Lentil Soup with Barley
    • Jacques Pepin’s Beef Stew In Red Wine
    • Creamy Southwestern Chicken Soup

    Taco Tuesday

    Taco recipes

    Dessert Recipes

    • Chile Chocolate Bourbon Cake with Chocolate Bourbon Frosting
    • Key Lime Pie Recipe – No Bake
    • Strawberry Tart Recipe with Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
    • Cherry Delight, No Bake Old Fashioned Cream Cheese Cherry Dessert

    Footer

    Featured in and partnered with

    Privacy Policy

    • Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Statement

    Copyright © 2023 Cooking On The Ranch • Privacy Policy

    30 shares
    30 shares